Advocacy at home

AMPI Vice Chairman Dennis Hawkins represented the cooperative during an agriculture roundtable with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in June near his dairy farm in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Before the event, Rollins met one-on-one with Hawkins to discuss priorities for the dairy industry. The conversation also highlighted how the transition to cottage cheese production at AMPI’s Blair, Wis., plant reflects the cooperative’s long-term commitment to creating additional value for member-owners while strengthening its manufacturing network for the future.

During the roundtable, Hawkins joined agricultural leaders from across Wisconsin to discuss issues affecting dairy, including workforce needs, trade and nutrition policy. He thanked the administration for restoring whole and reduced-fat milk to school meal programs, noting dairy’s role in providing children with protein, calcium and other essential nutrients while helping build lifelong dairy consumers.

Hawkins also encouraged continued support for policies that protect the identity of real dairy products, emphasizing the importance of reserving dairy terms such as “milk” for products made from milk produced by dairy cows. He noted that America’s dairy farmers work hard to produce nutritious, high-quality products that consumers trust.

The visit provided an opportunity to highlight AMPI’s continued investment in dairy manufacturing and ensure member-owners’ perspectives were represented in discussions shaping the future of the dairy industry.