8 January 2026

Headlines

• Georgia Milk Producers Releases Conference Speakers Lineup
• Whole Milk Win Points the Way Forward
• Key Dairy Developments that Shaped the Industry in 2025
• New World Screwworm found in Newborn Calf 197 Miles from Texas Border
• Deportations are Set to Explode - A Huge Worry for Farmers Already Facing a Labor Shortage
• Are Things Looking Up for Dairy? 
• Analysis: Checkoff Investment Delivers Notable Impact
• Secretary Rollins Announces New Slate of Political Appointments to USDA
• Panelist Discuss Demand for Proteins, Industry Expansion
• Santa’s Dairy Consumption is Significant
• Pesticide Provision Stripped from Appropriations Bill
• USDA Announces Dr. Justin Benavidez as Chief Economist
• Whole Milk in Schools Becoming Law, and Dairy Celebrates
• Global Dairy Price Increases Might Help U.S. Producers
• Preparing Dairies for the Return of New World Screwworm

Reminder: The 2026 Georgia Dairy Conference is Almost Here!

The 2026 Georgia Dairy Conference is 11 days away! We are looking forward to seeing many of you in Savannah on January 19th-21st. However if you haven't registered yet, it's not too late! If you are a GMP member and would like to register CLICK HERE to register for free. We also still have space available for out of state dairy producers and industry guests. You can register now at THIS LINK.

Kennedy Reveals 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

On January 7th, the Department of Health and Human Services released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) serve as the nation’s nutrition guidelines for the next five years, directly impacting the regulations on meals in the military, school lunch programs, feeding programs such as SNAP and WIC, and other federal health and wellness programs. The DGAs are created in partnership between multiple federal agencies and a board of representatives appointed by various cabinet secretaries including the Secretaries of HHS and Agriculture. This version of the DGAs is the largest reset to federal nutrition policy in decades. After years of federal nutrition policy recommending Americans limit intake of full fat dairy products and certain proteins, the 2026 guidelines have reversed course and recommended the consumption of “real food” over highly processed foods.

Perhaps the most significant change between these DGAs and prior versions is the length of the guidelines themselves and the redesign of the traditional food pyramid. Dairy is prominently represented, suggesting that the average person on a 2,000 calorie diet consumes 3 servings of full-fat dairy per day. Dairy is also well represented in the food pyramid stressing the importance of consuming "Protein, Dairy, & Healthy Fats.” The length of the recommendations was trimmed down from a 190+ page document in 2020 to just 5 pages of guidance today.

Wednesday’s release was well received among livestock and dairy groups. The National Milk Producers Federation released a statement explaining the benefits of these new changes and how this impacts the dairy industry going forward. International Dairy Foods Association President Michael Dykes said in a statement, “The new Dietary Guidelines send a clear and powerful message to Americans: dairy foods belong at the center of a healthy diet.” The proposed changes are encouraging for the dairy industry as consumer trends point to an increased interest in animal-based fats and proteins. For years, the DGAs' recommendations on dairy consumption focused solely on low-fat or no-fat options. The change in dairy recommendations comes after years of scientific research that suggests full-fat dairy foods are not the drivers of cardiovascular and weight-related health challenges they were perceived to be. "It's pretty clear that overall milk and cheese and yogurt can be part of a healthy diet...what's quite interesting is that the fat content doesn't seem to make a big difference" says Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University. 

Moving forward these guidelines could lead to increases in dairy consumption across the board as consumers and those participating in the federal meal programs anchored to the DGAs have the options of consuming a wider range of dairy products at multiple fat levels. The changes will take time to filter their way down to the consumer level as agencies such as USDA must now adopt their own standards and rules based on the DGAs and grant time for schools and state and local governments to comply with the new standards. One item of note is the dairy category does include more non-dairy options called "fortified dairy alternatives." Previously only fortified soy was considered a substitute for dairy in the DGAs. NMF stated of the change in acceptable alternatives, "in a practical sense, expanding the dairy food group to include additional plant-based alternative beverages is unlikely to change consumption patterns, as the cost of reformulating niche products to roughly match dairy nutrition makes it unlikely that many plant-based beverage manufacturers will attempt to be included in federal programs at any meaningful level.” 

