Read a 17-page speech written by USDA staff, or speak from the heart? U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue endeared himself to farmers and other ag leaders when he chose the latter during a town hall meeting at a Nevada-area farm on May 5.

"You don't forget the sights, smells and sounds of the farm," said Perdue, who recalled the feel of an "old slimy Holstein tongue" as he described his years growing up on a dairy and diversified row-crop farm near Bonaire, Georgia. "My heart is in agriculture, and I'm proud to be called an agriculturist."    Read more

With the onset of the Trump Administration, cold winds are blowing through the international trade policy arena. The U.S. withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership, a twelve nation trade pact nearing completion, and President Trump is talking about renegotiating NAFTA, the trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Most farmers and rural areas voted for President Trump over Hillary Clinton, but now they are hoping that he drops most of his threats about trade and resumes the post-war trend of ever-freer and ever-growing international trade flows.  The reason farmers and rural regions support trade is simple, U.S. agriculture is a winner in the trade arena.

How important is trade to agriculture? Listen to Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Trade is critical to the livelihood of the U.S. agricultural sector because it spurs economic growth for our farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. The fact is, 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States and more than 20 percent of U.S. farm income is based on exports. Agriculture supports jobs in the food and agricultural industries and beyond." Read more

DALLAS  - The Dean Foods Co. has taken a minority stake in Good Karma Foods and entered into a distribution arrangement with the company. Good Karma Foods is a manufacturer of flaxseed-based milk alternatives in such formats as yogurts and beverages.

"We love Good Karma as a fit for Dean Foods as we focus on diversification both within and beyond dairy," said Ralph Scozzafava, chief executive officer of Dean Foods. "This opportunity with Good Karma is a way for us to build a platform for a larger plant-based portfolio. The management team has deep category expertise, the brand is a disruptor in the plant-based, non-dairy space, and we believe we can support its growth."

The investment and distribution agreement will allow Good Karma to expand more quickly in the U.S. as well as help company management increase investments in brand building and product development, according to Dean Foods.    Read More  

America's dairy processors are planning to develop an average of seven new products in the next 12 months. While most say this is no different than in past years, 47% said this represents an increase, according to an exclusive new survey by Dairy Foods. (The median number of new products planned is five.)

Most (71%) of the dairy processors we surveyed plan to increase their spending on ingredients in 2018. A majority say they will spend more on non-GMO (56%), natural/organic (53%) and organic-certified (52%) ingredients.

As they develop cheeses, yogurts, milks and other dairy foods and beverages, dairy processors will need flavors and sweeteners, among other ingredients, that meet consumer needs. Dairy processors say the top attributes in a dairy product are healthy, natural, convenience and high protein.     Read More