Participation in Young Cooperator program doubles

Area farmers attend cooperative education program

NEW ULM, Minn. (April 2, 2008)—Area dairy producers participated in the Young Cooperator (YC) program held March 24-25 in conjunction with the Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minn.
 
A growing number of young AMPI producers who are choosing to take a more active role in the milk marketing business they own. Open to members age 40 and under, YC participation has doubled in the past year. The recent meeting is one of many cooperative education opportunities available to the group.
 
“Through YC activities such as AMPI manufacturing plant tours, we learn what it means to be a cooperative owner,” said Kevin Knapp of Larchwood, Iowa, past chairperson of the YC group. “Participating in AMPI’s annual meeting gave us an added educational opportunity to see firsthand our cooperative in action.”
 
The Knapps and their fellow YC steering committee members will lead the group in the coming year. Members of the committee are: past chairpersons, Kevin and Cari Knapp, Larchwood, Iowa; chairpersons, Darrel and Lisa Maus, Freeport, Minn.; vice chairpersons, Bill and Merri Post, Chandler, Minn.; secretaries, David and Robin Trott, Ladysmith, Wis.; and members-at-large, Doug and Jamie Carroll, Ryan, Iowa.
 
Other YCs who will serve as division chairpersons include: Kevin Kueker, Waverly, Iowa; John and Rachel Mathis, Alma, Wis.; Mark and Angie Qual, Lisbon, N.D.; David and Robin Trott, Ladysmith, Wis.; Josh and Linda Dickmann, Pierz, Minn.; Justin and Amanda Luehmann, Lewiston, Minn.; Steve and Esther Dykstra, Bigelow, Minn.

For more information about the AMPI Young Cooperator program, contact AMPI Communications and Government Relations Director Sheryl Meshke at (507) 354-8295.
 

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About AMPI: Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) is a dairy marketing cooperative with 3,600 member farms, 5.5 billion pounds of milk and $1.6 billion in annual sales. Members operate dairy farms located throughout the Midwest states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
They own 15 manufacturing plants and market a full line of consumer-packaged dairy products, including the Cass-Clay^® brand. For more information about AMPI, visit the cooperative’s Web site at www.ampi.com.