In the news at the end of June 2025:

Lee karen
Karen Lee
Managing Editor / Progressive Dairy
Karen Lee covers current news and events, and manages the dairy editorial team for the U.S. and C...

DARI Processing invests in new fluid milk plant in Nebraska

During National Dairy Month, Nebraska celebrated the groundbreaking of its first major fluid milk plant in over 60 years. DARI Processing LLC of Rising City, a fourth-generation dairy company run by the Tuls family, plans to construct a 236,000-square-foot milk processing plant in Seward, Nebraska.

The new facility is expected to process 1.8 million pounds of milk per day when it reaches full capacity in the coming years. The company anticipates hiring the equivalent of 70 full-time positions at the dairy plant.

“Dairies in Nebraska, including ours, have been shipping more and more milk out of state,” said TJ Tuls, co-owner and CEO of DARI Processing. “We are excited to build this plant adding new processing capacity. This will help keep 30 percent of the state’s milk here – saving hundreds of thousands of miles on trucks, reducing emissions and making dairy more sustainable.”

The facility will process raw milk at ultrahigh temperatures (UHT pasteurization) to eliminate bacteria. Then, milk products will be packaged immediately in airtight bottles/containers within a sterile environment. This process, known as aseptic production, results in fresh milk and cream that can go up to 12 months without refrigeration. The longer shelf life will expand opportunities for DARI Processing to ship Nebraska dairy across the country and potentially around the world.

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Attendees of the groundbreaking were treated to a bottle of Moo’v, a high-protein, lactose-free milk that will be one of the primary products the new dairy plant will make.

New Mexico State University wins checkoff’s New Product Competition

A team of food science students from New Mexico State University (NMSU) won first place in Dairy Management Inc.’s (DMI) national New Product Competition with Nuestro Corazón – an innovative, on-the-go snack pack made with nearly 80% dairy content.

Judges from across the dairy industry selected the NMSU team for best meeting this year’s challenge: developing a dairy-forward product aligned with consumer interest in heart health and weight management.

The team’s winning product, Nuestro Corazón – Spanish for “Our Heart” – is a snack pack that combines dairy-rich nutrition with convenience. Each pack features protein-rich cheddar and mozzarella crackers paired with Greek yogurt spreads in flavors such as chimichurri, harissa and dulce de leche. A single serving delivers more than 79% dairy content and provides 20% of the recommended daily value of protein.

The students said Nuestro Corazón is designed to support muscle maintenance, weight management and cardiovascular wellness, making it ideal for on-the-go lifestyles.

Team members Alejandro Schutte, Andrea Soler, Ashley Medina, Jazmine Arreola and Joy Agbawodike received DMI’s Platinum Dairy Innovator Award and a $10,000 prize during the American Dairy Science Association’s annual meeting this week in Louisville, Kentucky.

DMI has hosted the New Product Competition annually since 2012 to foster innovation among emerging food scientists and offer students hands-on experience in product development. Each year’s theme aligns with current consumer trends and supports checkoff-led strategies to engage younger generations, particularly Gen Z, who value food that supports health and wellness.

Other winners included:

  • Gold Dairy Innovator Award ($7,000): South Dakota State University – BalanceBloom, a creamy, pudding-like snack with over 70% dairy content that blends indulgence with functionality
  • Silver Dairy Innovator Award ($4,000): Clemson University – Cottage Crisps, a high-protein snack featuring cottage cheese, whey protein isolate and butter
  • Dairy Innovator Awards ($2,000 each): Oregon State University and two teams from Cornell University rounded out the top six finalists. 

American Butter Institute seeks FDA action against ‘dairy-free butter’

In a strongly-worded complaint sent to the FDA, America’s butter marketers asked the agency to take action against Country Crock’s “dairy-free salted butter,” asserting that the product’s label violates federal regulations.

The plant-based spread’s front label, in bold letters, describes itself as a form of butter, although federal standards of identity, along with legislation passed by Congress, defines butter as a product made from milk. In reality – and as admitted in the much smaller font on the package label – the Country Crock products describe themselves as “79% plant-based oil spreads.”

“Country Crock is attempting to leverage the premium perception of real dairy butter maintained by consumers,” said Christopher Galen, executive director of the American Butter Institute (ABI). “The manufacturer is clearly trying to confuse the consumer about what this product is: an ultra-processed seed oil concoction. This product may indeed be a crock from the country, but it’s certainly not butter.”

Galen said that as margarine and vegetable oil spreads have declined in sales, companies are seeking to capitalize on butter’s resurgent popularity by misappropriating the term “butter” and applying it to products that clearly do not meet butter’s federal standard of identity. Butter manufacturers have to follow federal labeling standards, but the proliferation of fake butters is eroding the integrity of the marketplace, he said.

