So there I was, sitting at a table suspended 100 feet in the air over Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, with several dairy producers and industry representatives having dinner. We had just completed three days of management training at PDP’s Managers Academy. As we took a mental break, we enjoyed the company of those who we had met just 60 hours before.

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.

In the news affecting a dairy producer's bottom line the first week of February 2026: Agriculture groups join forces for USMCA renewal, farmer sentiment drops sharply, the GDT index takes another big jump, and the annual “Plant a Seed” campaign is now open.

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.

In the news affecting a dairy producer's bottom line the third week of January 2026: February Class I base milk price hits 68-month low, fluid milk sales were down 1.8% in November, the GDT index is higher again, and a reminder to sign up for the Milk Loss Program and HPAI biosecurity webinars.