By now, the dust has settled on the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) changes and it is possible to look back on their direct impacts.

In dairy-related news the last week of February 2026: OSHA fines three companies after six deaths at Colorado dairy farm, the USDA opens its enrollment period for Farmer Bridge Assistance payments, a new U.S.-Indonesia agreement secures access to critical dairy market, and the U.S. dairy community announces the launch of the Latin American Dairy Nutrition Congress.

With 315 filings, farm bankruptcies were up 46% from 2024. Declining farm receipts and rising expenses, primarily in crop markets, led to an increase in the number of U.S. farms filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2025.

On Feb. 13, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture released the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026.

In dairy-related news the second week of February 2026: The USDA opened enrollment for CRP programs, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy elects new board executive committee, U.S. and Argentina trade agreement includes dairy, and the DCHA opens registration for its annual conference and trade show.

USDA WASDE raised 2026 milk production and prices, increased beef output and fed cattle prices, and projected steady corn, soybean and cottonseed prices.

In the news related to dairy farming as we begin February 2026: IDFA holds annual Dairy Forum, USDA shifts sterile fly dispersal efforts to defend U.S. border, CoBank: Dairy poised to help meet consumers growing demand for protein, and several awards were given across the industry.

Both feed costs and the milk price fell month over month for a DMC margin of $9.42 per hundredweight (cwt), triggering the first and only payment in 2025.

Anaerobic digesters have reshaped the dairy industry, providing a sustainable solution for manure handling and an alternative energy source for U.S. households. For the relatively small portion of those projects that receive funding through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), that momentum now faces a temporary pause.