NMPF: Cheese output surges amid expanding milk supply, new processing capacity

Strengthening domestic sales of yogurt, butter, cheese and dry skim milk drove higher gains in overall domestic commercial milk use from February through April, according to a report from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).

Summarizing dairy markets in the June 2025 Dairy Management Inc./NMPF Dairy Market Report, dairy exports dropped back from February through April, as losses in dry skim milk and whey protein exports more than offset gains in butter and cheese exports.

U.S. milk and milk solids production growth is accelerating, with milk production up 1.2% year over year during the period, milk solids production up by twice this rate, and milkfat production up almost three times faster.

New U.S. cheese processing capacity is drawing heavily on the growing milk supply, with cheddar cheese production up 8.1% annually in April.

For more information on commercial use, dairy trade, milk production, product inventories, prices and margins, view the June 2025 Dairy Market Report.

USDA to survey cattle operations

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) mailed the July cattle survey to about 18,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories. This is the first July cattle survey mailed to producers since the reinstatement of key reports was announced earlier this year.

“This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions and plan for herd expansion or reduction,” said NASS Livestock Branch Chief Travis Averill. “It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export. Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agriculture industry.”

During the first two weeks of July, U.S. cattle producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed information. To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate in the survey, NASS offers the option of responding via the website, telephone, mail or a personal interview with a local NASS representative.

Entries open for 2025 World Forage Analysis Superbowl

Entries are being accepted for the World Forage Analysis Superbowl, which is open to all forage producers across North America. The 2025 contest, held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo, is set to award over $26,000 in cash prizes, made possible by generous award sponsors.

The deadline to submit corn silage samples is July 10, while all other entries must be submitted by Aug. 21. The $40 entry fee provides entry into the contest along with a detailed sample analysis that is sent to entrants after judging is complete. Entry forms are available online.

All award winners will be recognized at the Forage Superbowl Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

FFAR research aims to protect dairy cattle against H5N1

Together, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Purdue University are investing $301,562 into a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to develop an H5N1 vaccine for dairy cows.

While HPAI or H5N1 does not have high mortality rates in dairy cows, the infection causes decreases milk production and milk quality, causing significant economic losses for farmers. The recent detection of H5N1 in humans, dairy cows and nontraditional host birds indicates that this virus poses new threats to other non-avian species.

Researchers, led by Dr. Suresh Mittal, distinguished professor of virology at Purdue University, are using knowledge gained from prior work on influenza A viruses and a bovine adenoviral vaccine platform to develop a universal influenza vaccine for cows that is expected to be effective against further viral mutations. They will then explore the most effective route of delivery for the vaccine, investigating both intranasal – via the nose – and intramuscular – via the muscle tissue – administration routes. The work will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Rafael Neves, associate professor of food animal production medicine, and Dr. Ekramy Sayedahmed, assistant professor of poultry medicine at Purdue University.

Legislation reintroduced to support organic dairy farmers

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congressman Tony Wied (R-Wisconsin) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (R-New York) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to support organic dairy farmers across the country. The Organic Dairy Data Collection Act would enhance data collection at the USDA to better understand the costs associated with producing organic milk.

“Organic dairy farmers across the country are continuing to grapple with volatile markets, persistent inflation and unfair trade practices that drive up costs and squeeze already-thin margins. Without targeted action, we risk more farm closures, weakened regional food systems and fewer organic choices for consumers,” Pingree said.

“As Congress works to reauthorize the farm bill, I’m fighting to make sure this commonsense fix is part of a broader effort to strengthen the organic sector and ensure it remains a resilient and competitive part of our food system,” she added.

The bipartisan Organic Dairy Data Collection Act:

  • Directs the USDA to collect and publish cost-of-production data for organic milk, including the costs of major organic feedstuffs, domestically produced or imported
  • Directs USDA NASS to gather and report monthly data about the amounts that organic dairy farmers are being paid for organic milk
  • Directs USDA NASS, the Economic Research Service (ERS) or Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to publish reports on the cost of production data by state, regional data on the quantity of organic milk production and prices

Nominations open for farmers to serve on FSA county committees

Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2025 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1.

Elections for committee members will occur in certain local administrative areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multicounty jurisdiction and may include LAAs that are focused on an urban or suburban area.

Producers interested in serving on the FSA county committee can locate their LAA through a geographic information system locator tool and determine if their LAA is up for election by contacting their local FSA office.

Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. The USDA encourages all eligible producers to nominate, vote and hold office.