Milk - General

A Decade at the Helm: IDFA CEO Michael Dykes to Retire in 2026

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:59:13 GMT

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is preparing for a major leadership transition after President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., announced plans to retire at the end of 2026, closing out a decade at the helm of the organization.

The announcement sets in motion a formal succession process, with IDFA’s Executive Council officer group forming a committee to oversee the selection of the association’s next president and CEO. Dykes will remain in his role through Dec. 31, 2026, ensuring continuity as the organization navigates the transition.

“Michael has been a transformational leader for IDFA and for the U.S. dairy industry,” says Daragh Maccabee, chair of the IDFA Executive Council. “Over the past decade, he has strengthened IDFA’s credibility, expanded its influence, and helped position the association and the dairy industry for long-term success. Under his leadership, IDFA has built one of the strongest advocacy teams in Washington, strengthened its financial position, expanded industry engagement across the supply chain, and helped deliver extraordinary momentum for dairy both domestically and globally. The organization is exceptionally well positioned for the future.”

Dykes joined International Dairy Foods Association in 2017, stepping into the role at a time when the industry was facing big questions around policy, trade and consumer perception. Since then, he’s helped steer the organization through a period of steady growth and some of its most visible policy wins in recent years.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve America’s dairy industry and to lead this outstanding organization,” Dykes says. “Together, our members, board leaders, and talented team have strengthened dairy’s voice, expanded opportunities for our industry, and positioned dairy as an essential part of America’s future. I have never been more optimistic about the trajectory of the U.S. dairy industry or the strength of IDFA heading into the next decade.”

Under his leadership, IDFA expanded its membership and worked to better connect the full dairy supply chain under one umbrella, strengthening how the industry speaks on policy issues in Washington. That work helped elevate dairy’s role in nutrition policy, including recent federal dietary guidelines that reaffirmed dairy as a core food group and recognized dairy foods across fat levels as part of healthy dietary patterns.

The association also played a key role in advancing the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which restored whole and reduced-fat milk options in schools and expanded choices for students and families.

On the trade side, Dykes pushed to strengthen U.S. dairy’s position in global markets, including through advisory roles with the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. Those efforts have been part of a broader push to keep U.S. dairy competitive internationally.

More recently, he helped launch the IDFA Foundation in 2022 and expanded nutrition incentive programs tied to SNAP, aimed at improving access to dairy as an affordable, nutrient-dense food.

His tenure also included leading through major disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, when dairy plants were deemed essential infrastructure to keep food moving, and during Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks, when the industry worked closely with government to maintain confidence in dairy safety and supply chains.

Dykes will stay on through the end of 2026 as the search for his successor moves forward.

How BoviSync and Integrated Tech are Creating a 'Digital Nervous System' for Modern Dairies

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:04:36 GMT

Across the American landscape, a silent revolution is rewiring the 250-year legacy of the dairy farm, transforming traditional barns and pastures into a high-precision digital nervous system. For operations like Abel Dairy in Wisconsin and Lincoln Dairy in New York, the manual grit of the past has met the cloud-based logic of the future, ensuring data flows as freely as milk and every decision is backed by real-time intelligence.

As the United States approaches its 250^th anniversary, the story of dairy is shifting from one of just getting by to one of mastering the margin. At the heart of this evolution is the death of the data silo and the birth of integrated, cloud-based management.

Steve, Allen and Nate Abel

(BoviSync)

The Wisconsin Blueprint: Wiring for Growth

For Steve Abel, a sixth-generation farmer at Abel Dairy, maintaining a legacy isn’t about looking backward — it’s about wiring the farm for a future his son Nate will one day lead. Three years ago, the Abels made a high-stakes move, expanding from a 2,000-cow operation to a 4,500-cow powerhouse. This wasn’t just about adding stalls or pouring concrete; it was a structural pivot toward precision.

At the center of the Abel expansion is an 80-cow GEA rotary parlor, but the true engine of the farm is BoviSync. By adopting this cloud-based central hub, the Abels eliminated the lag that has plagued dairy management for decades.

(BoviSync)

“We moved away from traditional data silos,” Abel explains. “For years, dairies struggled with double entry — the tedious process of recording data in one system only to manually type it into another. At Abel Dairy, that era is over.

“BoviSync networks with our sort gates, our feed software and even our hoof-trimming chute,” he says.

This connectivity transforms manual chores into automated workflows. The Abels no longer rely on traditional veterinarian pregnancy checks that require manual recording. Instead, they use blood samples and scanners. The results are uploaded to the cloud and downloaded directly into BoviSync. Because the software is linked to the farm’s sort gates, the cows are automatically identified and directed to the appropriate pens without a human ever having to check a clipboard.

Abel Dairy

(BoviSync)

The New York Perspective: Multi-Site Mastery

Thirteen hundred miles to the east, Bryant Stuttle, the herd manager for Lincoln Dairy in Auburn, N.Y., is navigating a similar digital frontier. Stuttle, a fourth-generation dairy professional, manages a complex multi-site operation for owners Dan and Nate Osborne. The system includes the home farm, Lincoln Dairy, and two satellite facilities, Ridgecrest and Gemini.

For Lincoln Dairy, the move to BoviSync two years ago was driven by a singular, ambitious goal: going 100% paperless.

“We operate as one herd across multiple farms,” Stuttle says. “The challenge with traditional software was how it handled multi-site data. We needed a system where events were tied to the facility, not just the cow. If a cow gets bred at one site and moved to another, we need to know exactly where that event happened to track technician performance and facility success. BoviSync made that seamless.”

Before the switch, the morning routine was often a source of frustration.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’d walk in on a busy herd-check day and the server hadn’t refreshed or a command line error meant the lists weren’t right,” Stuttle recalls. “You’d lose two hours of your day circling back to restart. Now, the guys grab their phones and go. There’s a level of confidence that the day is set up for success before we even start.”

The Human Element Removed from the Environment

(BoviSync)

The digital evolution isn’t limited to cow records; it has extended into the very air the animals breathe. In Wisconsin, the Abels installed the Agrimesh system to control ventilation and sprinklers in their tunnel-ventilated free stall barns.

“We wanted something that took the people out of the equation,” Abel says. “We don’t want an employee having to remember to open a curtain or speed up a fan because it warmed up at 10 a.m.”

The system calculates temperature, humidity and negative pressure in real time, adjusting tunnel fans and curtains automatically. It is a level of environmental consistency that ensures the cows remain cool in the summer and the barns don’t freeze in the winter, all without human intervention.

Similarly, at Lincoln Dairy, technology like SenseHub (formaly known as SCR collars) provides a constant heartbeat for the herd. These collars monitor rumination and activity across all three sites, feeding data back into the central hub. When combined with SenseHub sort gates, the system allows Stuttle’s team to identify and treat sick cows before they even show physical symptoms.

“Our reproduction is phenomenal — the highest it’s ever been,” Stuttle says. “Our cull and death rates are the lowest they’ve ever been. When you perform at that level, it all spells profit for the bottom line.”

The Power of Compliance and ROI

For both operations, the return on investment for these technologies isn’t just found in labor savings — it’s found in compliance.

“If you’re going to sell me a technology, it needs to make my employees more consistent,” Abel asserts. This focus on compliance ensures every vaccine is given correctly and every hoof is trimmed on schedule. At Abel Dairy, even the hoof-trimming chute is wired. A tablet mounted to the chute allows for instant data entry, eliminating the data lag of paper records.

At Lincoln Dairy, the technology allowed the farm to reposition two full-time labor units to other areas of the farm that needed more attention.

“It’s not just about doing the job with fewer people; it’s about doing the job better,” Stuttle explains. “The guys love it. I joke with them about going back to clipboards, and they just look at me and say, ‘Please, no.’”

The Heifer Pipeline

The digital nervous system also extends far beyond the home acres. Both Abel Dairy and Lincoln Dairy use Kansas Dairy Development (KDD) to raise their heifers. This creates a unique data challenge: How do you track an animal that is a thousand miles away?

“With KDD still being on DairyComp and us being on BoviSync, it was a challenge,” Stuttle admits. “But the BoviSync team figured out a way to translate that data daily. Now, I have my KDD file right in my system. It’s like they’re speaking two different languages, but the software acts as the translator. I have the same access to the data as the people on the ground in Kansas.”

This level of transparency allows both farms to right-size their herds. By using sexed semen, they can precisely determine how many replacements they need and breed the rest of the herd to beef. This beef-on-dairy pivot has become a vital revenue stream, providing a hedge against milk price volatility.

Advice for the Modern Producer: Avoid the Data Drown

With so much information available, the risk of data exhaustion is real. Stuttle’s advice to other producers is to focus on what actually moves the needle.

“Data management is the biggest opportunity in the industry right now,” he says. “But you can get drowned in it. Every salesperson will tell you their metric is the one that matters. You have to figure out what matters to you and look at it consistently, month in and month out.”

At Lincoln Dairy, that means focusing on hundredweight sold, transition cow success and pregnancy rates. By centralizing this data, the management team can stop worrying about whether the technology is working and start focusing on managing the people and the cows.

(BoviSync)

Legacy Powered by Data

As these two dairies demonstrate, the center of gravity for U.S. dairy is shifting. It is moving away from the localized, fragmented models of the past toward a high-precision, integrated future.

The 250^th anniversary of American agriculture is a celebration of resilience, but for the Abels and the Osbornes, it is also a launchpad. By integrating every gadget, sensor and software into a cohesive digital nervous system, they are ensuring their farm legacies will thrive for decades to come.

In Eden, Wis., and Auburn, N.Y., the lights in the barn are still on. But today, they are powered by data, driven by compliance and managed with a level of brilliance our ancestors could only have dreamed of. The U.S. dairy farmer has evolved from a milk man into a protein integrator, and the digital revolution is just getting started.

Why a Stable, Legal Workforce is Our Only Path Forward

Wed, 13 May 2026 13:48:21 GMT

As I’ve traveled across the country this past year, visiting producers from the High Plains to the Northwest, one conversation consistently rises above the rest. It isn’t just about milk prices or component levels — it’s about people. My conclusion is firm: A stable, legal workforce is the only way we keep the “Made in the USA” label on the milk carton.

Food security is national security, and that security starts with the hands that harvest the milk. If our industry cannot secure a permanent, legal solution for our workforce, the domestic supply chain American families rely on is at risk of fracturing.

The 365-Day Harvest Paradox

Federal policy remains stubbornly stuck in a seasonal mindset. Programs like H-2A were built for crops planted in the spring and picked in the fall. However, dairy is in a state of continuous harvest. Cows don’t take a season off and neither can our workers.

A year-round guest worker program is no longer just a lobbyist’s wishlist item; it is a survival requirement. Without a legal framework that recognizes the 24/7 reality of dairy, producers remain in a legal limbo that threatens the foundation of our “Made in the USA” promise.

Fill the Void, Not Just the Tank

Automation is often viewed as a replacement for the human element, but in reality, it is a essential supplement. Technologies like cow-side health sensors, automated gate systems and smart feed pushers are surging because human hands are simply unavailable in many corners of rural America.

We are seeing a fundamental shift in the dairy job description: moving from a world of milkers to a world of managers. Our teams are becoming data analysts and technicians who happen to work in a barn. These systems allow us to keep the lights on, but they still require a skilled, stable and legal team to oversee them.

Culture as a Competitive Advantage

In 2026, a paycheck is no longer enough to win the talent war. Recruitment is expensive, but retention is profitable. The most successful dairies treat labor management with the same scientific rigor they apply to a TMR or a breeding value. If your farm culture is broken, your bottom line will eventually follow. We must move from finding help to building elite teams.

Ultimately, the “Made in the USA” label is a promise of quality and domestic origin. We cannot fulfill that promise without a workforce that is legal, stable and respected. The heartbeat of the dairy isn’t just the cows in the stalls — it’s the people in the parlor. The dairies that will thrive in 2026 and beyond are those that realize our most valuable asset has two legs, not four. It’s time our national policy reflected that reality.

The Best Ordinary Tuesday: Finding Glimmers in the Grind

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:16:37 GMT

We are the people of the next. On a farm, the clock and the calendar are our masters, but they are also our greatest distractions. We wait all day for the end of the day so we can finally pull off our boots. We wait all year for the next year to come, hoping for better margins, better weather or a better balance of the markets. We spend entire lifetimes working for the prize 2-year-old, the record milk production or the bin-busting crop that finally justifies the sweat.

But if we are honest, when those records finally arrive, they often feel like a destination we reached while we were looking out the window at something else. Because the truth of the farm life — the goodness we praise God for — isn’t found in the record books; it’s found on an ordinary Tuesday.

The Success of the Seconds

Success on our 750-cow dairy is usually measured in pounds, percentages and bushels harvested. We track data points with precision, seeking logic in the chaos, but the real successes of a farming life don’t always happen in the margins. Sometimes they are the glimmering moments that we too often take for granted because they don’t come with a trophy or a line on a balance sheet.

Think about the last time you worked cattle together as a family. It’s a task that can easily descend into shouted directions and frayed nerves. But then, there’s that moment where it all just works. No one has to say a word; you move in a silent, practiced choreography passed down through generations. Your father knows exactly where you’re going to move the gate; your children anticipate the next cow in the chute. In that fleeting minute, the legacy isn’t a legal document or a transition plan — it’s a heartbeat.

It’s the five-minute window in between filling the planter when a football appears from the back of the truck. The dust is still settling, the sun is high and, for 60 seconds, you aren’t a manager or an operator; you’re a dad. You’re a kid again yourself. Those spirals thrown over the tongue of the planter are the things we actually long for, yet we often treat them as interruptions to the “real work.”

Community Covered in Plastic

We saw it last fall during the long stretch of chopping. The silage pile was growing, the weather was turning and the exhaustion was setting in. Then, the high school varsity football team showed up — a dozen young men with more energy than sense, ready to help pull the plastic and toss the tires.

In the grand scheme of the year’s production, that couple of hours of help was a small fraction of the labor. But in the grand scheme of life, it was everything. It was the community showing up when the always-on nature of the dairy felt like too much to carry alone. It was the realization that the farm doesn’t just produce milk; it produces the character of the town. If you didn’t stop to see the goodness in those dusty, laughing teenagers, you might have thought it was just another chore finished. But it was the best Tuesday of the month.

The Prize of the Return

Then there is the greatest glimmer of all: the conversation you didn’t dare to script. It happens in the cab of the truck or while walking back from the parlor. Your oldest son, the one you’ve watched grow up in the shadow of this barn, looks at the horizon and says he wants to do what Dad does for a living. After graduating from college this spring, he is planning to come back to the family farm.

In that moment, the low margin and crummy weather lose their power. The audacity and faith required to keep a 750-cow and 1,800-acre operation running are suddenly rewarded. Not with a record milk check, but with the knowledge that the soil you’ve tended and the cows you’ve bred have a future beyond your own hands.

