FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 14, 2026
Contact: Laura Hensley
Chief Marketing Officer
(517) 652-4524 | lhensley@voiceofmilk.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, the second largest dairy cooperative in the country based on milk volume, applauds the signing of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S. 222) into law. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law this afternoon.
Edge member Jamie Witcpalek, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy was at the White House for the signing of this important bill. Edge members, along with many other dairy farmers, have worked on the passage of this legislation for several years
The new law returns whole milk as an option for schools and expands additional beverage options, including 2% flavored and unflavored milk.
The Act was the result of more than a decade long effort to advance this initiative. The effort was possible because of bipartisan support in both the Senate and House and championed by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA). U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Peter Welch (D-VT) were also instrumental in the passage of the bill.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act provides schools with a variety of fluid milk options, which can now include flavored and unflavored organic or conventional whole, 2%, 1%, skim and lactose-free milk. Additionally, the bill exempts milk fat from consideration of schools’ allowable saturated fat content requirements per meal, which will help school nutrition directors include whole and 2% milk options in their meal planning. It also allows parents to request that schools provide a lactose-free milk or nutritionally equivalent non-dairy option for their child.
“This is a significant achievement for Edge and the entire dairy industry,” Fischer said. “We have been advocating for this change since 2012 when federal nutrition rules took whole milk and 2% milk out of the school meals program.”
For more information about Edge and its policy priorities, visit www.edgedairy.com.
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About Edge:
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative provides dairy farmers throughout the Midwest with a powerful voice — the voice of milk — in Congress, with customers and within their communities. Edge, based in Green Bay, Wis., is one of the top cooperatives in the country based on milk volume. Member farms are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.edgedairy.com.
