The Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Glenn GT Thompson from Pennsylvania gives a one-on-one update on the farm bill while at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, October 1. Thompson also spoke with Larry Lee from the Mid-West Farm Report about labor legislation, the new Whole Milk for Healthy Kids law, mandatory cost of reporting, and checkoff programs.
LISTEN to Larry Lee’s one-on-one interview with House Ag Committee Chair Thompson here:
U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson is demanding federal regulators step up after a Chinese novelty “ice cream” containing no dairy—and linked to heavy metal warnings—was found in Wisconsin grocery stores.
A complaint filed with the State of Wisconsin was recently forwarded to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The imported treat relies on water as its primary ingredient, contains no actual dairy, and comes with a warning label for arsenic and heavy metals.
Speaking at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Thompson urged the FDA to stop such hazardous imitation products from reaching U.S. store shelves.
“The FDA needs to do their job,” Thompson said.
Expanding Whole Milk in Schools
The food safety concern comes as Thompson continues pushing to get whole milk back into school cafeterias. While Congress passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act after a 15-year campaign, Thompson warned the fight is far from over.
Many school districts still struggle to source full-fat dairy or afford the added costs. To address this, Thompson introduced new legislation offering schools grants for bulk milk dispensers. The effort aims to lower packaging expenses, reduce food waste, and support local agricultural communities.
What’s Next in Washington?
Congressman Glenn GT Thompson tells the Mid-West Farm Report he’s expecting some important bills to move during the upcoming lame duck session, including the farm bill. He’s also hoping for passage of the Securing Agricultural Workforce Act, a labor bill he helped craft to address the problems farmers faced with the labor shortage and the previous administration’s wage rules. Thompson says the H-2A program doesn’t work well for the dairy industry, and the SAWA bill would take care of that while helping stabilize the farm workforce and make many existing workers legal within three years without amnesty or citizenship.
Thompson says high input and operating costs are a real issue for farmers, and he is optimistic that fuel prices will come down now that the Strait of Hormuz is open and some key infrastructure in the Middle East is functioning again, including a Saudi Arabian pipeline.
Thompson spoke to the Mid-West Farm Report during the recent World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
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