Searching for the Glimmer

The thing about these moments is that they don’t happen for 24 consecutive hours. They don’t last for weeks or months. They are seconds. They are glimmers of hope that we have to actively search for.

If we aren’t careful, we can finish the day thinking it was just another grind — another ordinary Tuesday where the equipment broke or the labor was short. But if we adjust our sails and shift our gaze, we realize that the days we’ve been longing for are happening right in front of our eyes.

The prize isn’t the 2-year-old in the show ring; it’s the 2-year-old grandchild sitting on your lap in the tractor. The record crop isn’t just the bushels per acre; it’s the harvest of memories with family by your side being made while the work was being done.

Praise God for the goodness that being a farmer is — not because it is easy and not because it is always profitable, but because it gives us the eyes to see that an ordinary Tuesday can be the best day we have ever asked for. We just have to be brave enough to stop waiting for the “next” long enough to see the “now.”

Cheese Exports Hit All-Time High in March as Global Appetite Grows

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Records were broken with over 63,435 MT exported in the month of March of cheese alone, an all-time high for single month exports, jumping over 29% from March of 2025. Butterfat and AMF exports also set a single month record at 17,074 MT shipped, 109.9% higher than March of 2025.

The world wants U.S. cheese with a shift in desire for western-style foods, more restaurant and food service demand at a competitive price not found in other countries due to our abundance of supply available her in the United States. Cheese exports are trending higher, with the first quarter of 2026 totaling an increase of 23.2% higher year over year.

Meanwhile, butter production was up 1.2% in March while butter exports year-to-date are up nearly 93.2% from the same quarter last year. Which raises the question if the U.S. can keep up with the export demand despite the increasing production. Churns are running seven days a week with growing milk and cream supply and spring flush is here with outstanding weather for cow comfort.

(USDA)

While cheese and butterfat are the stars of the show, milk powders are the most vulnerable in the export category. Nonfat dry milk (NFDM) and skim milk powder (SMP) broke their four-month year over year growth streak with a decline of 8% lower volume in the month of March 2026 when compared to the extremely high volume traded in March of 2026. All is not lost though, March 2026 was still the highest export volume we’ve seen in five months, it’s comparison to March 2025, being the highest export volume of the whole year, makes the year over year data look poorer than it is.

(USDA)

When looking at the dairy export data, the volume is certainly impressive, however the economic impact is outstanding. The value of dairy products exported reached the high dollar amount of $892.4 million in March, the highest monthly value seen in nearly four years. This is an increase of 6% more value year over year as reported from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

The biggest markets for U.S. exports of dairy products in total value during the first quarter of the year were Mexico at $675.4 million, up 10% YoY, Canada who declined 19% YoY still came in second with total dollars purchased coming in at $295.4 million, Japan at $156.4 million, up 8%; South Korea at $145.5 million, up 19%; and China dropping 24% in 2026 with ongoing trade negotiations coming in at $123.9 million. All other major customers were under $100 million with anywhere from Colombia up 77% YoY to Philippines down 10% with most showing big increases YoY.

So, while the market wants to focus on the massive amount of production the United States is producing, the export program continues to be a bright light. World demand is continuing to increase, and we have the supply to feed it.

Sarah Jungman is a commodity broker with AgMarket.Net and AgDairy, the dairy division of John Stewart & Associates Inc. (JSA). JSA is a full-service commodity brokerage firm based out of St. Joseph, MO. Sarah’s office is located in Winterset, Iowa and she may be reached at 515-272-5799 or through the website www.agmarket.net .

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Teens Trust Dairy More than Any Other Generation, New Survey Finds

Mon, 11 May 2026 21:51:01 GMT

Consumers continue to rank dairy as one of the most trusted food categories, and new data suggests that confidence is strengthening most among younger consumers at the same time federal policy is expanding access to whole milk in schools.

According to the latest Consumer Perceptions Tracker from Dairy Management Inc., 36% of consumers gave dairy one of the top two trust ratings on a seven-point scale in 2025, a slight increase from the previous year.

(National Milk Producers Federation)

But the most notable shift is happening with teenagers.

The report found teens recorded the highest trust levels of any age group, with 47% rating dairy a six or seven on the seven-point scale. That figure has steadily climbed from 33% in 2023 to 41% in 2024 and now 47% in 2025.

The trend reflects a generational change in how younger consumers view dairy products, at a time when nutrition conversations have increasingly centered on protein, whole foods and minimally processed diets.

(National Milk Producers Federation)

Whole Milk Returns to School Menus

Federal policy is aligning with these priorities through updated school nutrition standards that restore broader access to whole and reduced-fat milk options.

The USDA recently issued a final rule implementing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, restoring whole and reduced-fat milk options in federal Child Nutrition Programs for children and adults ages 2 and older.

The law, signed by Donald Trump in January 2026, reverses previous restrictions that limited schools largely to low-fat and fat-free milk options.

(Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS.)

“President Trump promised to Make America Healthy Again, and restoring whole milk to schools is a major step toward delivering on that promise,” says U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Rollins framed the rule as both a policy correction and a step toward expanding milk options in school nutrition programs.

“For years, outdated federal rules kept nutritious whole milk off school menus, despite growing evidence showing the importance of healthy fats and nutrient-dense foods for child development,” Rollins says. “USDA is proud to implement the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and give schools the flexibility to serve real, wholesome milk options that help children grow, learn, and thrive.”

Industry groups have praised the move, saying it brings federal policy more in line with current nutrition guidance and student preferences.

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, called the rule “a major victory for children’s nutrition and common-sense school meal policy,” adding that USDA acted quickly to give schools and processors “the certainty they need to offer students the nutritious milk options that best meet their nutrition needs.”

“For too long, federal regulations limited schools’ ability to offer the milk options students prefer,” Dykes says. “This rule restores flexibility while aligning policy with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recognize dairy across all fat levels as part of healthy dietary patterns. Importantly, it allows flavored and unflavored milk across all fat levels, helping schools better meet student preferences while improving access to the 13 essential nutrients milk provides in every serving.”

Long-Term Demand Trends

Full fat dairy products such as whole milk, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are seeing renewed interest among younger consumers. Much of that interest appears tied to higher protein eating patterns and growing attention to minimally processed foods in online spaces.

Teen trust in dairy rising alongside schools bringing back more milk options points to how consumer preferences and nutrition guidance are lining up. Eating habits formed during the teenage years tend to carry into adulthood. Choices made around everyday foods and beverages during that stage often become familiar patterns later in life, even as diets and preferences continue to evolve. When trust builds early, it can carry forward and show up in long-term consumption patterns.

How a Downsized Dairy Turned to AI to Make the Numbers Work

Thu, 07 May 2026 18:31:16 GMT

On a 60-cow registered Holstein dairy outside Baldwin, Wis., artificial intelligence has become part of the management toolbox.

Mary Holle and her husband, Joe, milk in a refurbished 94-cow tie-stall barn at Holle-Oaks Dairy, a family operation that has seen major change in recent years. After taking over the farm from Joe’s parents in 2017, the Holles made a hard pivot in 2024, downsizing from 120 cows to 60.

With her father-in-law ready to step back from daily chores and labor costs continuing to climb, Holle could see the pressure building. The farm had reached a point where something had to change to keep things sustainable for everyone involved. Thus, downsizing the herd became the path forward.

Part of that downsizing process involved bringing in a tool still new to many dairy farmers — artificial intelligence, or AI. It wasn’t an obvious fit, but Holle saw it as a way to work through her farm’s numbers and run different scenarios without adding more layers to an already full system.

A Numbers Mindset Meets a New Tool

Holle, who also serves as the program manager for the Farm and Industry Short Course at UW-River Falls, didn’t come to AI without experience. She’s long leaned into data, building her own systems to track and understand how her farm is performing.

“I’ve been using Excel since I was, like, 10 years old,” Holle says. “I started doing my dad’s dairy herd records, because we didn’t milk test.”

That early passion for data turned into formal training in dairy science and ag business, along with several years of building detailed spreadsheets for her own operation. Today, those workbooks track just about everything on the farm, from feed costs and veterinary expenses to crop yields, soil tests and labor.

“I’ve been building complex equations within Excel for like a decade,” Holle says. “My biggest workbook is 17 pages long.”

Even with all of that in place, she eventually hit a point where spreadsheets alone weren’t enough to work through the number of what-if scenarios she was running. She wasn’t trying to replace the system she already had, but she needed a faster way to test ideas and see how different decisions might actually play out.

That’s when Holle began to use AI. She started experimenting with it by feeding in her own farm numbers, then asking it to run different scenarios and compare outcomes she would normally have to build out by hand. Over time, she used it to work through decisions faster and feel more confident in what the numbers were pointing to.

Running the Numbers

The 2024 transition pushed Holle to take a closer look at her cost structure. With fewer cows, fewer employees and new financial obligations, she needed to figure out what her cost per cow and break-even milk price needed to be for the smaller herd to stay profitable.

“I needed to run a series of scenarios to find the linchpins in the business,” Holle says. “We had to drop our cost per cow and get our break-even down to around $17.80 per cwt. for the smaller herd to work.”

She pulled data from her workbooks, including fixed costs, five-year averages for feed and vet expenses, labor hours, wages and loan balances with payment schedules. From there, she used AI to organize the information and get a better read on what was driving cost per cow.

“I asked ChatGPT, ‘What are the trends, what’s going on, can you put this into context?’” she says.

Working in short windows between chores, Holle ran different scenarios around debt, labor and herd costs to see which changes would have the biggest impact. It didn’t hand her one answer, but it helped narrow the decisions down.

“It told me what needed paid off first and where I’d see the most return,” she says. “I took the results to our banker and he said, ‘That’s ingenious.’”

In the end, the Holles were still the ones giving the final say, but AI helped them sort through information quicker and feel better about the direction they were headed.

Taking AI to the Field

After using AI to work through the financial side of the operation and guide the downsizing decision, Holle started looking at where else it could fit. Crop management was the next place she turned, and it’s something she’s still working through this year.

The farm currently includes about 500 acres in rotation with corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. Similar to her herd management Excel work, Holle had built up soil tests, yield maps and field histories over time, but the information wasn’t connected in a way that made it easy to use. This year, she started using AI to organize it by field and year, then layer in crop history and yield data so it could be compared more directly.

“I didn’t have everything tied together in one place,” she says. “I had the information, it just wasn’t organized in a way I could actually use.”

With a new structure in place, Holle began asking AI more targeted questions around nutrient management and input efficiency. One focus centered around nitrogen — how much was already available in the field and where she might be able to cut back on applications without hurting yield.

“I wanted to know what was already out there before just putting more on,” she says. “If there was a place to save a little money without giving up yield, I wanted to find it.”

She’s also started looking at whether past decisions, like planting BMR corn, may have longer-term effects on nutrient availability. Using AI helped Holle spot patterns and show up to conversations with her agronomists better prepared.

This spring, she and her agronomists used that analysis as a starting point to fine-tune fertilizer and spray programs by field, paying closer attention to residual nutrients and timing. The new plan cut back on total fertilizer and chemical use compared to the previous year. By her estimate, this adjustment will trim roughly $40,000 from her fertilizer and spray bill in 2026.

Keeping Perspective in Place

While Holle sees value in AI, she’s careful about how she uses it. Sensitive information stays out, including personal identifiers, financial accounts and tax data.

“There’s always a step between sensitive information and it,” she says. “Anything personal or financial doesn’t go straight in. It always gets filtered or kept separate first.”

That caution carries into how she uses the tool in day-to-day decisions. Even when AI is helping her work through parts of the farm’s data, it hasn’t taken over decision-making. Holle still relies on her own judgment when something doesn’t line up with what she’s seeing on the farm, especially when context doesn’t show up in the numbers.

“Yes, I think it’s made me a better farmer,” she says. “But it’s a tool for the areas where I don’t know enough. There’s always context it’s going to miss. You can read a person or a situation in ways it can’t.”

For other producers thinking about trying AI, Holle recommends starting small and treating it like any other tool on the farm. Don’t start with big decisions or sensitive financial work. Start with something simple, learn how it responds and build from there.

“Start with emails or documents,” she says. “Something low risk where you can see how it responds and get comfortable with how it handles your information before moving into anything bigger or more complex.”

From her experience, it has less to do with the technology itself and more to do with how organized the farm’s information is going in. If the inputs are messy or incomplete, the results will be, too.

“Garbage information in leads to garbage answers out,” Holle says. “If you don’t know what you’re asking for, you won’t get what you need.”

That also means knowing where the farm stands before expecting any tool to improve it. Clear records, numbers and a good handle on what’s working and what isn’t all matter just as much as the software being used.

“You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses first,” she says. “Know what you’re comfortable handling on your own and where you could use a little more support, so you’re not leaning on the tool for things you already do well or expecting it to fix gaps you haven’t identified yet.”

Faster Decisions, Tighter Management

On her 60-cow dairy, AI hasn’t replaced hands-on management or day-to-day decision-making. Instead, it’s helped her sort through financial choices, tighten input decisions and show up to conversations with advisers with more clarity around the numbers.

For Holle, it’s become a fast, free tool she can pull up anytime to work through questions and run scenarios. And it’s helped her move through decisions faster and keep the operation running a little tighter, without adding more layers to the process.

The Empty Stanchion: The Structural Labor Crisis Threatening U.S. Dairy

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:22:48 GMT

In the rolling plains of the Texas Panhandle and the volcanic soils of Idaho’s Magic Valley, a silent crisis is brewing. It isn’t a disease outbreak, a drought or a sudden crash in milk prices. Instead, it is the steady, quiet disappearance of the human hands required to keep the nation’s dairy industry running.

As the U.S. dairy sector has modernized and expanded, it has hit a paradoxical wall: The more technologically advanced the farms become, the more they find themselves tethered to a labor market that is increasingly broken.

For states like Texas and Idaho — two titans of U.S. milk production — the labor shortage is no longer a seasonal inconvenience; it is a structural deficiency that threatens the long-term viability of the industry and the economic health of the rural communities that depend on it.

The Texas Powerhouse Under Pressure

Texas has rapidly ascended the ranks to become a top-tier dairy state. By 2025, the Lone Star State produced a staggering 18 billion pounds of milk from approximately 705,000 cows. This isn’t just about milk in the grocery store; it’s an economic engine that contributes tens of billions of dollars to the state economy and supports over 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.

However, Texas Association of Dairymen Executive Director Darren Turley warns that this engine is running on a dangerously thin workforce.

“The Texas dairy industry has a persistent and growing need for labor because today’s large, modern dairies are labor-intensive businesses that operate every day of the year,” Turley shares in the association’s latest blog.

In the vast rural stretches of Texas, the labor market is exceptionally tight. Recruiting for long-term farm work has become a monumental task. The jobs are physically demanding, and the always-on nature of a dairy — as cows must be milked 365 days a year — clashes with a domestic workforce that increasingly seeks flexibility and climate-controlled environments.

