A Big Step Toward Better Milk Options for Kids

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 21:54:41 GMT

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry took a key step toward expanding milk choices in schools today, advancing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act by voice vote. The bipartisan legislation, which has already cleared a House committee, would allow schools to once again offer whole and 2% milk, options currently excluded under federal school meal rules in place since 2012.

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) applauded the committee’s action, calling it a crucial move toward improving childhood nutrition and giving schools greater flexibility to serve nutrient-dense dairy products.

“The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is about making informed, science-backed decisions that prioritize the health and future of our children,” says Gregg Doud, NMPF president and CEO. “We’re grateful that this common-sense legislation has received such strong support from both sides of the aisle.”

The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., would give schools the option to serve whole and 2% milk — choices that are currently not allowed under federal school meal guidelines established in 2012. Those rules restrict milk offerings to 1% and fat-free varieties.

If enacted, the legislation would mark a significant shift in school nutrition policy. Whole and 2% milk are the most commonly consumed varieties at home and have been shown to be more satiating for children while still delivering the same 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and high-quality protein.

“Passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will allow more schoolkids to access essential nutrients in their diets, and that’s something everyone can get behind,” Doud adds.

Support for the legislation extends beyond the dairy sector. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) also welcomed the committee’s action.

“Farm Bureau appreciates the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup and passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act,” says Zippy Duvall, AFBF president. “This bipartisan legislation will allow schools to offer additional nutritious milk varieties to students. Whole and 2% milk, as well as flavored options, are wholesome choices for children and an important building block for a healthy, balanced diet.”

The legislation is rooted in efforts to address declining milk consumption in schools. Since the removal of whole and reduced-fat milk from school menus more than a decade ago, overall milk intake among students has dropped. Advocates say reintroducing these options could help reverse that trend, especially at a time when nearly 90% of Americans fall short of recommended dairy intake levels.

“By offering milk options that align with both modern nutritional research and student preferences, schools can increase milk intake at a critical time,” Duvall says.

The House of Representatives is also considering companion legislation, led by House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson, R-Pa., and Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash. That version passed out of the House Education and the Workforce Committee with bipartisan support earlier this year and now awaits floor action. A similar bill cleared the full House in 2023 but failed to reach the Senate floor before the session ended.

With momentum now building in both chambers, dairy organizations are urging lawmakers to bring the bill to a final vote. The National Milk Producers Federation continues to call on dairy advocates to contact their representatives and push for the bill’s passage.

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Fair Oaks Farms Confronts Undercover Activists with Transparency

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:07:36 GMT

One of the best-known dairies in the country, Fair Oaks Farms near Chicago, says animal activists infiltrated their workforce and spent six months recording operations.

Fair Oaks Farms is known for creating an identity around agritourism. Now, the business built on transparency is already preparing to react. It has also released its own YouTube video about it .

“It’s why we opened up our farm 15 years ago to the public,” says Sue McCloskey, a co-founder of Fair Oaks Farm. “We did that in order to have the conversation about what modern agriculture is all about and to answer any and all questions the consumer and families have about where their food comes from.”

Which is why when an anonymous caller told them a group of recent employees was actually animal activists sent to record the operation undercover, Fair Oaks immediately began a new conversation.

“It’s very unfortunate because what happens in videos like this is the thousands and thousands of compassionate moments that our employees have interacting and taking care of our animals never get to these videos,” says Mike McCloskey, a veterinarian and co-founder at Fair Oaks Farms.

While no videos have been released yet, Mike says it’s not impossible that over six months the activists didn’t capture moments of frustration or a break down in processes.

“What they get is the one-off moment or they’re showing a practice, misrepresenting it or explaining it wrong or a malfunction of some sort that’s a one-off malfunction that does cause some stress with the animals until that’s corrected,” says Mike in the video.

It’s also why they immediately hired a third party to audit the farm.

“We even encourage our employees to come to us if they see anyone else doing anything that considers an animal welfare abuse to come and share that with us,” says Mike.

Along with having transparency through hosting daily farm tours, Fair Oaks also participates and is certified through the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program for its animal welfare practices.

They’re watching for what may come out, but Fair Oaks wishes more conversations would start at the front door.

“We really wish that groups like this understood that they are welcome to come and share with us their thoughts of our practices and our management and allow us to have a dialog with them where we could interchange our thoughts with theirs and I’m sure they’ll teach us stuff and help us become better at what we do,” says Mike .

For now, its a waiting game for one of the nation’s largest dairies built on an open door policy.

The McCloskey’s say all employees sign a document pledging to report abuse when they see it. They say there may be legal ramifications for both current and former workers depending on what any released footage shows.

For more on this story listen Mike McCloskey in an audio interview with with Clinton Griffiths, editorial director with Farm Journal Broadcast and AgDay anchor: