Lawmakers are revisiting the issue of whole milk in schools

Ag lawmakers have been fighting for years to keep whole milk in school cafeterias, and now, they are getting ready to hear all sides of the argument.

For more than a decade, Congress has prevented U.S. public schools from serving whole milk to students. However, parents, doctors, and the dairy community are now pushing back, and Congress says it will listen.

Tomorrow morning, Senate Ag Committee leadership will hold a hearing on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which is a bill that has been around in different versions over the years, and would allow schools in the national school lunch program to serve reduced or low fat milk, including flavored varieties. Several groups will testify including USDA, as well as a number of school district leaders from around the country.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

As economic pressures continue to squeeze agriculture, ag lenders are signaling a more cautious outlook for farm profitability heading into next year, particularly among grain producers facing lower commodity prices and higher operating costs.
Longtime MLF pro angler Fred “Boom Boom” Roumbanis shares how he and Jeff Sprague of Team YETI are preparing for the Team Series Summit Cup.
USDA released the November WASDE Report on Friday, the first supply-and-demand estimate to drop since September, just before the 43-day government shutdown.
U.S. Trade officials announced new deals with El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Argentina, as well as a steep reduction in tariffs on Swiss imports.
China’s cost advantage with Brazilian soybeans and vague public messaging leave U.S. export prospects uncertain heading into winter.
Expanded aerial capacity strengthens the U.S.–Mexico buffer against screwworm, providing cattle producers with stronger protection heading into winter and reducing risk to herds along the southern tier.