More Than Just Milking

A common misconception is that dairy labor starts and ends in the milking parlor. In reality, the modern dairy is a complex ecosystem of specialized roles. Beyond the milkers, farms require staff for animal care, feeding, manure management, calf rearing and the operation of increasingly sophisticated machinery.

While robotics and automation are often touted as the solution, Turley notes that technology is a tool, not a total replacement.

“While technology, including a growing number of robotic dairies, may help reduce some labor pressure, there always will be a need for human workers,” he says.

When labor is short, the entire system slows down. Cows aren’t fed as precisely, maintenance is deferred and expansion plans are shelved. For a state like Texas, which is built on the premise of growth, a lack of labor acts as a hard ceiling on potential.

The Idaho Alarm: A Math Problem

Further north in Idaho, the situation is perhaps even more acute. Idaho Dairymen’s Association CEO Rick Naerebout paints a stark picture of the math facing the state’s producers.

“The state has 84 Idahoans for every 100 jobs available,” Naerebout says.

The struggle to find domestic workers is best illustrated by a sobering statistic from last year: Out of 7,500 H-2A agricultural jobs advertised in Idaho, only five were taken by Idahoans. The H-2A program requires farmers to advertise to domestic workers first, but the reality is that the local population is either unable or unwilling to fill these roles.

“Ag jobs are tougher to fill because they are physically demanding and often outdoors,” Naerebout notes.

This leaves dairy farmers in a precarious legal and operational position. Because the H-2A visa program is strictly for seasonal work, the dairy industry — which requires year-round, consistent labor — is effectively locked out of a legal pathway to hire the foreign workers they so desperately need.

The Policy Trap and the Economic Cliff

The crux of the issue lies in the disconnect between federal immigration policy and the biological reality of a cow. A dairy cow does not stop producing milk when the season ends. Yet, the only major agricultural visa program available (H-2A) is built on a seasonal model.

Naerebout points to two primary friction points: the lack of a year-round visa and the political volatility surrounding immigration. In Idaho, attempts to implement worker verification systems at the state level failed, but the fear remains. Meanwhile, federal crackdowns on immigration create an environment of uncertainty that discourages workers from entering the sector.

The consequences of failing to fix this immigration issue are not just confined to the farm gate. Naerebout warns of a massive economic multiplier effect.

“If we remove 50% of the workforce, it would induce a recession the size of the 2007 to 2009 recession,” he says.

In Idaho, removing 27,000 workers who are currently without legal status would trigger the loss of an additional 25,000 jobs held by American-born citizens in sectors like construction, hospitality and retail.

Seeking a Federal Fix

The solutions proposed by industry leaders like Naerebout and Turley are pragmatic, yet politically difficult to achieve. There are two primary avenues for relief:

Visa expansion — This involves transitioning the H-2A program or creating a new visa category that accounts for year-round industries like dairy and fresh-pack produce. This would provide a legal, transparent pathway for foreign workers to fill vacancies that domestic workers have rejected.
Legalization of the existing workforce — This involves acknowledging that the current dairy workforce is already largely comprised of immigrant workers who are trained and essential. “Have them go through a background check and pay a penalty, but let them stay,” Naerebout suggests.

The Stakes for the Consumer

Ultimately, the labor crisis on the dairy is a consumer crisis. When labor shortages raise costs and limit production, the price of milk, cheese and butter inevitably climbs. In Texas, where the population is booming, the demand for dairy is higher than ever. If the state’s dairies cannot run at full capacity, the supply chain becomes fragile.

As Turley puts it: The labor need is a structural issue, not a short-term inconvenience.

“Unless labor supply improves through policy changes, better recruitment, automation or all of the above, Texas dairies will continue facing pressure to protect productivity and profitability,” he says.

The American dairy farmer has proven to be incredibly resilient, surviving market crashes and environmental challenges. But you cannot milk a cow with a vacancy. Without a federal resolution to the workforce shortage, the great rebalancing of the dairy industry may not be a matter of prices or protein; it may be a matter of who is left to do the work.

Danone to Close New Jersey Plant-Based Beverage Facility

Fri, 08 May 2026 17:19:40 GMT

Danone is planning to close a dairy-alternatives manufacturing facility in Bridgeton, New Jersey, later this summer. The facility currently manufactures beverages sold under the Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free brands.

According to the company, production from the Bridgeton plant will be redistributed to facilities in Mt. Crawford, Virginia; Dallas, Texas; and Jacksonville, Florida. The French food company confirmed the site will close Aug. 4.

“This change is part of a broader effort to transform our network and enables our investment in critical capabilities across our core U.S. footprint for the long term,” Danone said in a statement to Just Food.

The closure comes as the company works through challenges in its North American plant-based segment. During Danone’s 2025 earnings discussion in February, CFO Juergen Esser described the company’s North American plant-based performance as “unsatisfactory” in 2024.

Market data suggests growth in the dairy-alternative category has slowed. According to a report from the Good Food Institute, plant-based dairy-alternatives remained the largest plant-based food category in the U.S. in 2025, generating $2.7 billion in sales and accounting for 13% of total retail milk sales.

However, overall plant-based dairy alternative sales declined 2% year-over-year.

Expanding Dairy Capacity

The Bridgeton closure contrasts with several recent investments Danone has announced across its broader dairy network.

Last month, the company unveiled plans to invest approximately $23.5 million to expand skyr production in France. In November, Danone also announced a major investment at its Boucherville, Canada, facility that will increase yogurt production capacity by 40% and raw milk processing capacity by 20%.

The company also shared plans in August 2025 to expand its yogurt manufacturing facility in Minster, Ohio, which produces brands including Oikos, Activia, Dannon and Danimals.

How McCarty Family Farms Hedges Fuel Costs to Protect Dairy Margins

Fri, 08 May 2026 13:17:13 GMT

The great rebalancing of 2026 has taught dairy producers a vital lesson: You cannot control the wind, but you can certainly adjust your sails. While much of the industry’s focus remains on milk checks and component values, a silent predator often lurks in the shadows of the balance sheet — the fuel pump.

For an operation like McCarty Family Farms in Rexford, Kan., the 2025 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award winner, which milks thousands of cows across multiple states, the scale of production is matched only by the scale of its energy requirements. With feed trucks, tractors and skid steers running 24/7, fuel is not just a line item; it is the lifeblood of the operation. And in an era of global energy volatility, leaving that lifeblood to the whims of the spot market is a risk Ken McCarty, co-owner and manager, is unwilling to take.

The Math of the Spike

To understand the McCarty strategy, one must first understand the stakes. On a modern, large dairy, the equipment never stops. The sheer volume of TMR moved and the constant management of manure requires a fleet that consumes thousands of gallons of diesel every week.

For large herds, like McCarty’s, a 50¢ spike in diesel can derail a quarterly budget. In reality, that half-dollar move isn’t just an inconvenience; it represents a massive shift in capital that could have been reinvested in herd health, technology or labor. By locking in fuel prices, McCarty isn’t just buying diesel; he is buying the psychological and financial stability required to manage a complex organization.

The 18-Month Horizon: A Layered Approach

The McCarty strategy is defined by its proactivity. While many producers wait for a good day at the local co-op, McCarty and his team are looking 12 to 18 months into the future. They don’t view fuel procurement as a single transaction but rather as a continuous process of layering.

The process begins with a deep dive into data. Working closely with their fuel seller, they evaluate historical usage patterns. They don’t just look at what they used last year; they account for upcoming changes, whether that’s an expansion in acreage, a shift in equipment efficiency or a change in the beef-on-dairy program that might increase hauling requirements.

Once the known demand is established, the layering begins. As forward months become available on the market, the McCarty team begins to book physical gallons. The goal is to reach approximately 90% coverage by the start of the budget year on Jan. 1.

Mitigation, Not Speculation

Perhaps the most important takeaway for other producers is the McCarty philosophy on winning. In a world of high-frequency trading and market gurus, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to time the bottom of the market. Ken McCarty is quick to dispel that notion.

“We have never viewed this as a money-making strategy,” he says. “Instead, it is purely a risk mitigation strategy.”

For McCarty, the goal isn’t to hit the absolute lowest price of the year — a feat that is more about luck than skill. Instead, the benchmark is historical consistency. If the farm can land in the bottom third or bottom half of the 5- to 10-year historical average or even just maintain consistency year-over-year, the strategy is a success. This consistent-cost model allows the farm to set its milk margins with confidence, knowing that this large input on the farm is already settled.

The Hidden Exposures

Even with 90% of their consumed fuel locked in, McCarty acknowledges the limits of the hedge. The farm remains exposed to indirect fuel costs — the market effects on purchased goods and, perhaps most significantly, milk freight increases.

This distinction is crucial for producers to understand. Locking in the diesel for your own tractors doesn’t protect you from the fuel surcharges applied by the third-party haulers moving your milk or the trucks delivering your distillers grains. This reality reinforces why being aggressive on the fuel you can control is so important; it narrows the window of vulnerability on the variables you cannot control.

Beyond the Contract: Efficiency as a Hedge

While forward contracting provides financial protection, McCarty is also focused on the physical side of the equation: consuming less. Every gallon of diesel not burned is a gallon that doesn’t need to be hedged.

The farm is constantly searching for ways to reduce its energy footprint. This includes everything from optimizing feed routes to reduce idling time to investing in newer, more fuel-efficient equipment. In this view, energy efficiency is the ultimate long-term hedge. It is a permanent reduction in exposure that pays dividends regardless of what happens in the energy markets.

“We have lived through times like this in the past and have no desire to repeat it, so ultimately, if we can be in the bottom third or bottom half of the 5- to 10-year historical average, or at least consistent year-over-year, then we are satisfied,” McCarty shares. “Of course, we are constantly searching for ways to consume less fuel and energy in general as an additional method of reducing our exposure to energy markets.”

Lessons for the 500-Cow Producer

While the McCarty scale is vast, the principles are entirely scalable for a modern 500-cow operation. Whether you are milking 40,000 or 500, the great rebalancing of the market means that margins are found in the details.

Compeer Financial ag economist Megan Roberts concurs with McCarty and says hedging isn’t about hitting the top or the bottom of the market; it’s about avoiding the economic risk of doing nothing.

“Risk management strategies, including hedging, are less about predicting the market and more about carefully managing exposure, using consistent, incremental decisions to smooth volatility in a way that fits the needs of your dairy operation,” she says. “Every farm is different, but in today’s environment, having a clear plan in place and following it with discipline is a wise strategy.”

In the end, the McCarty’s approach to fuel is a reflection of its approach to dairy farming as a whole: disciplined, data-driven and focused on the long game. By taking the volatility of the energy market off the table, it allows McCarty’s to focus on what truly drives the farm’s success: the health of the cows and the quality of the milk.

In a year where milk prices are shifting and trade policies are in flux, the lesson from McCarty Family Farms is clear: Protect what you can, manage what you must and never leave your margin to chance.

The Unified Front: Dairy’s Generational Evolution and the Path to 2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:28:46 GMT

The atmosphere in Oak Brook, Ill., at the 2026 Dairy Sustainability Alliance Spring Meeting was one of focused optimism. When Dennis Rodenbaugh, president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America and chair of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, took the podium, he told the crowd they weren’t just listeners — they were the people redesigning the future of American farming. His message was clear: The U.S. dairy industry has moved past the era of defense and has firmly planted its flag in the territory of proactive leadership.

For years, the dairy industry found itself reacting to external pressures, often operating from a defensive posture. Rodenbaugh reflected on a time when the sector felt it was on its back heels, responding to narratives shaped by those outside the farm gate. However, the 2026 meeting marked a definitive departure from that stance. The current leadership, he argued, is no longer content to follow prevailing narratives. Instead, they are prioritizing the celebration of dairy’s intrinsic value — nutrition, stewardship and community impact.

Sustainability: A Legacy, Not a Label

One of the most compelling segments of Rodenbaugh’s address was his reframing of sustainability. To the modern ear, the word often sounds like a product of 21^st-century corporate mandates or NGO pressure. Rodenbaugh dismantled this notion, asserting sustainability in dairy did not begin with the invention of Scope 3 emissions reporting or government regulations.

“U.S. dairy farmers have been practicing sustainability decade after decade,” he reminds. For the farmer, sustainability is synonymous with stewardship. It is the practice of protecting natural resources not for a quarterly earnings report, but for the next generation. This generational thinking is the ultimate form of innovation. The goals of soil health, water conservation and animal care were not imported into the industry; they were born in the soil and passed down through lineages of farm families.

The Power of Alignment and Shared Responsibility

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy exists to solve a problem that no individual actor can tackle alone: scale. Rodenbaugh emphasizes real progress only happens when responsibility is shared and execution is aligned across the entire supply chain — from the cooperative to the processor to the retail partner.

In an increasingly fragmented world, the dairy industry has found strength in a coordinated roadmap. This alignment ensures food remains accessible, affordable and nutrient-dense. Rodenbaugh warns without this collective effort, individual farms or customer segments risk becoming isolated and vulnerable. By working through the alliance, the industry protects its license to operate and ensures the billions of people relying on dairy for nutrition are not let down.

By the Numbers: The Efficiency Miracle

To ground his vision in reality, Rodenbaugh points to the staggering efficiency gains the industry has achieved since the mid-20^th century. The modern U.S. dairy cow is a marvel of biological and technological innovation. Compared to her mid-century predecessors, today’s cow:

Produces five times more nutrition.
Uses 65% less water.
Requires 90% less land.
Maintains a 77% lower carbon footprint.

These figures aren’t just statistics; they are proof of a journey of improvement. However, Rodenbaugh cautions against defining sustainability too narrowly. While greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration are vital components, they are only pieces of a much larger puzzle.

The Social Fabric of Dairy

Rodenbaugh proposes a holistic definition of sustainability that connects the environment to the economy and social stability, outlining a virtuous cycle: Farmers produce nutrition; that nutrition drives human health; healthy people build stable communities; stable communities support innovation; and innovation, in turn, drives further sustainability.

This circularity of health positions the dairy farmer as the cornerstone of community stability. When the dairy industry thrives, the environment thrives and the people fed by that industry are empowered to innovate. This is the narrative Rodenbaugh urges the alliance to champion — one where the cow is a solution to global nutritional and environmental challenges, not a contributor to them.

Inclusion: From 100 to 10,000

Perhaps the most critical challenge addressed was the participation gap. As sustainability standards and expectations are developed — sometimes by entities outside the U.S. or outside the industry — there is a risk of leaving certain producers behind.

Rodenbaugh is adamant that for sustainability to be successful, it must be inclusive.

“The 10,000-cow dairy and the 100-cow dairy need to be recognized as both being essential to our future,” he says.

The dairy industry must create pathways where farmers of all sizes can participate in environmental markets and adopt new technologies. New value must be generated to support the necessary investments on the farm. If the bar is set so high that only the largest operations can clear it, the industry loses its diversity and its soul.

