The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association is sounding the alarm on federal funding freezes.
The group wrote a letter to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins asking for the immediate release of the funding for previously promised Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives.
The freezes stopped the spending of nearly $30 million at 420 dairy businesses across the country. That includes Hidden Springs Creamery, which was counting on those funds for a new $90,000 freezer that is getting installed.
According to Hidden Springs Creamery’s Travis Forgues, “We also have to pay for it all upfront before you get reimbursed. So, they’re pouring it as we speak. Like, the process of this going on has me now responsible for the $90,000 that I was, in the business plan, planning on being paid back for. I just have a very hard time believing the federal government’s going to default on its own agreements, long-term, but it is a shocking situation when, out of the blue, we get a phone call while the concrete is pouring for projects that we’ve been approved on that they’re no going to pay— that they’re freezing the funds.”
Forgues says that he also has a loan through USDA’s REAP program for a solar array that came online in January. He says that funding for that has also stopped.
In a post to social media, Trump said Venezuela will buy American agriculture products and will use the money from oil sales to make it happen.
January 08, 2026 11:51 AM
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Federal nutrition policy is signaling a stronger demand for whole foods produced by U.S. farmers and ranchers. Consumer-facing guidance favors animal protein, but institutional demand may change little under existing saturated fat limits.
January 08, 2026 11:42 AM
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University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us to share insights on building healthy habits and improving rural health in the year ahead.
January 07, 2026 02:16 PM
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Dr. Rosslyn Biggs with the Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine shares insight into biosecurity, preparedness, and animal health concerns facing livestock producers as New World screwworm outbreaks continue in Mexico.
January 07, 2026 12:57 PM
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Tennessee Rep. John Rose joined us to pay tribute to his friend and colleague, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a true Champion of Rural America.
January 07, 2026 12:20 PM
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.
January 07, 2026 11:55 AM
