FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026
Contact: Karen Gefvert
Chief Policy Officer
(608) 617-2772 | kgefvert@voiceofmilk.com
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative encouraged by House passage of farm bill
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, the second largest dairy cooperative in the country based on milk volume, applauds the passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 in the U.S. House today. The bill passed on a bipartisan vote of 224 to 200.
“We’re encouraged by the timely action on the farm bill by the House,” Heidi Fischer, president of the Edge board, said. “Farmers have long awaited a comprehensive farm bill to be passed, and this is a step in that direction. Updated farm bill legislation is more important than ever to provide certainty for farmers during these challenging economic times.”
The bill includes the extension of the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, a policy priority for Edge advocacy efforts with the House Ag Committee. Other key provisions include:
- Extension of the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program
- Authorization of long-term dairy product processing cost surveys
- Support for voluntary, producer-led conservation programs
- Establishment of a long-term policy directive for the U.S. government to proactively negotiate protections for common cheese names
- Ensuring that export promotion funding that initially passed last year under OBBBA went into existing farm bill programs, including the Market Access Program
- Expansion of the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program to include all forms of fluid milk, certain hard cheeses and low added sugar yogurt
With passage by the House, the next step will be action by the Senate.
“For dairy farmers, the farm bill remains the foundation of federal dairy policy, and swift Senate action to advance the bill is a critical step toward providing farmers the certainty and stability they need amid ongoing market uncertainty,” Fischer said.
For more information about Edge and its policy priorities, visit www.edgedairy.com
Images:
Edge logo
Heidi Fischer photo
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, Texas, Florida and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.edgedairy.com.