The Frontier: AI and Sound Science

Looking toward the future, Rodenbaugh expresses excitement about the role of artificial intelligence in energizing and coordinating these efforts. AI offers the potential to better track measurements, meet the reality of on-farm practice and accelerate the trend of efficiency.

However, he tempered this technological optimism with a call for humility. The planetary systems the industry interacts with are enormously complex. Therefore, the industry’s strategies must remain grounded in sound science and guiding principles.

Confidence must be earned through research and a commitment to on-farm viability. The goal is not to meet a fleeting trend, but to build a permanent, pragmatic framework that works for the land and the checkbook.

As he closed his remarks, Rodenbaugh looked out at the record-breaking attendance of the spring meeting. The high turnout was, to him, evidence the industry sees the value in coordination. While other sectors may have struggled to find their footing in the sustainability conversation, dairy has emerged as a leader — not just within agriculture, but across the global corporate landscape.

The 2026 meeting served as a reminder the alliance is more than just a name; it is the room where the future of food is secured. By aligning on facts, embracing their history as stewards and ensuring every farmer has a seat at the table, the U.S. dairy industry is not just surviving the sustainability movement — it is defining it.

Every Generation Has to Figure it Out

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:15:56 GMT

The dairy industry is changing fast. Some would argue dairy is changing faster than any other part of agriculture. Either way, the pattern is the same: the farms that win tomorrow will do it with a different skill set than the farms that won yesterday.

I’m not trying to predict the future. I’m simply pointing out what history keeps teaching us: every generation has to figure out what matters most, then build the skills to match.

Before my Granddad passed away, I asked him how he survived and even thrived when he got started farming. You see, he started his farming career on poor, sandy soil on the wrong side of the tracks... in the Thirties. Yet he made it through. He said everyone was poor, and everyone struggled, but he was a very good mechanic, and he could drive straighter than most. Because he could drive straight and plant straight, cultivation was better, and his yields were higher. This wasn’t a huge advantage, but it was enough.

Before my dad passed, I asked him the same question. He said that Granddad was a great mechanic, but he found that he made more money in the office with a pencil and understanding of his finances than with a wrench. He sharpened his pencil and figured out a way to place the second irrigator in Minnesota on our poor sandy soil. It didn’t take long for that poor soil to become valuable.

Today, my brother has a mechanic, an agronomist, and an accountant. What is his role today? His main role is organizing others who do the work and finding talent. Sure, he has to have a working knowledge of many areas, but in many cases, there are managers on his team with more expertise in their specific areas.

Our business model believes every farm needs a Ready Next Generation. Ready to take on the challenges of the future, not the past. Without foreseeing the future, we can safely predict that a Ready Next Generation will need a different skill set than what their fathers and grandfathers can teach them. There is no singular solution. Every farm will have to discover the relevant skills of the next generation and what the dairy will need. Then find a way to prepare them.

We are blessed to observe and work with many great family farms. One trait that sets farms apart is a hunger for knowledge. Getting off the farm when necessary to stretch mental muscles. Take an online course. Talk to business owners from other parts of agriculture, parts of the country, other countries, or other industries. You never know who has the answer.

So no, I don’t know the future. But I believe change will come as in past generations. It will take a ready and willing Next Generation with new skills, to make sense of it all and thrive. Just like our fathers and grandfathers did before us.

The Year of the Woman Farmer: Becky Nyman’s Global Impact and Local Roots

Mon, 04 May 2026 12:51:01 GMT

In the quiet, early morning hours in Hilmar, Calif., the air is thick with the familiar scent of a working dairy. For Becky Nyman, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, this is the center of her universe: a multi-site, family Jersey dairy operation. And, while her boots are firmly planted in the California soil, her vision is fixed on a horizon that spans continents.

Nyman is a woman of two worlds. In one, she manages the complex regulatory and employee landscape of a high-performing dairy operation alongside her brother, Brad. In the other, she sits at the head of the table as the first female chair of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), representing the interests of U.S. producers in high-stakes trade discussions from Paris to Beijing.

Her journey is more than a personal success story; it is a blueprint for the modern dairy leader — one who successfully bridges the gap between the family farm and the global marketplace.

The Road Back to the Farm

Like many farm kids, Nyman’s path wasn’t a straight line back to the barn. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earning a master’s degree in agribusiness from Texas A&M, she spent nine years in the corporate world. By her late 20s, she was living in San Francisco, commuting to a downtown office and building a career far removed from the farm landscape of her youth.

“I didn’t realize being on the farm was really an option until I was 30,” Nyman recalls. “My dad was talking to me and said, ‘You know, there’s a place for you on the dairy if you want to come back.’”

It took time to process the shift, but in 2011, Nyman traded the city skyline for the family corrals. She joined Brad, who had moved straight into operations after college. Their partnership is a study in complementary strengths: Brad handles the daily operations, while Nyman leans into the regulatory and employee side of the business.

“I tell people I try my best to be a lawyer and an accountant,” she says with a laugh. “And I still need help from real lawyers and accountants, but that’s the role I fill on our family farm.”

(Photo by Becky Nyman)

A Culture of Perseverance

To understand Nyman’s leadership style, you have to understand Hilmar. It is a dairy-centric community where the spirit of cooperation is woven into the history of the land. It is where Hilmar Cheese was born from the shared vision of Jersey dairy farmers who saw the value in their milk’s unique components.

“Hilmar is special,” Nyman says, nodding that is where her family ships their milk. “My 90-year-old uncle recently told me that, growing up, his dad would make him go milk cows for the neighbor after her milked his own cows because they needed the help. That’s what community does — you use your strengths for the overall good.”

That sense of community is anchored by a single word that has echoed through four generations of Nymans: perseverance.

“It’s the first word that comes to mind,” she explains. “My grandfather was an immigrant who made his way to California. Every family gathering, we heard stories of perseverance. In international trade, that translates easily. You win some, you lose some, and the path is hard, but you keep going for the betterment of the industry.”

The Farmer’s Voice at the Global Table

When Nyman sits down with USDEC, she often finds herself in a unique position. In rooms filled with policy experts and corporate executives, she is often the only active dairy farmer — or one of a very few.

“Having that perspective of being on the ground is my strength in the room,” she says. “People want to hear the reality of it. They want to hear what it’s like from the source of the food. In theory, certain trade ideas look good on paper, but I can speak to the practical challenges facing the American dairy producer.”

One of her “aha” moments came during a high-level trip to China. While meeting with the Ministry of Commerce, Nyman chose to speak not just of logistics, but of community.

“I talked about how dairy farmers and agriculture, in general, have more in common than we do different all around the world,” she recalls. “One of the ministers actually took my comments and folded them into his own. He used my words to find common ground. It was an eye-opening moment — he heard me, and he realized that our shared interests were stronger than our disagreements.”

(Photo provided by Becky Nyman)

The 2026 Export Landscape: Year of the Woman

And in 2026, the work of USDEC has never been more critical. The year started with a bang, showing year-over-year double-digit growth. U.S. milk solids equivalent volume increased 12% in January — the biggest January on record. This growth was driven by cheese, butterfat and a surprising surge in nonfat dry milk.

At the recent 2026 USDEC Annual Membership Meeting, Nyman felt a renewed sense of optimism.

“Trade creates opportunities for farmers to stay on the farm and for future generations to return to it,” she told members.

The meeting highlighted several key themes Nyman is bringing back to Hilmar:

Exports are Essential: With 96% of the global population living outside U.S. borders, exports are the key to price stability and long-term growth.
The Fat Boom: Rising butterfat levels are creating both complexity and opportunity for global competitiveness.
The Protein Craze: The world’s hunger for nutrient-dense, sustainable protein — from whey to high-quality milk proteins — is not slowing down.

Perhaps most meaningful to Nyman was the recognition of the International Year of the Woman Farmer. As the first woman to lead USDEC, she views the milestone through a lens of service rather than status.

“I’m humbled about being named the first female chair,” Nyman says. “I try not to think about the title as much as just trying to do as much good as I can for our producers.”

This mindset of action over accolades is what she hopes to pass on to others.

“For many young women, opportunity starts with seeing what’s possible — and seeing themselves in it,” she says.

Her advice to the next generation of women in Hilmar and beyond is simple but brave.

“Say yes when opportunities come your way, even if it’s uncomfortable or you don’t think you’re qualified. Lean forward and never stop learning,” Nyman says.

(Photo provided by Becky Nyman)

Sustainability and the Future

In Hilmar, Nyman is practicing what she preaches on the global stage. Her operation is part of a digester cluster, where neighboring dairies came together in 2024 to share resources and infrastructure for renewable energy.

“We do what makes sense for the business,” she says of her sustainability efforts. “We do what is feasible. When I’m on international trips, I share the framework of our FARM program. It helps the world understand that we have a structure of responsibility, but I also tell them we do these things because we want to be responsible, not because of a mandate.”

The Bottom Line: It’s All About People

Whether she is navigating a complex regulatory filing in California or a trade barrier in a foreign capital, Nyman believes the dairy industry is, at its core, a people business.

“The people involved are equally, if not more, important than the cattle,” she says. “Navigating how to provide a stable working environment and fulfilling careers for our employees translates directly to trade. We are providing ingredients for industries in other parts of the world to grow and create jobs there. We are a reliable source for what they need to feed their people.”

Nyman’s journey from the family corrals to the global stage is a testament to the power of a unified voice. She serves as a reminder that the resilience of the dairy industry is fueled by families who persevere, communities that collaborate and leaders who aren’t afraid to say “yes” to the daunting, yet rewarding, work of feeding a growing world.

As she moves forward in her role as USDEC chair, Nyman remains focused on the “why” behind the work: ensuring the next generation of Nymans — and the next generation of U.S. dairy farmers — have a clear and sustainable path back to the land.

The Great Rebalancing: Why 2026 Milk Prices are Defying the Supply Tsunami

Fri, 01 May 2026 12:48:04 GMT

As the calendar turned to 2026, the U.S. dairy industry found itself standing at a complex crossroads. For producers, the view out the tractor cab window was one of cautious optimism, tempered by the sobering reality of a global market that was, quite literally, overflowing. The story of the 2026 dairy market is not one of a simple boom or bust, but rather a great rebalancing — a period defined by record-breaking production, a revolution in protein demand and the looming shadow of international trade negotiations.

The Tsunami of Milk

The entry into 2026 was defined by a singular, staggering fact: There was a lot of milk. The industry was coming off a 2025 campaign that saw U.S. production grow at a pace rarely seen in recent history. For the full year of 2025, production had climbed 2.8% over the previous year. However, it was the second half of 2025 that truly signaled the coming tidal wave, with production up nearly 4% compared to the same period in 2024.

For example, in Idaho, the state has seen consistent growth rates of 5% to 8% per month year-over-year for the last 18 months. For 2025, Idaho is projected to be up 7.5% in total milk production.

“That 7.5% is on a very big base,” explains Rick Naerebout, chief executive officer of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “It equates to roughly 3.5 million lb. of milk a day more this year than we had last year. We’ve definitely turned on the milk production.”

This isn’t just an American phenomenon. Europe, too, saw a 4% surge in the latter half of 2025. By the time the industry reached January 2026, the momentum was undeniable. Production was up 3.4% year-over-year, fueled by a national herd that had expanded by 189,000 head.

As the spring flush approached — that annual period where cows reach peak production — the sheer volume of milk began to test the physical limits of the supply chain. In California, the nation’s dairy powerhouse, the system began to buckle. Reports of milk being dumped due to capacity constraints sent a chill through the industry. It was a stark reminder that even when prices are stable, the physical reality of moving and processing millions of pounds of a perishable product remains the industry’s greatest logistical hurdle.

The Protein Pivot: Why Prices Held Firm

In any other era, a global oversupply of this magnitude would have sent prices into a tailspin. Yet, as Ben Laine, senior dairy analyst with Terrain noted in his report, the market took a sharp turn higher, sooner than many experts expected. The savior of the 2026 balance sheet was not a shortage of milk, but a fundamental shift in what the world wanted from that milk.

“Consumers want more protein. There has been a convergence of GLP-1s, new Dietary Guidelines and marketing dollars aimed at developing new products that have accelerated the demand shift. And high-protein dairy products are well-positioned to meet that need,” he says.

The industry has indeed witnessed a protein boom. Consumer demand for high-protein yogurts, ultra-filtered milks and milk protein concentrates reached a fever pitch. This demand fundamentally altered the value of the milk components. Whey, once considered a humble byproduct, became a market leader, benefiting from a steady, multimonth climb in value.

This protein pivot created a fascinating ripple effect. As more milk solids were pulled into the production of high-protein consumer goods, there was less surplus skim left to be dried into nonfat dry milk. This scarcity in the skim market provided a sudden, unexpected lift to nonfat dry milk prices. By early 2026, the market was optimistic that Class III and Class IV prices could be supported despite the heavy supply. However, this strength was uneven. While whey and protein-heavy products soared, cheese and butter remained stubbornly low compared to 2025 levels, creating a disjointed market that signaled volatility ahead.

“The support for milk prices right now is being driven by high whey and nonfat dry milk values as opposed to cheese and butter. Since that’s a reversal from the norm, the market might spook easily at any unexpected signals from the data over the next couple of months,” Laine adds.

The Export Lifeline and USMCA Shadow

While domestic protein demand provided the floor, it was the export market that provided the ceiling. In 2025, exports played a critical role in driving demand. U.S. dairy exports grew by 3.8% on a total solids basis, coming just shy of the record set in 2022. The total value of these exports reached a staggering $9.51 billion.

“Over the last two years, the majority of the new cheese made in the U.S. has gone into the global market as international demand surged. The international demand is also helping pull U.S. milk overseas,” says William Loux, senior vice president of global economic affairs at USDEC.

However, as the second quarter of 2026 began, the industry’s eyes turned toward the borders. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was scheduled for a joint review in July. For the U.S. dairy farmer, the stakes could not be higher. More than 40% of the total value of U.S. dairy exports flows to our North American neighbors — $2.58 billion to Mexico and $1.31 billion to Canada.

Although, Loux doesn’t anticipate any disruption to trade with our dairy partners.

“2025 was unequivocally a successful year for exports. The U.S. continues to establish itself as an essential supplier to global consumers, helping meet the growing global demand for dairy products, in particular cheese, dairy proteins, and, surprisingly in 2025, butterfat,” Loux says. “Market access is vital to U.S. dairy exports. In order to continue supplying high-quality nutritious products to consumers around the world, the U.S. must continue to maintain and expand our trade agreements. Those agreements have not only proven to benefit U.S. dairy farmers and exporters but also have enhanced local supply and dairy product manufacturing in our partner markets.”

The Forecast: A Volatile Path to 2027

Looking at the numbers, Laine’s outlook for the remainder of 2026 suggests a more favorable environment than originally feared, but one that requires a steady hand on the wheel.