For further readings, see below. 

• NBC News: RFK Jr. Rolls Out New Dietary Guidelines Back More Protein and Full-Fat Dairy
• USDA Press Release: Kennedy and Rollins Unveil Historic Reset to US Nutrition Policy
• NMPF Statement: HHS, USDA Release 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines
• US Dietary Guidelines Webpage: Realfood.gov
• HHS Press Release: Kennedy, Rollins Unveil Historic Reset of U.S. Nutrition Policy
• New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm
• New Dietary Guidelines Elevate Protein and Dairy, Raise Concerns for Soy and Oilseed Groups

What's Going on at GDC 2026

The Georgia Dairy Conference will be an eventful three days. We are looking forward to seeing our GA dairy farmers, friends in industry, and out of state farmers in Savannah. Read below for an overview of what will be going on at the conference. To view the full agenda, visit our website here.

Pre-Conference Symposium

The Pre-Conference Symposium will take place on Monday, January 19th at 9:30 AM in the general meeting room. We invite all of our farmers and guests to attend this educational opportunity, sponsored by our friends at FerAppease, Alta Genetics, Agrarian Solutions, and Agri-Services Agency. This year's topic of What's New and What's Next in the Dairy Industry will focus on new technology and services that are driving the dairy industry forward. Be sure to stop by the symposium to hear from our outstanding lineup of speakers.

GMP Membership Meetings

We will have three business meetings for GMP Board of Directors and GMP members. The Agricultural Commodity Commission for Milk will be meeting at 7:00 AM on Monday, January 19th for their bi-annual commission meeting. Chairman James Coble would like to invite all Georgia dairy farmers to attend. Second, the Georgia Milk Producers Board of Directors will meet at 8:00 AM on Monday morning (the 19th). All GMP members are invited to attend the GMP board meetings. We will have updates on ongoing GMP programs and initiatives and we will hear updates from several of our friends in industry. If you plan on attending either board meeting, please RSVP to bryce@gamilk.org so we can ensure there is enough seating for everyone. Third, at 3:30 PM we will have a brief GMP membership meeting before our second general session seminar. Per our GMP bylaws, the membership must vote on statewide directors to serve on the GMP board for another two years.

Dairy Wives Event

At the dairy wives event, sponsored by The Dairy Alliance, attendees will enjoy breakfast and hear from Katie Hammock, also known as “The Dairy Wife”. Katie is married to a dairy farmer in Virginia and is also a trauma nurse in the Emergency Room. In her presentation titled “Where Medicine Meets Agriculture,” she’ll discuss what to do in the event of a farm emergency and how you can best be prepared for when a farm accident occurs. The breakfast buffet will be available at 8:30 AM with the presentation from Katie to follow.

Spotlight Symposium on Milk Quality

On Tuesday morning during our regularly scheduled general session seminars, we will have a Spotlight Symposium on Milk Quality, bringing together some of the US dairy industry's leading experts on milk quality, mastitis treatment, and prevention. For the first time, the Georgia Dairy Conference will take a deep dive into this major production topic, bringing producers several industry leading points of view on the best practices to achieve higher milk quality, reduce dependence on antibiotics, and prevent mastitis altogether.

Other Highlights

During the general session seminars, we will have 16 nationally-renowned speakers including Barb O'Brien, Corey Geiger, and Calvin Covington presenting on a variety of topics. To learn the title of each speaker's presentation, visit the schedule on our website. On Tuesday at noon, we will have the annual Bobby Walker Awards Luncheon. We hope you'll make plans to attend the luncheon and hang around immediately after to support the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation during the live auction following the luncheon. You can also support GDYF by participating in the silent auction in the registration area starting Monday, January 19 at 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 20. Meet some of our outstanding GDYF Junior Board Members and bring your wallets to bid on our auction items. Winners will be announced at the end of Tuesday's general session.

SDBII Grant Opportunities

Check out these two grant opportunities through the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative.

