Washington May Be Stuck, But We Don’t Have To Be

Nov 06, 2025

Despite the legislative branch grinding to a halt this October, it hasn’t impaired NMPF’s ability to make progress for dairy farmers. For all you may read about Washington at an impasse, October was not a month of rest at the National Milk Producers Federation.

Some highlights:

Trade talks worldwide continue full-steam-ahead, with a fully staffed Office of the U.S. Trade Representative working on agreements that have significant implications for dairy. New framework trade agreements announced with Asian nations including Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam are a big win for the industry. And last week NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council followed that by filing extensive comments as part of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) request for global trade barriers for its 2026 National Trade Estimate report.

In them we spotlight dairy trade irritants in 34 different markets, including regional blocs like the European Union and parties to the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. Several key issues cited include Canada’s refusal to comply with its dairy commitments under USMCA; dairy facility registration challenges across various markets; and the European Union’s long list of trade-distorting measures, which range from certification requirements to the abuse of geographical indications to monopolize common names like “parmesan.”

Also on trade, NMPF and USDEC on Friday submitted comments to USTR on its upcoming USMCA 2026 joint review, calling for Canada and Mexico both to uphold their dairy-related obligations in the agreement. That includes addressing Canada’s evasion of its market access commitments and Mexico’s need to fully implement USMCA side letters pertaining to the protection of common cheese names.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.