In Terrain’s most recent quarterly outlook, Laine forecast Class III milk prices to average $17.00/cwt, while Class IV is forecast to reach a robust $19.50/cwt. As we move into the second half of the year, the forecast remains resilient, with Class III averaging $16.75 and Class IV holding strong at $19.20.

However, the long-term horizon suggests a gradual cooling. By the first half of 2027, the forecast dips slightly to $16.60 for Class III and $17.80 for Class IV. These numbers reflect an industry that is successfully navigating a period of high supply but is also wary of the cracks appearing in the durability of the recent price moves.

“Markets continue to move and have surpassed those forecast levels, but with the risk of more volatility. I’d view that as an opportunity to take some risk off the table rather than banking on prices continuing to rise,” Laine says.

Strategy in the Face of Uncertainty

The lesson of early 2026 is clear: the market is rewarding those who are proactive. The jump in prices during the first quarter was not a guarantee of future riches, but rather a window of opportunity for risk management.

With volatility expected to ramp up as the spring flush peaks and trade negotiations intensify, the reliance on tools like Dairy Revenue Protection and other hedging strategies has never been more vital. The great rebalancing of 2026 means that while the outlook has improved, the margin for error has narrowed.

“Keep an eye on what consumers are looking for, both here and abroad, and work it into your marketing plan,” Laine says. “During major shifts like we’re seeing now, that might mean more active risk management, but it also means keeping an eye on where the demand for protein is showing up in revenue streams on the farm. At this point, that might not be protein prices on the milk check directly, but it could include ongoing opportunity for beef calf sales.”

Success in this environment isn’t just about producing more milk. It’s about understanding the global flow of protein, the geopolitical climate of North American trade and the discipline to take risk off the table when the market offers a favorable price. As the spring flush continues, the U.S. dairy farmer remains — as always — a resilient fixture in a world that is increasingly hungry for what they produce.

Chocolate Reclaims the Top Spot as America’s Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:14:44 GMT

Chocolate is back on top as America’s favorite ice cream flavor, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) National Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey. After briefly ceding the No. 1 spot to vanilla in 2024, chocolate has reclaimed the lead in 2026. Butter pecan also continues its climb, moving ahead of vanilla among U.S. consumers.

The biannual survey reflects responses from more than 2,200 U.S. adults and tracks how Americans choose ice cream and frozen novelties, from flavors and formats to toppings and traditions.

IDFA’s latest results point to a mix of nostalgia and indulgence shaping consumer preference. Classic flavors remain strong, while richer, more decadent options continue gaining traction.

Top 5 flavors among U.S. consumers:

Chocolate
Butter Pecan
Vanilla
Cookies and Cream/Oreo
Caramel/Salted Caramel

Compared with previous years, the rankings show continued movement toward richer, mix-in driven flavors, while traditional staples still anchor the category.

“Americans’ love for ice cream is as strong as ever,” says Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “From timeless favorites like chocolate and butter pecan to newer indulgent options, ice cream continues to bring people together and create moments of joy across the country. As we look ahead to National Ice Cream Month, it’s clear this remains a staple in American life.”

The Sweetest States: Where America Loves Ice Cream Most

Other findings from the survey show how consumers enjoy their ice cream:

Cone preference leads among formats, with 40% of Americans choosing cones, followed by sandwiches at 24% and mini cups at 14%.

(Source: 2026 IDFA National Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey)

Waffle cones or bowls remain the most popular vessel across generations, with Gen Z splitting more evenly between bowls and waffle bowls compared to older groups.

Hot fudge ranks as the top topping at 31%, followed by whipped cream at 27%, caramel sauce at 21%, and chocolate sauce at 18%. Flavor remains the primary purchase driver, with 70% of consumers saying it is very important, ahead of price and portion size.

When asked about iconic ice cream memories, respondents most often pointed to neighborhood ice cream trucks, followed by birthday ice cream cakes and visits to local scoop shops.

Walmart Opens New $350 Million Milk Processing Plant in Texas

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:03:23 GMT

Walmart has opened a new $350 million milk processing plant in Robinson, Texas, expanding its push into direct dairy processing and adding capacity in a growing milk region.

The new plant covers more than 300,000 square feet and represents an investment of over $350 million. It’s expected to employ more than 400 people and will supply Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the South Central U.S.

According to the company, the plant will source milk directly from local and regional dairies and process it into a range of fluid milk products, including gallon and half-gallon packages of whole, 2%, 1%, skim and chocolate milk. These products will be bottled under Walmart’s private label brands, including Great Value and Member’s Mark, and distributed to more than 650 stores in the region.

(Walmart)

“The opening of our new facility in Robinson, Texas, will help us deliver more of what customers want—fresh, affordable food and quality they can trust,” says John Laney, EVP of food for Walmart U.S. “It strengthens our supply chain, improves freshness, and reduces time from dairy farm to shelf.”

Walmart has taken a similar approach with its other milk processing facilities in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Valdosta, Georgia, which also supply stores within their respective regions. The Robinson plant is the third in that network and expands the company’s processing footprint into the South Central U.S.

(Walmart)

According to the company, the facility is part of a broader effort to streamline its dairy supply chain and support more consistent availability of fluid milk in its stores.

“This milestone reinforces Walmart’s commitment to building a more transparent and efficient supply chain for dairy products, helping Walmart meet customer demand for high-quality, affordable milk across the South Central U.S.,” the company said in its announcement.

The Robinson facility is part of Walmart’s broader investment in U.S. manufacturing and sourcing. The company has set a goal of investing $350 billion in products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. by 2031. In its most recent fiscal year, more than two-thirds of Walmart U.S. product spending went toward items produced domestically.

The Silent Strength of Cheese

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:34:00 GMT

Over the years, cheese demand has slowly crept its way up to one of the most utilized dairy products. Per capita, the United States consumes the highest amount of cheese at 19.3 kg (about 42.5 pounds) annually. In second place, Canada consumes 14.5 kg per capita while the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina trail shortly behind at 12.5-9.40 kg respectively.

While Cheese dominates consumer demand at record levels, it also dominates a big part of the milk supply. Cheese is the leading user of U.S. milkfat, at 65% of manufactured milk being utilized for cheese production. That is a huge help when we see record setting milk production month after month here in 2025 and 2026.

Earlier this month, the USDA forecasted the 2026 milk production to increase 1.5% from 2025, coming in at 235.3 billion pounds, more than 600 million pounds from a month earlier. Despite this increase in milk production, the USDA increased the projected cheese price due to recent strength in the cheese market.

The cheese price strength has been slowly creeping up from the January lows. While milk production increases, the Cold Storage Report shows available supply fading. Last week, the report showed total natural cheese stocks up 1% from the previous month but down 2% from the previous year. When you compile these facts on top of the knowledge that milk production is growing year-over-year, you can see the story building as to why cheese is the silent strength behind the dairy market. Should milk production decline, cheese will be a major factor in future price hikes.

In the short term, traders do not expect cheese to lead any major rallies. However, when looking at long term trends, with consumer demand more than doubling per capita in the last 45 years, it is hard to ignore the steady growth in the U.S. alone. Therefore, it may be the support that places a solid price floor for dairy products in the months to come.

Sarah Jungman is a commodity broker with AgMarket.Net and AgDairy, the dairy division of John Stewart & Associates Inc. (JSA). JSA is a full-service commodity brokerage firm based out of St. Joseph, MO. Sarah’s office is located in Winterset, Iowa and she may be reached at 515-272-5799 or through the website www.agmarket.net .

The thoughts expressed and the basic data from which they are drawn are believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain inherent limitations. Simulated results do not represent actual trading. Simulated trading programs are subject to the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. There is risk of loss in trading commodity futures and options on futures. It may not be suitable for everyone. This material has been prepared by an employee or agent of JSA and is in the nature of a solicitation. By accepting this communication, you acknowledge and agree that you are not, and will not rely solely on this communication for making trading decisions.

Organic Dairy Groups File Lawsuits Over Federal Milk Pricing System

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:54:05 GMT

Organic dairy farmers are challenging their required participation in the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) program through a series of federal lawsuits, arguing the system does not reflect how organic milk is produced or marketed.

Members of the Coalition for Organic Dairy Exemption (CODE), including Aurora Organic Dairy , Horizon Organic Dairy and CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley , have recently filed three federal court actions questioning the constitutionality of including organic milk in FMMOs. A separate class action claim seeks compensation for payments farmers say were collected over the past six years without providing a return.

At the center of the filings is a request to exempt organic dairy from the FMMO system, rather than dismantle the program entirely.

“The federal government has locked in an updated dairy pricing regulation that actively harms organic dairy farmers,” says Elvin Ranck, an organic dairy farmer plaintiff from Pennsylvania. “It systematically siphons revenue generated from organic dairy sales and redistributes it to non-organic dairy producers and their partners.

He continues: “This is effectively a government taking. CROPP Cooperative, of which I am an owner-member, pays millions of dollars each year into the Federal Milk Marketing Order pools, yet those dollars never return to organic farmers like me, and under the current system, they never will. At some point, we have to stand up for ourselves.”

Separate Supply Chains, Shared Pricing Rules

The lawsuits argue organic and conventional milk are treated the same under FMMO pricing and pooling rules, even though they operate under different production systems.

Organic milk cannot be intermingled with conventional milk under federal regulations and typically moves through separate supply chains. Organic production also comes with higher feed, certification and handling costs, along with additional processing requirements.

While organic milk represents about 3% of total U.S. milk production, it accounts for roughly 7% of fluid milk sales. More than 10% of U.S. dairy farms are certified organic.

Plaintiffs argue the current structure pulls revenue out of organic milk checks instead of supporting investment in that segment.

Previous Attempts Through USDA

According to CODE, the legal filings follow multiple attempts to address the issue through USDA’s administrative process.

The group submitted proposals in 2015 that were not advanced and presented organic-specific recommendations during the 2023 national FMMO hearing that were not considered. Concerns raised in post-hearing comments in 2024 were not reflected in the final rule, and administrative challenges filed in 2025 were opposed.

“USDA, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, has spent more than a decade protecting a Depression-era pricing system that forces organic dairy to subsidize conventional products, while refusing every administrative avenue that might have resolved the dispute without litigation,” CODE members said in a press release. “There is a growing movement in this country, across party lines, that wants to know where food comes from and how it’s produced. Organic farmers help make that possible. The federal government should not be making it harder for us to survive, and it has had every opportunity to fix this.”

What the Lawsuits Would Change

The lawsuits emphasize that the goal is not to eliminate FMMOs, but to remove organic milk from a pricing structure plaintiffs say was not designed for it.

“Federal law already recognizes organic as different. USDA’s own organic standards treat our milk as a distinct product with distinct requirements,” CODE members said. “We are not asking to tear down the FMMOs. We are asking FMMOs to reflect a distinction that the law already makes – and that consumers already understand.”

If successful, the cases could change how organic milk is handled within federal pricing orders and whether producers remain subject to pooling requirements moving forward.

Seeking the Best in Dairy: Applications Open for the 2026 Milk Business Awards

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:47:26 GMT

Each December, the dairy industry’s most forward-thinking minds gather in the desert for the annual Milk Business Conference. It is a time for high-level networking, deep-dive educational panels and a shared vision of the industry’s future. But among the many highlights of the event, none are as prestigious as the presentation of the Milk Business Awards — a tradition that honors the grit, brilliance and heart of the American dairy producer.

As we look forward to the 2026 Milk Business Conference, held Dec. 9-10 in Scottsdale, Ariz., Farm Journal is officially opening the call for nominations. These awards are designed to identify and celebrate the leaders who aren’t just participating in the industry but are actively redefining it.

Three Pillars of Excellence

The awards are divided into three distinct categories, each representing a vital component of a successful modern dairy:

Leader in Technology Award: This category recognizes operations that have moved past the data silo era to implement cutting-edge technology that improves efficiency, animal welfare and the bottom line.
Young Producer Award: Reserved for producers 35 or younger, this award honors those who excel in their daily operations while serving as tireless advocates for the dairy industry within their communities and ag organizations.
Employee Excellence Award: Success on a dairy is a team sport. This award allows dairies to nominate key employees who represent excellence in their roles and are vital to the operation’s daily success.

A Legacy of Leadership

To understand the caliber of these awards, one only needs to look at the previous winners who have set the bar high. These producers and employees represent the gold standard of the industry:

2025 Winners:

Leader in Technology: McCarty Family Farms (Kansas) – Recognized for their massive 15,000-cow operation driven by data and innovative rotary milking systems.
Young Producer: Wybrand Vander Dussen (Colorado) – Honored for his resilience and leadership in managing a 4,000-cow dairy.
Employee Excellence: Travis Ties (Holdgrafer Dairy, Iowa) – Celebrated for over 25 years of dedication to feed and crop operations.

2024 Winners:

Leader in Technology: GenoSource (Iowa) – A leader in genetic advancement and high-tech parlor efficiency.
Young Producer: Perry Baeten (Wisconsin) – Awarded for his successful expansion and advocacy efforts.
Employee Excellence: Joaquin Vazquez (Vir-Clar Farms, Wisconsin) – Recognized for his instrumental role in team building and herd management.

Apply Today

Winning a Milk Business Award is more than just a title; it is an opportunity to share your story with the national dairy community. Winners receive a free trip for two to the 2026 Milk Business Conference in Scottsdale — a premier destination for industry insight and professional growth.

The deadline to enter is Aug. 1. If you, or someone you know, represents the best of what the dairy industry has to offer, we want to hear about it. For the application details, visit: Awards: MILK Business Conference 2026

APHIS Lifts Testing Requirements for H5N1 in Unaffected States

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:33:03 GMT

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued updated guidance related to the April 2024 Federal Order that required testing of lactating dairy cattle before they move across State lines.

Effective immediately, lactating dairy cattle moving interstate from States with Unaffected State Status under the National Milk Testing Strategy are no longer required to be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 prior to movement.

View the updated guidance document .

Key Points

No testing required for lactating dairy cattle originating from States with Unaffected State Status under the National Milk Testing Strategy .
Unaffected State Status requires ongoing testing and surveillance activities to confirm the absence of HPAI in the State’s dairy herds.
This update follows a United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) resolution received in October 2025 and is expected to be widely supported by dairy and State animal health regulatory officials.
APHIS does not anticipate any impact on trade of cattle or beef/dairy products.

Public Health and Food Safety

The detection of HPAI H5N1 in lactating dairy cattle does not pose a risk to consumer health or compromise the safety of the commercial milk supply. Pasteurization effectively inactivates HPAI virus. Milk from affected animals is diverted or destroyed to prevent entry into the food supply. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to consider the public health risk low.

The Importance of Biosecurity

USDA remains committed to working with State partners to monitor, investigate, and mitigate the spread of HPAI in livestock. This update does not change  USDA’s HPAI eradication strategy . Biosecurity is still key to mitigating the risk of disease introduction or spread between premises.

APHIS recommends  enhanced biosecurity measures  for all dairy farms. Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs, or any unusual sick or dead wildlife, to their State veterinarian.

