Dairy Policy
After 10 years of growth and policy momentum, IDFA will begin a search for new leadership as Michael Dykes plans to retire in 2026.
A new survey shows teenagers trust dairy more than any other age group as schools prepare to bring whole milk back to menus under updated federal nutrition rules.
As the gap between federal policy and dairy’s year-round reality widens, leaders in Texas and Idaho warn that a structural labor deficiency is pushing the industry toward a breaking point.
As make allowances surge to $5.04 per cwt., the American Dairy Coalition is demanding USDA transparency to ensure that plant efficiency gains don’t become an invisible tax on the family farm.
Mississippi has enacted HB 1153 to protect traditional agriculture and prevent the sale of “fake milk” alternatives starting July 2026.
Ambassador Julie Callahan outlines a transactional approach to global trade, targeting market access and regulatory reform
Government buyout programs have long been part of the dairy industry. Western United Dairies says the Make America More Ground Beef initiative is different and would help monetize surplus dairy cows, increase beef supply and lower grocery prices.
With a giant bottle of milk on the desk, President Donald Trump signed a law bringing whole milk back to schools. Here’s the story of the farmers and families who witnessed the historic moment.
The president has signed the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law, restoring whole and 2% milk options in U.S. schools for the first time in more than a decade.
Congress has passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, reversing a 2012 restriction and allowing schools to offer whole and 2% milk again (pending the president’s signature).
A seventh-generation dairy farmer is turning everyday moments with curious schoolkids into powerful advocacy to bring whole milk back to classrooms.
The Senate’s approval of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act could soon give schools the option to serve whole and 2% milk again.
From beef-on-dairy calves fetching record prices to $11 billion in new processing plants, U.S. dairy is riding a wave of momentum fueled by consumer demand for protein and historic levels of investment.
From volatile milk prices to the rise of beef-on-dairy, and from export dependence to uncertainty with China, producers and analysts agree: resilience and adaptation are more critical than ever.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has reintroduced the DAIRY PRIDE Act of 2025, aiming to stop plant-based products from using dairy terms and require the FDA to enforce labeling standards that protect dairy farmers and prevent consumer confusion.
A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress seeks to give WIC participants more options when it comes to the types of milk they can choose.
Over 90% of U.S. ice cream makers vow to remove artificial colors from ice cream made with real milk by 2027 in a voluntary industry effort.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” brings a range of updates for dairy farmers including extended DMC coverage, expanded tax relief, insurance incentives and pricing transparency measures.
While the 1,000-page bill includes spending increases for agriculture-facing programs by $56.6 billion over the next decade, there’s one major priority that didn’t make it into the House’s version.
The Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a major step toward restoring whole and 2% milk options in schools.
A major highlight of the House Agriculture Committee’s reconciliation proposal is the extension of the Dairy Margin Coverage program through 2031.
Supporters of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act say more milk choices in school lunches mean healthier kids, less waste and a stronger future for dairy.
The nation’s largest milk-producing state, home to 1.71 million milk cows, is navigating a series of challenges that add layers of complexity, costs and concerns for producers.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services has some farmers wondering—will he be a champion for real dairy or a source of controversy? With his strong support for whole milk but a divisive stance on raw milk, his impact on the industry is still up for debate.
Sec. Mike Naig says the U.S. government is using what he describes as a three-legged stool approach to address the virus in the dairy and poultry industries.
The legislation would reinstate whole and 2% milk in federal school meals programs.
International Dairy Foods Association analysis suggests that the average gallon of milk will only increase by 11 cents.