JANESVILLE, Wisconsin
Galasys turns dairy byproducts into a healthy sugar substitute
Galasys is the winner of the advanced manufacturing category at the Wisconsin Technology Council’s 2025 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. The Janesville-based company designed a process that turns whey into a low-calorie sweetener with properties similar to traditional table sugar, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
The substitute Galasys creates is called tagatose. It has 63 percent fewer calories than sugar and a 95 percent lower glycemic index, according to co-founder Jarryd Featherman. It also has prebiotic properties. At the same time, it has a very similar taste and many of the same properties as sugar and can be used in a wide variety of food applications, including baking.
Currently, Galasys plans to sell the technology to dairy producers, who will in turn sell tagatose to manufacturers of high-sugar foods like confections, baked goods and ice cream.
WASHINGTON
Trump: Administration is working on a ‘temporary pass’ for immigrants
President Donald Trump said in an interview on Fox News that the administration is working to develop a temporary pass for immigrants who work in certain industries, which would mark the latest shift in the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement for farmworkers, NBC News reported.
“We’re working on it right now. We’re going to work it so that some kind of a temporary pass where people pay taxes, where the farmer can have a little control, as opposed to you walk in and take everybody away,” Trump said in an interview that was taped Friday and aired Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
WASHINGTON
USDA’s planted acreage report: More corn, fewer soybeans
The USDA’s Planted Acreage Report released on June 30th shows more corn and fewer soybeans and wheat acres.
Corn planted area is estimated at 95.2 million acres in 2025, up by five percent or 4.61 million acres from 2024. That’s the third-highest planted acres in the U.S. since 1944. The area harvested for grain is expected to be five percent higher than last year at 86.8 million acres. Soybean planted area for 2025 is estimated at 83.4 million acres, down four percent from last year, Hoosier Ag Today reported.
The USDA’s Grain Stocks Report, which was also released on June 30th, shows less corn and more soybeans and wheat in storage.
MADISON, Wisconsin
USDA provides free RFID official ID tags for Wisconsin cattle
Wisconsin is again accepting orders for no cost 840 radio frequency identification (RFID) official identification tags provided by USDA. Currently, there is a limited supply of these tags, and they are anticipated to be available until September 30, 2025, or while supplies last. In Wisconsin, these tags are available for markets and dealers, directly to producers, and to veterinarians for use with their clients’ animals, and are intended for use in cattle and bison only.
Tags can be ordered in multiples of 1,000. Currently, there is a 5,000-tag limit per order due to limited supply. Additional details are available online: DATCP Home Official ID & Traceability.
ARLINGTON, Virginia
Texas becomes seventh state to ban lab-grown meat
Texas is now the seventh U.S. state to ban lab-grown meat. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB261, which will go into effect in September. Texas joins Indiana, Nebraska, Montana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida in enacting a ban.
“The lab-grown meat sector will continue to face headwinds as consumers and lawmakers learn more about the the lack of long-term health studies and use of ‘immortalized cells’” said Jack Hubbard, executive director of the Center for the Environment and Welfare.
Supporters often claim that lab-grown meat is more sustainable than traditional, farm-raised meat products. However, researchers at UC Davis believe lab-grown meat could have 25 times the environmental impact of farm-raised meat.
CHADRON, Nebraska
Rancher charged with deaths of 56 cows and a puppy
A Nebraska rancher was charged with dozens of felonies in connection to the deaths of 56 cows and a puppy. Dillon McGannon, 29, appeared in court Wednesday for his May 28 arrest, WMTV 15 News reported.
According to court documents, McGannon allegedly shot a woman’s puppy and sent images of it with threatening messages to her. After the arrest, Dawes County deputies were contacted on May 30 by a neighbor who said McGannon had a pen with dozens of dead cattle in it.
The neighbor told deputies that McGannon asked him to bring some cattle to a sale barn on March 28, but a snowstorm prevented him from shipping the rounded-up cattle. Officials believe McGannon then left the cattle in the pens without feeding them.
CHICAGO, Illinois
USDA announces phased reopening of Mexican cattle imports after screwworm closure
The USDA announced on Monday a phased reopening of cattle, bison and equine imports from Mexico following a prolonged closure over the damaging pest New World screwworm.
Ports will reopen in phases as early as July 7, beginning with Douglas, Arizona, which the USDA said is the lowest risk entry point due to its location and the “long history of effective collaboration” between officials in Sonora and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The southern U.S. border was closed to imports of the animals on May 11 after screwworm, a species of fly that has been eradicated in the U.S. for decades, had been moving northward in Mexico. Additional ports in New Mexico and Texas may be reopened in coming weeks.
The pest can infest livestock and wildlife and carry maggots that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage.
FORT ATKINSON, Wisconsin
Dairy is the busiest aisle in grocery store
Dairy is the largest aisle in the grocery store and sold $77.8 billion worth of products last year, according to Circana sales data. Over the last four years, the aisle has grown, on average, 5.8% annually. This dollar amount is only for traditional dairy products and cheese snacks, and does not include plant-based products or eggs. The dairy category tops the list over alcohol, snacks, carbonated soft drinks, and candy, Hoard Dairyman reported.dards including requiring employers to provide training, water and more break as temperatures rise. The future of the proposal is unclear.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin State Farmer: Ag Briefs: Janesville, Wisconsin firm designes process turning whey into lo-cal sweetener
Reporting by Colleen Kottke, Wisconsin State Farmer / Wisconsin State Farmer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