The Invisible Enemy: The Audacity and Faith of One Incredible Wisconsin Dairy Family

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:09:11 GMT

In the world of dairy farming, we often talk about the things we can see: the quality of the silage, the conformation of a heifer or the rising numbers on a milk check. But for the Den Hoed family in northern Wisconsin, the most defining battle of the last 17 years has been against an enemy that is entirely invisible. It is a story of a silent killer that nearly broke their business, but instead, forged a family legacy of unshakable faith and the grit to build something entirely new from the ground up.

The story of Den Hoed Dairy doesn’t begin in the cabin country of Wisconsin. It begins in the Yakima Valley of Washington, where Walt Den Hoed grew up milking cows alongside his father and brothers. By 2008, the operation had grown to 1,200 cows. But that year, a storm hit: Walt’s father passed away from cancer, and the family realized — too late — that no succession planning had been done.

In 2010, at age 40, Walt faced a crossroads. He could stay in the shadow of a fractured legacy, or he could take a leap of faith. With his wife, Denise, and their children, he looked at seven dairies across the Midwest. They eventually settled on a site in northern Wisconsin, arriving with nothing more than two tractors, a loader and a determination to start over.

“We didn’t bring any cows,” Walt recalls. “We bought everything here. We didn’t know then why the former owner had sold the farm. We found out soon enough.”

(Den Hoed Dairy)

The Silent Killer: 17 Years of Stray Voltage

What the Den Hoeds had unknowingly purchased was a stray voltage farm. Located precisely between two electrical substations, the earth beneath their feet was a conduit for balancing energy. For the cows, it was a living nightmare.

“It affects their liver,” Walt explains, his voice heavy with the memory of the struggle. “The cows wouldn’t drink.”

At their lowest point, the cows were only taking in 13 gallons of water a day.

“We were down to 44 pounds of milk on 3x milking,” says Colton Den Hoed. “They wouldn’t even let their milk down in the parlor; they’d get back to the stalls and just start dripping. It was like they were being suppressed from the inside out.”

The numbers were staggering and, for any other business, it would have been a death sentence. The farm carried a 44% cull rate and a 10% death rate. In the winter, production hovered at 60 lb.; in the summer, 75 lb. Compared to the 90 lb.-plus averages they had achieved in Washington, the Den Hoeds were merely surviving in a state of constant “IV tube” management.

“We were in the shed at 3 a.m. in -25°F-below weather, building little pens to warm up calves that were dying because the stray voltage prevents calcium transfer,” Denise says. “They couldn’t keep themselves warm. We were doing whatever it took to save them, but you can’t out-farm physics.”

(Den Hoed Dairy)

The Legacy Farmer Pivot: Permission to Dream Again

For years, the family lived in a survival bubble. The Den Hoeds say when you are buried in the daily trauma of losing animals and fighting a plummeting milk check, you stop dreaming. You focus on the next bill, the next IV bag and the next sunrise.

The turning point came a year and a half ago when the family connected with Legacy Farmer. They wanted a cold, hard audit of their operation. They were prepared for the criticism. In fact, they invited it.

“We wanted to find the holes,” says Jayce Den Hoed. “We wanted to know where we were failing. But they dug into our portfolio for two months and came back with something we didn’t expect. They told us, ‘You guys can’t get any more efficient. The only thing you’re doing wrong is milk production, and you can’t help that in this facility.’”

That revelation was the green light the family needed. The audit proved their do-it-all philosophy — hauling their own milk, harvesting 1,700 acres of their own feed and handling every equipment repair in-house — had created a foundation of extreme efficiency. If they could just get the cows onto clean ground, the sky was the limit.

“We had a day of depression when we saw the reality of the numbers needed to build new,” Colton says. “But we all came back to the table with the same vision. We knew we had the equity. We just needed the courage to jump.”

Building from Scratch: 6 Miles to Freedom

The Den Hoeds are currently in the middle of a massive transformation. Just 6 miles away from their current death trap, they are building a brand-new facility from scratch. The new dairy will feature a double-20 parallel parlor and a state-of-the-art feed center.

The goal is to move the milking herd, dry cows and close-ups to the new site by November. The original farm will be repurposed for heifers and calves, who seem better able to handle the environmental stress until they reach breeding age.

“The bank approval was a miracle,” Denise says. “We spent months putting together a portfolio — projections for years to come, profit and loss statements, every detail laid out. We had a three-hour meeting with the board, and within 90 days, we had the approval. Our lender actually grew up on a farm that was also plagued by stray voltage. She understood our heart because she had lived our pain.”

(Den Hoed Dairy)

The Next Generation: Wired for the Legacy

Perhaps the most compelling part of the Den Hoed story is the two young men standing alongside Walt. In an era where the average age of the American farmer is rising, Jayce and Colton bring that figure down considerably. They are hardworking, tech-savvy and deeply committed to the family brand.

Jayce, who bought his first 100 acres at age 18, even before he graduated high school, handles the crop inputs and the beef side of the business.

“I’ve always wanted to farm,” he says. “You teach your kids responsibility, and that’s missing in our culture today.”

Colton, who cares for the youngstock, has taken the Den Hoed story to the world through social media, where he has built a following of nearly 200,000 people. He documents the good, the bad and the muddy.

“I want to show people what we do. I’ve had kids from small towns come through the barn who have never seen a cow,” Colton says. “The disconnect is huge, and we’re trying to bridge it.”

The brothers haven’t always seen eye-to-eye — they admit to butting heads in their younger years — but the shared trauma of the stray voltage years and the shared vision of the new build have welded them together.

(Den Hoed Dairy)

A Culture of “Familia”

The Den Hoeds don’t just treat each other like family; they extend that culture to their team. When they moved to Wisconsin, they struggled to find help until they recruited from the local Hispanic community. Today, they have four employees who have been with them for years.

“We treat them like family,” Colton says. “We have dinners together. We bring them donuts. We know about their lives. It’s not just a number on a payroll; it’s a relationship. That morale is why they stay, even when the facility was a struggle to work in.”

This focus on people is the secret sauce of their efficiency. By hauling their own milk, they save nearly $1.10 per cwt. — a figure that adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

“If we didn’t do it ourselves, we wouldn’t be here,” Walt says simply.

The Audacity of Faith

Woven through every conversation with the Den Hoeds is a profound sense of faith. In their barn, a sign reads “In God We Trust,” and it isn’t just for show.

“When we put that sign up, it felt like our problems got worse,” Walt says with a wry smile. “It was like Satan went to work harder. But it just made us pray harder. We stopped praying for God to ‘fix’ the farm and started praying for wisdom. And that’s when the pieces started falling into place.”

They see God’s hand in the timing of the Legacy Farmer audit, in the specific background of their lender and even in the naysayers who told them they would fail.

“You’re always going to have people who think you’re nuts,” Walt says. “But we’ve learned to manifest the positive. You don’t go forward unless you poke your head out of the shell. We’re taking a leap of faith because we believe this industry is worth it, and we believe our family is worth it.”

Looking Toward November

As the construction crews move dirt at the new site 6 miles away, the Den Hoeds are already seeing the cumulative wins. Their pregnancy rate has surged from 23% to nearly 50% after a shift in management protocols. Their days in milk have dropped from 215 to 160. Though these changes did not translate to a single extra pound at their current facility, the engine is being tuned for the big move.

“We need hope,” Denise says. “We were in that survival pool for so long we didn’t realize how depressed we were. We had actually stopped dreaming.”

But the dreams are back. In November, when the first trailer load of cows pulls into the clean parlor of the new facility, it won’t just be a move of livestock. It will be the culmination of 17 years of perseverance. It will be the moment the invisible enemy finally loses its grip.

As the rain falls over the Wisconsin cabin country, the Den Hoed family gathers for their daily lunch — a tradition that keeps them connected and grounded. They joke, they plan and they pray. They are a testament to the fact that the most valuable asset on any dairy isn’t the quota or the equipment — it’s the people who refuse to quit.

The Den Hoeds are no longer just surviving. They are building a legacy that will outlast the hardships and the stray voltage. They are proving that when you combine elite efficiency with an audacious faith, the cream always rises to the top.

From the Parlor to the Perimeter: Protecting the Heart of American Dairy in 2026

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:47:14 GMT

2026 marks a defining moment for U.S. dairy producers. As biological threats evolve and new risks loom on the horizon, the industry’s focus has moved from the parlor to the perimeter. During a high-level panel at the High Plains Dairy Conference, leaders including Jason Lombard, Samantha Holeck and Dee Ellis addressed the biosecurity gap and the urgent need for a line of separation to safeguard the milk supply. This isn’t just a discussion about animal health; it’s a strategic deep dive into the risk management and business continuity required to keep the American dairy industry moving forward in a volatile world.

The Ghost in the Mammary Gland: The H5N1 Legacy

Lombard opened the discussion with a sobering retrospective on H5N1. What began as a bird flu headline in December 2021 has evolved into a complex, multi-species challenge that has fundamentally altered the dairy landscape.

Lombard’s timeline showed the relentless march of the virus. From the first detections in wild birds in the Carolinas to the jump into commercial turkeys in 2022, the industry watched with wary eyes. But 2024 was the year the ground shifted. The B3.13 genotype emerged in dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas, eventually spreading to multiple states and even jumping to alpacas and swine. By late 2025, new genotypes like D1.1 were being detected in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin.

The most jarring revelation, however, was the visual evidence of where the virus hides. Lombard shared microscopic images of the mammary gland, where sialic acid receptors — the locks the virus keys into — glowed red, and the virus itself (AIV) glowed yellow.

“It’s in the milk,” Lombard stated flatly.

The spread isn’t just about a bird dropping a feather in a feed bunk. The data now shows a web of transmission: the movement of cattle, the movement of people and even the breathing of the herd. Most concerning for the 2026 outlook is the role of aerosols and peridomestic birds like swallows, pigeons and starlings. We are fighting a ghost that can be carried on a breeze or the back of a common filth fly.

The Emerging Nightmare: New World Screwworm

While the industry is still reeling from H5N1, Holeck introduced a threat that sounds like the plot of a horror movie but carries devastating economic reality: New World screwworm (NWS).

For decades, the U.S. has been protected by the “Darien Gap” and a massive eradication effort that pushed the screwworm south into Central America. But in 2026, the map is changing. Holeck shared a situational update showing thousands of active cases in Mexico, with some pushing dangerously close to the U.S. border.

“This will change the way we do business,” Holeck warned.

If NWS crosses the border, the implications are immediate and severe. We are talking about total movement restrictions, intensive live-animal inspections and the potential for lost trade. Unlike a virus, NWS is a parasite — a fly that lays eggs in open wounds, where larvae then consume living tissue. Holeck’s toolbox for 2026 isn’t just about vaccinations; it’s about management. It’s about preventing injuries, adjusting management practices to keep wounds clean, and a hyper-vigilant remove and dispose protocol for larvae.

The Reality of the Gap: Data from the Barn Floor

Farm Journal conducted its own research on research launched at the 2025 Milk Business Conference. The research illustrates a significant biosecurity gap between large and small operations.

The data showed that while 71% of producers have cameras in their milking parlors, only 38% have defined entrances with clear signage for designated vehicles like milk and feed trucks. The discrepancy becomes even sharper when looking at herd size. Larger dairies are significantly more likely to have designated employee parking (+23%) and cameras at facility entrances (+32%) compared to dairies with fewer than 1,000 cows.

The producer’s dilemma is real: ROI versus risk. On a smaller operation, a $20,000 security and sanitation upgrade can feel like a mountain, especially when the threat hasn’t hit your zip code yet. But as the panel emphasized, biosecurity is like insurance — you only realize its value when it’s too late.

One of the most telling statistics from the survey was that 25% of producers admitted they “don’t control and limit access” to feed storage areas. In an era where H5N1 and other diseases can be carried by wildlife and birds into the very food the cows eat, this is a glaring vulnerability.

The Blueprint: Drawing the Line of Separation

Ellis provided the how-to for the future: The Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan. This isn’t just a binder that sits on a shelf; it is a voluntary, science-based framework designed to ensure business continuity during a disease outbreak.

The core of the SMS plan is the line of separation (LOS). Ellis shared sample dairy maps that looked more like tactical military charts than farm layouts. The LOS creates a clear clean/dirty boundary.

The Dirty Side: Where public roads, non-essential deliveries and rendering trucks reside.
The Clean Side: The protected area where cows live, eat and are milked.

Implementing an SMS plan means identifying specific LOS access points, creating vehicle cleaning and disinfecting stations and establishing strict logs for every person and animal that crosses that line.

“Don’t sacrifice good for perfect,” Ellis advised. “Every SMS plan is unique. The key is to start. Post your map where every employee can see it every day. Make the clean/dirty concept part of your farm’s culture.”

The Biosecurity Umbrella

Biosecurity can feel like a cloud of acronyms and diseases: BVD, TB, Johne’s, Mycoplasma and now H5N1 and NWS.

Biosecurity isn’t easy. It’s tedious. It’s expensive. And it’s often invisible.

As an industry, we must move away from a reactive posture and toward a proactive, fortified model of production. Whether it’s a million-dollar operation in the Texas Panhandle or a 100-cow family farm in Wisconsin, the line of separation is the same.

The call to action for the industry is the same for every operation across the U.S.:

Assemble your team and review protocols now — before the challenge hits.
Look at your perimeter and sanitation, especially in feed and transport areas.
Support each other. If you serve producers, help them find the resources to make these investments.

While we may be facing genotypes and parasites that generations before us never dreamed of, we now have the science, the data and the collective will to protect the milk supply.

The 2026 revolution isn’t just about how much milk we can produce; it’s about how well we can protect it. And in that mission, we are all behind the wheel together.

The Kansas Explosion: Cow Numbers Surge as U.S. Milk Production Climbs

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:15:09 GMT

The latest USDA Milk Production report paints a picture of an industry in the midst of a significant geographic and structural shift. Led by a massive surge in the High Plains, milk production in the 24 major states reached 19.6 billion lb. in March, a 2.4% increase over the previous year.

While the production increase is notable, the real story lies in the “where” and “how.” The U.S. dairy herd is expanding at a clip rarely seen in recent years, with cow numbers in the major states climbing to 9.18 million head — an increase of 188,000 cows compared to March 2025.

The Kansas Phenomenon

If there is a gorilla in the room in this report, it is Kansas. The Sunflower State has officially become the epicenter of American dairy expansion. In March 2026, Kansas saw a staggering 25.4% increase in milk production compared to the same month last year.

This growth is driven by a massive influx of cattle. Kansas cow numbers jumped from 187,000 head in March 2025 to 234,000 head in March 2026 — a net gain of 47,000 cows in a single year. This explosion suggests the state’s aggressive strategy to attract processing capacity and foster a pro-growth business climate is paying massive dividends. Large-scale operations are not just moving to Kansas; they are thriving there, leveraging the state’s access to feed and central logistics.