1. The SDBII Farm Infrastructure Improvement Grant supports dairy producers looking to upgrade or modernize farm facilities to improve efficiency, productivity, animal comfort, and long-term sustainability.

• Examples of Eligible Projects:

1. Heat-stress mitigation & cooling upgrades
2. Milk cooling, storage & transportation improvements
3. Modernization of milk harvesting
4. Feed & forage storage/handling upgrades
5. Animal housing improvements
6. Water, waste & manure management 

• Grant Amount + Requirements:

1. Maximum award: $100,000
2. Required match: 25% cash match of the requested funds

1. The SDBII Precision Technology and Management Grant provides reimbursement funding to licensed dairy farms to support investments in precision technologies and management systems that improve efficiency, sustainability, and long-term profitability.

• What this grant supports:

1. Improving animal health, well-being, performance
2. Enhancing labor efficiency
3. Reducing energy costs or environmental impacts

• Examples of Eligible Projects:

1. Wearable cow-monitoring systems
2. GPS-enabled technologies for planting, harvesting, or manure application
3. Virtual fencing systems
4. Technology-driven feed, forage, or pasture management tools

• Grant Amount + Requirements:

1. Maximum award: $150,000
2. Required cash match: 25% of the requested grant funds

The application deadline is March 4, 2026. You can read more about the grants and review all the program rules at sdbii.tennessee.edu.

Grant Writing Assistance for Farms

The Dairy Alliance has announced a new pilot program to assist farms in its eight-state territory who are seeking public grant funding for on-farm improvements. Under this new initiative, up to 10 farms will be eligible to receive free grant writing assistance through TDA's partnership with Lasso, a grant-writing firm specializing in working with agricultural producers. To learn more about this opportunity please contact Mekenzie Panhans with The Dairy Alliance (mpanhans@thedairyalliance.com) or Lasso at molly@joinlasso.com

Georgia Milk Producers members are still eligible for discounted grant writing services through Lasso as a continuation of the partnership that launched at the beginning of 2025. GMP members can receive a discount on grant-writing services with Lasso. You can contact Bryce Trotter at bryce@gamilk.org to learn more about GMP's partnership with Lasso.

In Memoriam: Jason Nierman

We were sad to learn of the passing of Jason Nierman, Market Administrator for the Appalachian, Florida, and Southeast Marketing Orders on Sunday, January 4 in a house fire. Jason has worked with the Southeastern dairy industry since 2004 when he first joined the Louisville Market Administrator's office. In 2022 he was named the administrator for the three Southeastern orders (F.O. 5, 6, & 7). He joined USDA AMS in 1998 right after graduating from Purdue University.

Jason is survived by his wife Lindsey, and their three children. In addition to grieving the loss of their husband and father, the Niermans' home was also destroyed in the fire. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to help them. Those who are interested in donating can do so at this link. Please keep the Nierman family in your prayers. Visitation will be Sunday, January 18 from 2:00 - 7:00 at Kraft Funeral Home in New Albany, IN and from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM on Monday, January 19 at Grace Lutheran Church in New Albany, IN. Funeral service to follow at 11:00 AM at Grace Lutheran.

GMP Classifieds

PARLOR EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Robot Dairy Selling Conventional Parlor Equipment:

• 3" lowline for double 12 parlor
• DeLaval MPCs
• pulsators
• MC30 claws with 06 shells
• MM27 Milk meters
• power supply boxes
• vertical wash vat with KOM controller.



All in good working order. Call: 706.831.7738

Want to showcase your business to dairy producers and industry professionals across the Southeast and US? Email info@gamilk.org to learn more about how you can advertise in the GMP E-News.

Calendar of Events

January 19-21 - Georgia Dairy Conference

Marriott Savannah Riverfront Hotel - Savannah, GA

February 4 - Georgia Agribusiness Council Legislative Breakfast

Georgia Freight Depot - Atlanta, GA

February 16 - February Florida Snowbirds - The 2026 Dairy Old Timer’s Breakfast

O’Brien’s Irish Pub - Brandon, FL - Register and Learn More

March 4 - Deadline for SDBII Farm Infrastructure Improvement Grant & Precision Technology and Management Grant

Until Next Time,

GMP