Class III milk price slides

Class III milk prices have declined significantly since their 2024 highs. Edge Dairy Cooperative managing director Lucas Sjostrom said a lot of it has to do with oversupply of the solids market. “Although milk is milk, it’s the components that we sell and we’ve got all sorts of components on the market,” Sjostrom said. “When it comes to Class III, that’s our cheese market, and we need a better ratio to make cheese, and so there’s extra fat to sell and that fat just doesn’t have enough homes with our current butter market.” Sjostrom said there’s hope for the long-term outlook. “If the price goes low enough there’s going to be new markets created, whether that’s exports or some other use for it.”

Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act signed into law

Whole milk and reduced-fat milk options will now be available in schools. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, surrounded by dairy-state lawmakers and dairy farm families. “I’m delighted to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law, which is a very important thing for our farmers and, I think, maybe more important for our people who drink milk,” Trump said. “This is the first bill signing of the new year, and I want to ensure that millions of school-aged children have access to high-quality milk as we make America healthy again.” House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson said he has been working on this legislation for 15 years. “The benefits go to those precious children, it goes to our dairy farm families who work so hard seven days a week, there’s no day off for dairy farmers, and quite frankly, our rural communities.” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the whole milk option should be available in schools within a matter of weeks.

A big lift, but farm labor reform needs to happen

In the view of American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, farm labor reform is one of the biggest issues facing agriculture today. During Sunday’s general session, Duvall spoke about his White House visit with President Trump. Farm labor reform was part of that conversation. “Of all the things we talked about, he had the most knowledge about that one,” said Duvall. “I really think this president, unlike any other president in my lifetime other than maybe Reagan, really wants to fix that problem.” Duvall said the cows need to be milked, crops need to be harvested, and the work of agriculture needs to be done. “I know it is a big, heavy lift for anyone politically, but this country needs a solution to this problem and everybody is a victim of a broken system.” In his briefing with ag journalists, Duvall also said agriculture needs a 5-year farm bill and trade, not tariffs.

Craig: Department of Homeland Security enforcement clouds path to ag labor reform

In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig was less than optimistic about the passage of meaningful farm labor reform this year. “Mainly because the Department of Homeland Security is out there doing things right now; they were just sitting outside near a dairy farm in my district this week.” Craig said the recent shooting in Minneapolis complicates an already difficult issue. “No one wants undocumented individuals who have violent criminal records in our country, but I do think there is an awful lot of law-abiding undocumented immigrants working in the farm economy right now that, unfortunately, this administration is not distinguishing between one or the other.”

Skinny farm bill to be marked up in February

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s plan to introduce Farm Bill 2.0 has been sidelined by the death of one member of his caucus and the hospitalization of another. The Congressional Budget Office also needs to score the proposed legislation, “which means a February markup for the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2026; I’ve already spoken to the Speaker and the Majority Leader regarding floor time because we’ll want a fairly efficient pathway to the floor.” Due to tight margins in agriculture, there is also potential for additional relief from Congress. Thompson said it won’t be folded into his farm bill.

Put a face on farm bill issues

The 2018 farm bill has been extended three times. Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Carolyn Olson wants the certainty of a 5-year farm bill. “There are policy updates that need to be made.” Like other major pieces of legislation, the farm bill has become the victim of partisanship. “Agriculture is nonpartisan and we need to get back to that,” Olson said. “It’s important for farmers and ranchers to tell our story and put a face on the issues they’re talking about; we need them to care and you don’t get them to care by tweeting or Facebook, it is the face-to-face meetings.”

More protein on the plate

The new dietary guidelines prioritize protein, advising Americans to have protein on the plate at every meal. The news received quick praise from beef, pork, turkey and dairy groups. International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes described the new dietary guidelines as “a clear and powerful message to Americans.” The new standards got mixed reviews from others. American Soybean Association President Scott Metzger said his industry appreciates the acknowledgement about the important role of soy in a balanced diet but is concerned about some of the rhetoric about soybean oil in the supporting materials.

Improvements made to DMC

Sign-up is underway for the Dairy Margin Coverage program and will continue through Feb. 26. Enhancements have been made to DMC, including an opportunity for dairy farmers to establish new production history. It also clarifies how new dairy operations will be able to establish production history and there’s an opportunity to make a 1-time election of coverage level that is locked in for a 6-year period.

Physicians committee seeks withdrawal of dietary guidelines

The animal rights activist group, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has filed a petition with the federal government seeking the withdrawal of the new dietary guidelines. This group claims that agriculture groups and food companies unfairly influenced the new nutritional standards. PCRM wants the guidelines to be rewritten.

No merit to Colombia milk powder allegations

The Colombian government has dismissed a case into U.S. milk powder subsidies and their impact on Colombian farmers. The U.S. was able to demonstrate that there is no merit to the allegations. As a result, the U.S. continues to have tariff-free access to the Colombian market. National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud said this action sends a clear message that efforts to evade trade agreement commitments will not be tolerated.

Minnesota Farm Bureau earns New Horizon Award

The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation is bringing home some hardware from the American Farm Bureau Convention. The state group won the State Award of Excellence New Horizon Award. “The Minnesota Farm Bureau teamed up with Zumbro Valley Medical Society and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, where we take medical students out to integrate them into rural communities so they have a better understanding of what it might be like in rural communities and healthcare,” explained Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture Director Ruth Meirick.

IDFA brings Keys to its team

Chelsie Keys is the new senior vice president of government relations for the International Dairy Foods Association. For the past 10 years, Keys was on the Republican staff for the Senate Agriculture Committee, most recently as the committee’s policy director.

Trivia challenge

The oldest cow in history is Big Bertha, who lived to be 48 years and nine months. The Irish cow died on New Year’s Eve 1993. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, how many times does the average cow chew its cud in a minute? 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.