“I almost always look at cow numbers first because that’s going to tell us a lot about short-to-medium-term prospects,” Phil Plourd, president of Ever.Ag Insights says. “For March, the U.S. herd increased 8,000 head month-on-month and 187,000 year-over-year to a new 30-plus year high. That says we’re going to have plenty of milk for a while. And, while performance varies from region to region and farm to farm, prospective margins seem decent enough to keep things rolling.”

This 30-year high in cow numbers indicates that despite the volatility of the global market, U.S. producers are betting on growth. However, that growth is highly concentrated.

High Plains Powerhouses and Regional Shifts

Kansas isn’t the only state in growth mode. The High Plains and West continue to consolidate their positions as the industry’s heavy hitters:

Texas: Added 31,000 cows year-over-year, bringing its herd to 719,000 head and boosting production by 4.7%.
South Dakota: Continued its steady climb with a 6.9% production increase, supported by 15,000 additional cows.
Idaho: Reached 724,000 cows (up 24,000 head), with production rising 3.4%.

The Regional Retreat: A Tale of Two Coasts

The report also highlights a stark contrast: as the High Plains boom, the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Southwest are in retreat. Washington saw a significant 5.8% drop in production, losing 15,000 cows over the past year as regulatory pressures and changing land use take their toll. New Mexico also faced a decline, with production falling 3.2% as its herd shrank by 9,000 head. Even traditional strongholds like Pennsylvania saw a dip, with production down 2.3% and a loss of 12,000 cows. These numbers tell a story of a national dairy industry that is not just growing, but migrating toward regions where modern, large-scale infrastructure can be built from the ground up.

Efficiency Meets Scale

It isn’t just about more hooves on the ground; it’s about the brilliance of modern management. Production per cow in the 24 major states averaged 2,133 lb. for March, 7 lb. higher than a year ago. This marriage of scale and efficiency has pushed the January-March quarterly production to 58.5 billion lb., up 2.9% from the same period last year.

As the industry moves into the second quarter of 2026, the data confirms a new reality. The era of localized, fragmented production is giving way to a high-precision, geographically concentrated model. With Kansas leading the charge, the U.S. dairy industry is proving through innovation and strategic expansion, it can reach heights not seen in three decades.

Crossbreeding Gains Ground as Some Dairies Scale Back Jerseys

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:59:37 GMT

Not long ago, Jerseys were gaining ground on many dairies. Strong butterfat tests and a reputation for feed efficiency made the smaller brown cows an attractive option for producers chasing component premiums. In many herds, Jerseys filled that role well, especially when milk checks heavily rewarded fat.

But the advantage that once set Jerseys apart has narrowed. Years of genetic progress have pushed Holsteins to improve components while maintaining their high production levels. As that gap closes, some dairies that once leaned into Jerseys are beginning to reconsider the role the breed plays in their herds.

Changing Views on Herd Composition

This shift is easy for Jason Anderson to spot. As a dairy consultant with Progressive Dairy Solutions, he works with dairies across the western U.S. and says herd makeup conversations are happening more often.

“Jerseys made a lot of sense when butterfat premiums were really strong and producers were chasing components,” Anderson says. “But now that Holsteins are improving components and still bringing the production, some dairies are reevaluating that balance.”

(Jason Anderson)

That change is showing up in herd composition in different ways. Some producers who once expanded Jersey numbers are now leaning more toward Holsteins or rebalancing their breed mix, while others are turning to crossbreeding programs.

In each case, the goal is the same: select cows that fit the environment and the way milk is paid.

Payment Signals Are Shifting

Behind many breeding decisions is a change in how milk is valued. In some regions, processors are not only reducing premiums for high butterfat but also applying deductions when fat levels run too high relative to protein.

“[Processors] have taken the premium off fat a little bit because there’s been so much of it produced,” Anderson says. “Essentially, they’re trying to bring the protein-to-fat ratio closer together.”

Protein is playing a larger role as processors adjust product mixes, shifting emphasis in how milk is evaluated.

“We’re continually trying to increase protein content,” Anderson says. “You can push protein nutritionally with amino acids, but that can get expensive. Doing it genetically is a much cheaper approach.”

Because genetic change takes time to reach the bulk tank, producers are making breeding decisions based on where they expect markets to go, not just where they are today. For many operations, that outlook is shifting herd direction away from Jerseys and toward more Holstein influence.

Those market signals are also showing up in herd economics.

“Using data from our high-producing herds within PDS, Holsteins show about a $3.20 per cow advantage in gross margin compared to Jerseys,” Anderson says. “That comparison used the Adisseo MilkPay model, assuming a Jersey at 68 pounds of milk with 5.3% fat and a Holstein at 94 pounds with 4.3% fat, while holding feed efficiency constant.”

Crossbreeding Gains Momentum

While crossbreeding is not new to the industry, interest has grown as producers look for improvements in fertility, longevity and overall herd performance.

As production levels climbed through purebred genetics, some herds began to see more challenges with reproduction, metabolic stress and cow turnover, prompting them to rethink breeding goals.

By combining breeds, producers have been able to capture hybrid vigor, which often shows up in fertility, survival and resilience. Crossbreeding can also help improve production consistency and better balance components to match today’s milk pricing signals.

Anderson says many dairies are now several generations into structured crossbreeding systems.

(Jason Anderson)

“About half of one of my client’s herd is crosses, F1, F2, F3s, HoJos, whatever you want to call them,” Anderson says. “Our strategy is we’re breeding these crosses back to F1 bulls, and we’re working on our fifth generation.”

The result is improved fertility and lower replacement needs as cows remain productive longer.

“When cows stay in the herd longer, that changes the economics pretty quickly,” Anderson says. “You’re not raising as many replacements, and the cows that are in the herd have already paid off their rearing costs.”

Crossbreeding can also moderate cow size, helping animals fit more comfortably into modern facilities.

“A lot of producers want a more moderate cow that still produces well but is easier to manage,” Anderson says. “You can get that balance when you start combining breeds.”

The Herd Continues to Evolve

The way producers think about breed balance is shifting, and herd makeup is changing with it. Jerseys still have a place on many farms, but their numbers may slide back in some regions as producers rethink the balance with Holsteins.

(Jason Anderson)

“The industry used to have a very specific picture of the ideal cow,” Anderson says. “Now producers are thinking more about what works in their system and what makes the most economic sense.”

That flexibility is reshaping herds across the country, whether through crossbreeding or more targeted selection within Holsteins and Jerseys.

A decade ago, herd dynamics looked different from what we see today. Walk through a dairy barn ten years from now and the cows may look different once again. What will stay constant is the goal behind them: building a cow that fits the farm, the market and the future.

What’s Driving a Better Dairy Outlook in the Second Half of 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:59:57 GMT

Milk prices started 2026 on a soft note, but the outlook has improved somewhat as the year has progressed. Futures markets now suggest slightly stronger prices later in the year, offering some optimism for dairy margins.

Still, the improvement is measured. Strong protein demand, shifting consumer habits, global trade dynamics and record beef values are all shaping today’s dairy outlook. Those same forces could also introduce volatility over the next year.

“We have a lot better story to tell today than we did a few weeks ago,” says Kathleen Wolfley, market intelligence director with Ever.Ag. “We’re looking at a market today that is significantly higher than where we were trading at the beginning of the year. Class IV prices are around $19 a hundredweight. Class III prices are around $18 a hundredweight average.”

Even with prices looking a bit better, tight budgets and higher costs are still weighing on dairy demand. During a recent Standard Dairy Consultants webinar, Wolfley and Mike North, president of the producer division at Ever.Ag, gave their take on the current economic outlook for dairy.

A Split Consumer Economy

Energy costs are emerging as one of the biggest economic pressures affecting food demand, particularly for middle- and lower-income households.

“Fuel prices are the top item I’ve been watching here in the last few weeks,” Wolfley says. “I’m in New York, so if I pay over $4 a gallon, it pinches a little bit more than it did back in February when gas prices were in the mid-$2 range.”

But when fuel gets more expensive, family budgets feel it in a hurry.

“In our estimation, it’s costing a family $30 to $40 more per week to fill the tank. That’s basically takeout for a family of four,” Wolfley says. “It’s an easy way to cut back, especially in an environment where folks are feeling pinched.”

The result is a split consumer economy.

“You have some consumers, middle-to-lower income, that consistently say, ‘Hey, I am struggling with affordability,’ versus higher-income consumers that are going to feel the pinch of these energy prices a lot less,” Wolfley adds. “They’ve been absorbing the inflation over the last few years and just kind of taking it in stride.”

That uneven spending environment creates uncertainty for dairy demand.

“I’m a bit concerned about domestic demand here in the U.S. and the ability of domestic demand to recover on the backside of all this uncertainty,” Wolfley notes.

Protein Demand Off the Charts

(Stock Photo)

If one theme defines today’s dairy markets, it is protein. Nonfat dry milk, skim milk powder and whey are increasingly tied to demand for high-protein foods and beverages.

“We’re sitting at $2.06 per pound on the CME nonfat dry milk market, Wolfley says. “That’s a really exciting move, especially for those of you that have a lot of Class IV exposure.”

But the story goes beyond price. Milk solids are increasingly moving into higher-value uses.

“There’s solids now going into cheese production or yogurt production, or into ice cream, or even into the fluid bottle that is no longer making its way into the dryers,” she adds.

Ultrafiltered milk and protein beverages are capturing a growing share of milk solids, pulling more wet solids away from traditional drying channels and into high-protein beverage production. At the same time, U.S. powder markets remain tighter than global supplies, creating added competition pressure for exporters.

“It’s really important to consider that the tightness in this nonfat dry milk market is just a U.S. issue,” she says. “In the rest of the world, they’ve got a lot of supply, and they’re making a lot of powder.”

European milk production rose about 5% year-over-year early in 2026, increasing global powder availability. With U.S. powder priced 50¢ to 60¢ above global competitors, export buyers may start looking elsewhere.

“If you’re a buyer in Southeast Asia, why would you go to the U.S. for your nonfat dry milk or your skim milk powder needs when you can buy it cheaper out of New Zealand or the EU?” Wolfley asks.

Mexico, one of the largest buyers of U.S. dairy products, may already be exploring alternatives.

“I think those Mexican buyers are now looking at alternate sources to say, ‘Can I get it cheaper out of the EU even with the freight costs? Can I go to the GDT auction and get supply that helps alleviate some of that price pressure?’” she says.

For U.S. producers, that means the current rally in nonfat prices could face pressure if exports slow.

Butter Markets Swing with Global Trade

(iStock)

Butter markets have already experienced volatility this year.

“Butter prices rallied all the way above $2 a pound to begin the month of March,” Wolfley says. “Fast forward six weeks, and we’re basically back to where we were in early February.”

The early butter rally was largely fueled by strong export demand, with significant volumes moving through the CME spot market and a steady flow of fat heading into international channels.

February butter exports totaled about 22 million lb., with a large share headed to the Middle East. But geopolitical tensions quickly disrupted that trade. As exports slowed, more butter stayed in the domestic market.

“I think that does open up more potential that we’re keeping fat in the domestic market that may have otherwise been earmarked for the international space,” Wolfley says.

Even so, retail demand has been strong.

“Butter has been crushing it. Cheap butter has allowed retailers to promote aggressively. To see the four-week average on butter and butter-blend sales up 10% is pretty astounding,” she notes.

Still, Wolfley cautions the Class IV complex faces potential downside risk if powder markets weaken or exports slow.

Cheese Markets Lean on Exports

Cheese markets tell a similar story of volatility and global competition. Wolfley points to how prices dropped sharply earlier in the year.

“We hit sub-$1.30 cheese in mid-January. Sub-$1.30 cheese is pretty dang cheap, especially when you compare it to the $1.70 to $1.80 price points at the end of October,” she says.

Those low prices encouraged stronger demand.

“Low prices tend to cure low prices,” Wolfley adds. “We’ve seen more advertising in food service, more promotional activity in retail and opportunities in the export market.”

Cheese production continues to climb, with February output up 4% compared to a year earlier. At the same time, exports have helped absorb some of that additional supply and keep the market more balanced.

“We shipped 129 million lbs. of cheese in February, 30% more than last year, a record-high volume,” Wolfley says. “At the same time, we’re importing less.”

Exports have become essential to keeping the market balanced.

“It tells me we have to stay competitive,” Wolfley says. “If we want to move that cheese, and the domestic consumer isn’t saying ‘Hey, I want a bunch more,’ it ultimately comes down to staying competitive versus the European mozzarella market.”

Price gaps between U.S. and European cheese have narrowed recently, reducing the cushion U.S. exporters have relied on to stay competitive in global markets. With that spread tightening, the risk of oversupply in the domestic cheese market increases if export demand softens.

“Without a big splash into the international marketplace, we could find ourselves with a lot of product looking for a home,” Wolfley notes.

GLP-1 Drugs Shift Dairy Demand

(Lori Hays)

Another emerging factor shaping dairy consumption is the rapid rise of GLP-1 medications used for weight loss and diabetes management.

“I joke that you can’t talk about dairy now without talking about GLP-1, because I think it is a really important piece of the puzzle,” Wolfley says. “About 12% of U.S. adults are using it today, compared to 6% in 2024.”

These drugs reduce overall food intake, with users typically consuming about 20% to 30% fewer calories, and that shift is starting to show up in dairy demand, particularly across categories tied to indulgence and higher-calorie foods.

“We’re seeing less pizza consumption because it doesn’t sit well with people’s stomachs on GLP-1. We’re seeing less ice cream consumption,” Wolfley says.

But the change is not entirely negative for dairy. Protein-rich foods are gaining traction.

“We’re seeing more cottage cheese consumption,” Wolfley adds. “There’s a big boom in cottage cheese production and investment because of opportunities to hit high protein needs. There’s also growth in yogurt and whey protein.”

The shift may ultimately move dairy demand away from indulgent products and toward nutrient dense, protein-focused foods.

Milk Production Expands

At the same time demand patterns are shifting, milk production continues to grow.

“We’ve asked for more milk in terms of processing,” Wolfley says. “We’ve added a lot of capacity in a short amount of time here in the U.S. — about $11 billion worth of investment expected between 2025 and 2030 — and producers have responded.”

U.S. milk production rose nearly 3% in February, showing continued strength in output as the year gets underway. Cow numbers are also increasing, up about 211,000 head year over year, signaling ongoing herd expansion across the industry. At the same time, productivity continues to improve.

“Every cow that’s out there is making more milk today than she was last year and the year before that, and she’s making more components,” Wolfley says.

Advances in genetics and feeding strategies are pushing component levels higher across the U.S. dairy herd. As a result, Wolfley has adjusted her production outlook, reflecting stronger-than-expected gains in milk output potential.

“If you’d asked me this question at the beginning of January, I would have said we might see contraction by the end of 2026,” Wolfley says. “I’m singing a little bit of a different tune today. I expect around 1.5% growth in milk production in 2026 compared to 2025.”

