Dr. John Newton to Keynote American Dairy Coalition Meeting by Webinar: The Road Ahead

Dr. John Newton, Vice President Public Policy and Economic Analysis for American Farm Bureau will keynote ‘The Road Ahead,’ American Dairy Coalition’s annual meeting by webinar on Thursday, Dec. 11, beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. CST. The webinar is open to all dairy farmers and dairy industry persons.

Newton will highlight top policy priorities heading into 2026 amid dairy market volatility, price formula changes, deteriorating milk price levels, milk check transparency concerns, and workforce challenges.

The annual meeting will also include updates from the offices of leaders in Washington on Ag workforce and immigration reform, Whole Milk for Healthy Kids, and what happens next with the farm bill after some reforms (including DMC) were approved earlier this year and current farm bill authority was extended in the continuing resolution.

ADC has also extended a formal invitation to the Honorable Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, or a senior member of her team, to join dairy farmers from across the country by webinar for an update from USDA. A key topic of interest to grassroots members is the 4-point USDA dairy action plan mentioned recently in press reports as farm-level milk margins deteriorate.

Additional program speakers and information to be announced.

To register for the webinar, scan QR code or go to qrco.de/ADC_Dec_11

A zoom link will be emailed to registrants, along with information about how to submit questions.

About the Keynote Speaker: Dr. John Newton recently returned to American Farm Bureau, where he leads the organization’s government relations, advocacy, and economics teams and serves as chief economist.

Previously he was executive head of Terrain, a research-focused team partnering with Farm Credit through in-depth food, agriculture, and macroeconomic analysis. From 2021-24, he served as the Republican chief economist for the U.S. Senate Ag Committee and held multiple roles at AFBF from 2016-2021, including chief economist.

Newton’s career spans more than two decades of service to agriculture, with key positions at USDA, including positions with a milk market administrator’s office early in his career.

Note to industry: ADC seeks vendor sponsors for this annual event. By supporting programs like this, companies help amplify their dairy farmer customers’ voice in Washington on a host of current issues they face. Sponsors receive recognition and visibility among grassroots dairy farmers and key policy influencers. To learn about available sponsorship opportunities or for other questions, contact Sue Schultz at 920-288-2322 or email