Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Region 3 Organization Director Chanin Rotz-Mountz toasts her pint of whole chocolate milk with Tanner Nagle, 6, son of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Vice President Tommy Nagle of Patton, during a whole milk promotion event at Vale Wood Farms, Loretto, on Friday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

LORETTO — It was only 12 business days after President Donald Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law in January that Vale Wood Farms was able to get whole milk back into the Hollidaysburg Area School District’s lunch offerings, said Betsy Snyder, the district’s food service director.

The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep Glenn Thompson, R-15th District, initially allowed school districts to offer 2% and whole milk during school lunches for the first time in over a decade, said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Vice President Tommy Nagle.

However, it was recently clarified to include breakfast, too, Snyder said, adding breakfast is the “perfect place” for whole milk to be offered because students don’t take time to eat a lot in the morning.

“I’m really excited that it got passed this past week,” Snyder said of the breakfast clarification. “Every bite and every sip counts, so I think (breakfast is) the better place for whole milk.”

When the bill was signed by Trump, Snyder reportedly told Carissa Itle Westrick, the farm’s business development director, “this isn’t going to happen anytime soon. It’s going to take a while.”

Snyder said she was surprised by how wrong she was, noting both Vale Wood Farms and Ritchey’s Dairy had their whole milk products in the schools for the first week in February.

According to Snyder, Hollidaysburg Area serves 3,000 meals per day, with 60% of students buying lunch at school and 35% buying breakfast.

Of those students, 85% to 90% of them choose milk with their meals, Snyder said, noting 80% drink chocolate milk. Half of the remaining 5% to 10% who chose 1% milk have switched to whole milk, she said.

“We’re making it work. It’s happening,” Snyder said to a group of local officials and farm bureau members during an event Friday afternoon.

Nagle said the bill was “a huge step forward” for Pennsylvania dairy farmers. However, there’s still much more work to do, he said, noting many school districts across the commonwealth are currently reviewing their food service contracts for the 2026-27 academic year.

“It’s incredibly important that school districts across the state make the decision to offer whole milk at our school cafeterias again,” Nagle said, adding whole milk is a “naturally nutrient-rich beverage that provides 13 essential vitamins and minerals along with one gram of protein per ounce.”

Those nutrients play “a vital role” in supporting strong bones, healthy immune systems and giving students the energy they need to stay focused throughout the school year, Nagle said.

“Full milk contains higher levels of fat that are important for brain development and can provide sustained energy and growth for our children,” he said. “Offering a variety of milk options allows families and students to make the choices that best meet their nutritional needs.”

It also strengthens the demand for locally produced dairy products and supports family farms, like Vale Wood Farms, Nagle said, encouraging dairy farmers across the state to ask their local school boards to put 2% and whole milk back on their menus.

Cambria County Farm Bureau President Marty Yahner said that’s something Cambria Heights School District has already done.

“He (Superintendent Ken Kerchenske) wanted me to tell you all that Cambria Heights did start making it available for breakfast and lunch in all three buildings,” Yahner said. “It was easy to get this done.”

Itle Westrick said Vale Wood Farms is excited about the opportunity to provide school districts with more choice in their dairy aisles.

“That’s what it comes down to,” she said. “We want students to have a really great experience with cold and flavorful milk at a school lunch because that’s where they’re going to learn to add milk to their meals and become dairy consumers for life.”

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.