Beef-on-Dairy Income Remains Strong

(Wyatt Bechtel)

Strong beef markets have added another layer to the dairy profitability picture. What once served as a modest income source has grown significantly.

“The more crowds of producers I get in front of, the more I hear how important beef revenue is to the operation,” North says. “This went from casual spending money to something that’s much more substantive and really a big part of the overall profitability picture on a dairy.”

Revenue from beef-on-dairy has increased sharply.

“From late 2022, we estimated revenue on a per hundredweight basis of beef to the bottom line of about $1 to $1.50. Today, that number has grown to anywhere between $4.50 to $5,” North says.

Day-old beef-on-dairy calf prices reflect the strength of the market.

“Recently reported numbers coming in from out of the East Coast show $1,700 for a wet calf,” North says. “It seems insane, but the market has been going up for the better part of three and a half years.”

These high prices are sending a strong message to producers, pushing them to take a closer look at how beef-on-dairy plays a role on their operation.

“If you aren’t addressing beef prices in your operation right now, what are you waiting for? These prices are called record prices because we don’t get to touch them very often,” North says.

Managing Risk in a Volatile Environment

Feed markets add another layer of uncertainty. Large U.S. crops could keep pressure on corn prices, but geopolitical events and energy markets continue to create volatility.

For dairy producers, it’s another reminder to keep an eye on risk.

“There are plenty of headwinds that crude oil prices bring into our economy,” North says. “GLP-1s are real. We see big growth as we come through 2026. It’s going to create domestic headwinds for demand that we may not fully understand yet.”

Even with those challenges, the outlook for margins is cautiously optimistic.

“We are cautiously optimistic about margins as we look at the 2026 year,” North notes. “But we cannot overlook managing the risk around strong beef and dairy prices. The bottom line is: manage risk. It’s too volatile to just leave it to chance.”

An Industry in Transition

Taken together, today’s dairy markets reflect an industry in transition. Prices are improving but remain tied closely to global trade. Protein demand continues to reshape product markets. New consumer trends and medications are shifting how dairy is consumed.

At the same time, milk production continues to expand, beef-on-dairy revenue is strengthening farm balance sheets and risk management tools are playing a larger role in protecting margins.

The opportunity for growth remains strong. But in a market like this, North and Wolfley say it comes down to making the most of the good opportunities while keeping a handle on the risks.

Engineering the Future: How One California Dairyman Uses Worms to Innovate

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:10:37 GMT

In the heart of California’s Central Valley, where the heat of Stanislaus County shimmers over vast stretches of almond hulls and corn silage, the rhythm of Alberto Dairy has remained constant for more than four decades. It is a rhythm of early mornings and the steady hum of a milking parlor. But beneath the surface of this traditional landscape, a quiet revolution is taking place — one powered by millions of earthworms and a third-generation farmer’s commitment to a legacy built on sacrifice.

Anthony Agueda, the grandson of Portuguese immigrants Antonio and Maria Alberto, doesn’t see sustainability as a corporate buzzword or a modern trend. To him, it is the natural evolution of the heavy lift his grandparents began in 1981. Today, as he stands at the helm of a modern dairy operation, Agueda is proving the path to the future isn’t always paved with complex machinery. Sometimes, it’s found in the simple, elegant systems of nature.

(Photos provided by Alberto Dairy)

A Foundation of Sacrifice

To understand where Alberto Dairy is going, one must understand where it started. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the Alberto family wasn’t just building a business; they were chasing the American Dream with a level of intensity hard for the modern world to comprehend.

“My grandpa told me that when he came to the United States, he was working three jobs and went seven years without a single day off,” Agueda reflects. “In our workflow today, if we go seven days without a day off, it’s tough on us. But for them, it was about survival and building something for the generations they hadn’t even met yet.”

That old school value of sacrifice remains the North Star for the dairy. Antonio and Maria, now in their late 70s, still participate in the daily life of the farm. They didn’t just pass down land and cattle; they passed down the understanding that the cows always come first.

“You don’t just clock in and out,” Agueda says. “You go home when the work is done. My grandpa and my dad taught me that from the time I was a young kid feeding calves.”

The Third-Generation Pivot

Every generation of this California dairy family has faced a different challenge. For Antonio, it was the physical labor of the wheelbarrow and the struggle to establish a foothold. For Agueda’s father and uncle, it was the introduction of genetics, breeding and the early days of digital record-keeping. For Agueda, the challenge is navigating a landscape defined by environmental regulation and the urgent need for resource efficiency.

“Sustainability has always been there,” he explains. “A farmer has always left the land better than when they inherited it. It’s just that each generation adapts differently. Mine is focused on environmental sustainability — removing nitrogen and carbon and protecting our water.”

While many California dairies are looking toward methane digesters to meet state mandates, Agueda’s family found themselves drawn to something different. They wanted a system that mimicked God’s creation — something simple, effective and low maintenance.

(Photo provided by Alberto Dairy )

The Power of the BioFiltro

The solution came through a partnership with Nestlé: the BioFiltro system. It is a vermifiltration (worm-based) system that manages gallons of water every single day.

The concept is deceptively simple. Manure from the flush lanes is separated into solids and liquids. The liquids are then sprinkled over massive “worm beds” covering nearly 8 acres. As the water percolates through the beds, millions of worms and specialized microbes go to work, consuming the carbon and nitrogen. In about four hours, the water emerges on the other side, stripped of its contaminants and ready to be recycled.

Agueda recalls the light bulb moment when he visited a similar system in Washington State.

“The owner had a bucket of manure water from before the system and a bucket from after. He held the ‘after’ bucket up, and you couldn’t smell a thing,” he says. “It looked like clean water. If it were slightly clearer, you’d think you could drink it.”

For Alberto Dairy, the BioFiltro wasn’t just an environmental win; it was an operational one. Mechanical systems are expensive and prone to breaking down. The worm beds, however, are gravity-fed and require minimal energy.

“We liked the simplicity,” Agueda says. “In 25 years, who knows what digester technology will look like. But this? This is just natural filtration.”

(Photo provided by Alberto Dairy)

Better for the Land, Better for the Cow

The benefits of the system have rippled through every aspect of the farm. The treated water, now low in the sludge that used to clog irrigation valves, is used to fertilize crops more efficiently. But a surprising benefit was found in the barns.

“Our mastitis cases have gone down significantly,” Agueda notes. “Because the water we use to flush the lanes is so much cleaner and has less bacteria, the cows are healthier. That’s an economic benefit because medicine is expensive, but more importantly, it’s about animal comfort. A cow that isn’t sick is a cow that’s out in the stalls enjoying herself.”

This focus on cow comfort is a hallmark of the modern Alberto Dairy. From mattresses and fans to a specialized nutritionists and regular hoof trimming, the technology on the farm serves one purpose: making sure the animals are thriving.

(Photo provided by Alberto Dairy )

Future-Proofing the Central Valley

The regulatory environment in California is notoriously difficult. Between the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and strict methane reduction mandates, many farmers are choosing to leave the state.

By implementing the BioFiltro system, Agueda is proactively addressing the concerns of regulators and consumers alike. The system provides precise data on water usage and carbon reduction, which is used for carbon credit verification.

“It shows the public that dairies are the solution, not the problem,” Agueda asserts. “We aren’t just farming for regulators; we’re farming for the future.”

Alberto and Agueda Family: (Back row left to right) Aidan Alberto, Khloe Alberto, Kristen Alberto, Brian Alberto, Diane Agueda, Tony Agueda, Anthony Agueda, Megan Agueda, Lillian Agueda (Front row left to right) Maria Alberto, Antonio Alberto, Nathan Agueda

(Photo provided by Alberto Dairy )

The American Dream, Realized

As Agueda prepares for his upcoming marriage and looks toward raising a fourth generation on the farm, the weight of the legacy feels less like a burden and more like a gift. He uses his agricultural business degree from Fresno State to handle the bookkeeping that once burdened his grandmother, while still spending his days in the sun, vaccinating calves and helping to manage the herd.

If you asked his grandfather 40 years ago if he would one day be farming millions of worms to protect the atmosphere, he would have laughed. But today, as Antonio looks out over the fields he built from nothing, he sees a grandson who hasn’t forgotten the value of a day’s work.

“They truly achieved the American Dream,” Agueda says of his grandparents. “They started from the bottom, built a business and now they get to see it evolve. They’re proud because they know the land will be here for their great-grandchildren.”

In the end, the story of Anthony Agueda and Alberto Dairy is a reminder that the most profound innovations aren’t always found in a computer chip. Sometimes, they are found in the soil, in the tireless work of a million worms and in the enduring strength of a family that refuses to let their dream die.

Meet the Texas Powerhouse Serving Dairy, Dad Jokes and Outfits

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:59:43 GMT

In the world of Texas dairy farming, names usually carry weight. They represent generations of land, thousands of head of cattle and a legacy of grit. But for Kyndra Brown, the name that sticks closest to home is “Peewee.”

It was a nickname given to her by her father because she was born the smallest and youngest of four daughters. To a stranger, the name might imply someone who stands on the sidelines. But to anyone who has seen Brown navigate a muddy pen in fashionable boots or manage a complex digital health suite for her herd, the name is a badge of irony. Brown is a passionate, witty powerhouse, and she is exactly what the future of American dairy looks like.

(Images provided by Kyndra Brown)

The Girl Dad Legacy

Brown is a fourth-generation dairy farmer, but her path back to the family operation in Texas wasn’t a straight line. Growing up as one of four girls, she was immersed in a world where gender roles simply didn’t exist.

“My dad never pressured us,” Brown recalls. “He wanted us to make the choice to be here.”

That choice was framed by a powerful example set by her parents. In an industry that is often viewed as male-dominated, Brown’s father, Joe Schouten, was a girl dad decades before the term became a social media trend. When fellow dairymen would joke about his lack of sons to help with the heavy lifting, he had a standard, fiery response: “I’ve got four girls who can do exactly what your boys can do — but they look better doing it.”

Brown’s mother, Debbie, was equally influential. A woman who married into the dairy life without a farming background, she quickly became the heartbeat of the operation. Brown’s mother scraped stalls with one baby on her hip, proving the dairy doesn’t care about your title — it cares about the work.

(Photos provided by Kyndra Brown)

The Psychology of the Parlor

Like many farm kids, Brown hit a point in her late teens where she wondered if there was more to life than the 2:00 AM alarm and the constant smell of silage. She left the farm to study psychology, fascinated by human behavior and emotion. For two years, she immersed herself in the “why” of people.

But the call of the land is a physical one.

“I went back to what I know,” she says. “And it was the family dairy.”

For eight years straight after school, Brown didn’t just manage; she labored. She milked, she pushed cows and she cleaned pens. In an era where people struggle to hit 10,000 steps a day, Brown was regularly clocking 22,000 steps before lunch. That season of physical intensity was her true education. It gave her the boots on the ground perspective no textbook could provide.

Today, that background in psychology serves her in ways she never expected. Whether she’s managing employees, navigating family dynamics or communicating with concerned consumers on social media, she understands the human element behind the milk check.

This unique blend of mental insight and physical endurance has shaped her philosophy on the industry: resilience is more than a trait — it’s a prerequisite for growth. Brown has learned the dairy industry’s most valuable lessons are often disguised as failures, turning every challenge into a stepping stone for refinement. By embracing the struggle rather than fearing it, she maintains a competitive edge that keeps her operation moving forward. As she puts it, “Setbacks only exist to move you further than the next person who is trying less.”

(Images provided by Kyndra Brown)

Old School Grit Meets New School Tech

The Moo View Dairy operation in Dublin, Texas, is currently a fascinating study in the dairy margin revolution, so to speak. Brown sits at the intersection of her father’s old school wisdom and the industry’s technological future.

Her father still operates with a pen and a notebook.

“Actually, hundreds of them,” Brown shares, noting he has a paper record of every cow, every calf and every health event stretching back 30 years. “‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is his mantra.”

Brown respects that history, but as an elite operator, she knows data is the key to the modern margin. She has introduced activity monitoring systems like CowManager tags.

“Technology is a great side kick,” Brown explains. “It fills the gaps. It tells me if a cow’s temperature is rising before I can see it with my own eyes.”

She also adds she will never overlook boots-on-the-ground value.

“I want to see it, smell it and hear it for myself,” she says.

(Images provided by Kyndra Brown)

Starbucks Partnership & Sustainability

This commitment to the future recently led Moo View Dairy into a high-level sustainability partnership with Starbucks. By prioritizing cow comfort and resource recycling — specifically repurposing lagoon water for flush systems and manure for crop nutrients — Brown is ensuring the operation remains as efficient as it is productive.

In May 2025, the farm qualified for tier two of the Starbucks Sustainable Dairy Program. This achievement unlocked a cost-share initiative currently being used to install advanced sand and manure separators. Slated to be fully operational by September, these systems represent a significant leap in waste management. The project will allow the dairy to recycle all sand used for cow bedding and modernize their recycled water flush system for cleaning freestalls and pens, creating a closed-loop system that bolsters both the environment and the bottom line.

(Images provided by Kyndra Brown)

Fashionable in Manure:

Perhaps Brown’s most visible impact is through her social media presence and her seat on the Dairy MAX board. She is intentionally “fashionable in manure,” a phrase that sounds like a joke but carries a serious message.

“I get comments all the time underestimating me because of my outfit,” she says with a laugh. “Since when does an outfit determine my capability to show up?”

By documenting her life on YouTube and Instagram, Brown is bridging the gap between grocery store and the dairy farm, or ‘teat to table’ as she likes to call it. She shows the 2:00 a.m. wake-up calls, the extensive labor that goes into cow care and the sophisticated science of milk production. With her approach to providing education and entertainment, she isn’t trying to sell a product; she’s trying to enlighten a consumer base that has become disconnected from its food source.

Her message to the next generation of women in agriculture is simple: “When in doubt, lead.”

“If you have an opportunity for experience, take it. If you have a question, ask it. It’s not a competition,” she says. “It’s teamwork for humanity to help feed the world. There are plenty of things we have to do alone in life; learning from each other in the world of agriculture shouldn’t be one of them.”

(Images provided by Kyndra Brown)

Full-Circle Life Moment

Now in her early 30s, with a husband, Cody, who has since joined the family dairy operation, and their four-year-old son, Brown’s life has come full circle.

“It’s a lifestyle you have to see to appreciate,” she says. “It’s hard to express that to people who just see it as a job. For us, it’s a partnership between the animals and the land.”

Kyndra Brown may always be “Peewee” to her father, but she has firmly established herself as a female dairy farmer who has made a name for herself on her own terms. She serves as a living reminder that the “Made in the USA” label is far more than a geographic marker; it is a testament to the people who possess the courage to evolve, the grit to work and the unique style to make the hardest days look effortless. By blending her family’s deep-rooted legacy with a modern, innovative vision, she isn’t just maintaining a dairy — she is building a durable future for the next generation.