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Producer says local push needed to support whole milk law

A Wisconsin dairy farmer says the task of getting whole and 2% milk back into schools now needs local support.

Mike Yager milks cows near Mineral Point, Wisconsin. He tells Brownfield now is the critical time for farmers to approach their local school boards who make milk purchasing contracts. “We’re not going to change anything for the 25-26 school year, but the 26-27 school year is being talked about already, and we really need to work on getting 2% and preferably whole milk back into schools.”

Yager says school officials should also try to have milk contracts with providers who can deliver milk in a better, kid-friendly container. “You see the little eight-ounce bottles of milk that are plastic? When those containers are empty, they can be recycled. These wax paper cartons have to go into landfills.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates that bringing whole milk back into half of the school districts would raise butterfat consumption by 36 million pounds, strengthen the Class I category, and return more value to farmers.  Farm Bureau also expects local dairies without costly butterfat separators can regain access to the school meal programs.