A FIRST-GENERATION DAIRY

Iowa’s dairy farmer part of AMPI’s big cheese success

By DOUG CLOUGH

SANBORN — A mild cheddar and monterey jack cheese produced in O’Brien County by Associated Milk Producers Inc.’s (AMPI) has earned first place in the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Associations shredded-blend category.

AMPI’s entries topped nearly 2,250 contenders from 197 companies and cooperatives across 35 states in the biennial competition. AMPI was distinguished as the only dairy farmer-owned company to have two entries named to the elite group of top 20 finishers, which were announced the last week of February.

AMPI’s CEO Sheryl Meshke makes it a point to tout the Midwest as an integral part of their successful cheese making.

“When I think about what sets our cheese apart,” said Meshke, “it’s the farm families who come together as a co-op to care for the land, animals, and they jointly own the cheese making.”

Kevin and Cari Knapp, of Larchwood in

Lyon County, are one of Iowa’s dairies and part of the AMPI cooperative supplying the Sanborn facility with milk.

“We have 150 milk cows, all registered Jerseys,” said Kevin Knapp. “During the 20 years I’ve supplied AMPI with product, we’ve tried Holsteins, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, and Ayrshires as well, but we favor the Jerseys. I’ve found their milk has the highest butterfat content and protein, and they are a smaller cow that requires less feed.”

The Knapps are first-generation dairy farmers, although Kevin Knapp has experience working at an Illinois dairy, and Cari Knapp was born and raised on a dairy farm. The couple also has 200 acres of corn to provide sileage and corn for their cattle.

The Knapps married in 2002, milked in Illinois and then moved to Iowa Labor Day weekend of 2003, to the area where Cari Knapp was born and raised.

Like most modern-day dairies, the Knapp

See DAIRY, Page 2D

-Submitted photos

ABOVE: The Kevin and Cari Knapp Dairy of Larchwood is one of Iowa's dairies supplying milk to AMPI's Sanborn facility. "Our whole family is part of our dairy's success," said Kevin Knapp. The Knapp family members, in back, from left, are Erica, Angie, Kevin, Nathan and Logan; in front, from left to right, are Tara and Cari.

LEFT: Tara Knapp, 18, is seen here feeding a baby bottle calf, a chore that she shares with her sister Erica. Tara not only works with the family at the dairy, but she is also a certified nurses assistant (CNA).