We are Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI), the largest cheese cooperative based in the U.S. Our 850 farm families and the 1,000+ people we employ are driven by a shared purpose: feeding people.
AMPI's dairy farmer-owners produce milk on family farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Together, we market about 5.6 billion pounds of high-quality milk annually.
Our dairy farmers also collectively own seven manufacturing plants in four Midwest states. Skilled AMPI employees use our milk to make American-type natural cheese, processed cheese, butter and powdered products. Our award-winning products are sold to food service, retail and food ingredient customers from coast to coast — and around the globe.
WE ARE Co-OP CRAFTED
A tradition rooted in integrity and craft
Our Co-op Crafted story is about the people behind our cooperative. It’s about nourishing the world and supporting those who make that a possibility. It’s about heritage with impact and transparently linking our products to the source. Respecting the land, animals and each other, AMPI dairy farm families put our heart and soul into the milk we produce, as well as the fiber of our communities. It’s integrity from our farms to your table.
We believe consumers deserve nothing less than our very best. Co-op Crafted is an exclusive AMPI mark representing our promise to do things the right way, every day, from farm to table. We are guided by these unshakeable core values: commitment to quality, responsibility to others and determination to succeed.
MEET OUR FARMERs
vander kooi family
Dave Vander Kooi loves cows. That simple fact prompted him to buy four cows from a neighbor and begin milking when he was a sophomore in high school. He’s still at it 48 years later and has been an AMPI member since that first milking.
“I’m probably one of the oldest numbered AMPI patrons,” Dave said. “I’ve never sold milk to anybody else. They’ve always been good to me, and I’ve tried to be good for them.” These days, Dave partners with his son Joe to operate Ocheda Dairy in the southwest corner of Minnesota. Their 2,000 cows produce enough milk to fill nearly three, 7,000-gallon truckloads daily.
Joe and wife Rita are raising their five children on the farm, which they believe provides an enriching environment. “There’s nothing like watching your kids play in this setting,” Rita said. “We’re very fortunate that they can grow up right here.”
“We are really proud that we make a great product. Our milk has a nutritional value for all families.”
– Rita Vander Kooi
AMPI IS COMMITED TO CARE
FOR OUR ANIMALS & LAND
AMPI dairy farmer-owners are "all in" when it comes to providing quality care for our animals every single day. This commitment is demonstrated by the cooperative's 100% member enrollment in the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program.
AMPI is also a founding member of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, a voluntary organization dedicated to fostering collaboration and progress to build a healthy and sustainable future for the dairy community, the people it serves and the planet we all share.
Our co-op is a proud adopter of the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment. The commitment affirms that AMPI dairy farmer-owners and employees care for the land, animals and communities in which we live and work.
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
As a cooperative, AMPI operates by principles that put purpose before profits and act in the long-term interest of our members and community. Being good neighbors and contributors in the places where we live and work is a way of expressing our cooperative values.
$58,000 in product and monetary donations
13,000 HRS volunteerED in community service
