Ag committee approves skinny farm bill

Farm Bill 2.0 has passed the House Agriculture Committee with a 34-17 vote. Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson described the farm bill process as “a slog,” but that’s how legislation should work. “We built this bill in a way that is not typical for Washington; we did it from the outside in, versus the inside out,” said Thompson. “All those travels, this is where the needs were identified, out in the fields, on the farms, on the ranches, in the local fire halls; that is the way you should do legislation. That is the way this was done.” Thompson said he is proud of the work done during the 2-day hearing process, but more improvements can be made as the bill comes to the floor.

Craig: farmers aren’t asking for status quo

In her closing comments, Ranking Member Angie Craig said the farm bill delivers the status quo. “Folks, it is not status quo in farm country; a global trade war has left devastating impacts on our nation’s farmers, and the farm assistance offered thus far by this administration is a fraction of the need,” said the Minnesota Democrat. “We offered to help farmers and families during this markup, but apparently, we can only spend money when it cuts taxes for the wealthy in this country, as my colleagues voted for in reconciliation last year. I don’t know any farmer in Minnesota who’s asking for the status quo.” Craig said bipartisan improvements were made through the amendment process, but they didn’t go far enough, and she couldn’t support the final bill. Seven members of her Democratic caucus voted in favor of the bill.

Dairy wins in ag committee farm bill

The farm bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee is being praised by the National Milk Producers Federation. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said this bill “includes key provisions that support and strengthen the dairy industry.” Key provisions include an extension of the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, Dairy Indemnity Program and Dairy Promotion and Research Program. It supports voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with a directive to prioritize methane-reducing practices. Full-fat fluid milk, hard cheeses and yogurt would also be included in the dairy nutrition incentive program.

NASDA wants swift farm bill consideration

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney welcomes the passage of the House Agriculture Committee bill. NASDA priorities include provisions that strengthen local food purchasing programs, more international market opportunities through a doubling of the Market Access Program and reauthorization of the 3-legged stool for foreign animal disease prevention. NASDA is asking House leadership to bring it to the floor quickly.

Common name protections preserved

The farm bill includes language protecting the U.S. use of food terms, like “parmesan” and “feta.” The Consortium for Common Food Names sees this as a tool to combat the European Union’s attempt to monopolize generic food names. Minnesota Rep. Michelle Fischbach was a co-sponsor of this farm bill provision.

Controversial author appears before Minnesota House ag panel

The Minnesota House Agriculture Committee heard a presentation from a controversial author, Austin Frerick, who wrote a book titled “Barons: Money, Power and Corruption of America’s Food Industry.” Frerick contends farm policy makes healthy food expensive. Crop insurance was cited as an example: “It’s not crop insurance, it’s just a subsidy.” Consolidation was also addressed in his presentation to the lawmakers. “As ethanol slowly fades out, what are we going to do with all this land?” asked Frerick. “I want to put animals back on the land.” He contends locally-produced meat and dairy products taste better and support the local economy. “That to me is one of the best things we can do for rural communities: End these industrial manure factories.”

Lawmakers react to Frerick presentation

The reaction to the Austin Frerick presentation in the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee was wide-ranging. Shoreview Democratic-Farmer-Labor Representative David Gottfried praised the discussion and said more should be done for small farms. “Shaping the market to be more conducive to those small and local farmers is a way for us to correct the market so that we can keep Minnesota dollars in Minnesota, keep Minnesota food in Minnesota, feeding Minnesotans in a virtuous cycle.” Henderson Republican Bobbie Harder challenged the author, saying he was disparaging farmers. House Agriculture Committee Co-Chair Paul Anderson, a Republican from Starbuck, also disagreed with numerous policy positions advanced in the presentation. “(In) your comments on ethanol, you said corn is making our food more expensive. My goodness, the price of corn today is bargain basement, under the cost of production, and to say that that is causing food prices to go up, I totally disagree with that statement.” Ag Committee Co-Chair Rick Hansen defended the presentation, saying the committee shouldn’t be afraid to hear different viewpoints.

Ag department to vacate the south building

The “for sale” sign is up at the U.S. Department of Agriculture South Building. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins cited high maintenance costs and low occupancy as reasons for the closure. The building is being turned over to the administration’s General Services Administration. By the end of the year, many USDA employees will be relocated out of Washington, D.C. and into five regional hubs across the country.

‘Dairy Does More’

The dairy checkoff has launched a new “Dairy Does More” national marketing campaign. Dairy has a strong presence in the diet, but most consumers fall short of the three recommended daily servings. The goal is to increase demand for dairy products by changing how consumers think about dairy foods. The campaign has the tagline “So Many Reasons for Dairy.”

‘Most trusted brand’

Land O’Lakes has been voted the most trusted butter brand in the U.S. in Newsweek’s Most Trusted Brands 2026 awards. The market research firm BrandSpark surveyed more than 35,000 American consumers. “This recognition reinforces what our farmer-owners and teams work toward every day: delivering butter and delicious dairy products people can count on,” said Heather Anfang, president of dairy foods and executive vice president of Land O’Lakes.

O’Brien announces planned retirement

Barbara O’Brien, president and CEO of Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, plans to retire this fall. O’Brien has been in the role for five years. The DMI board of directors has begun succession planning efforts to support a smooth transition.

IDFA hires Tarr

The International Dairy Foods Association has named Adam Tarr as its vice president of legislative affairs. Tarr joins IDFA from Invariant, where he advised food, agriculture and environmental clients on policy and regulatory issues. Prior to Invariant, Tarr focused on climate and conservation policy as a staff member for the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Trivia challenge

The average American consumes 46 slices of pizza per year. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what major general farm organization has an award for the farm dog of the year? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.

Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and five grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.