NEW ULM, Minnesota — The USDA whey price forecast went up and dairy farmer Dennis Kral’s son took it as a signal to bring home a matte black tub of protein powder. Garrett cracked the lid, held up a small plastic scoop and told his father he was prepared to sell it for $59.99. Dennis had a list of questions, beginning with whether Garrett had included his father’s cost of getting up early.
Garrett told him the powder was a product for athletes. Dennis said he understood the concept. He’d been carrying bags of feed since before Garrett could carry a balanced lunch and could probably still get the sliding door closed in a crosswind.
The USDA Whey Price Forecast Gets a Look From the Farm
Cheese Reporter’s coverage of USDA’s November dairy forecasts noted an increase in USDA’s price projections for dry whey, among other changes in the November supply and demand estimates. Whey is the liquid left after milk curdles in cheesemaking. Dry whey and whey protein products are related, and concentrated sports supplements can require additional processing and formulation. By the time all of that becomes a retail tub, the price also has to pay for packaging, distribution, advertising and the considerable expense of persuading somebody to put “vanilla” next to an illustration of lightning.
Dennis asked if he could have a bag without the tub, since he had an excellent bucket right there. Garrett said he was selling a premium experience. The bucket experience, Dennis replied, offered a handle.
A Scoop of Protein Powder Meets the Milk Check
At breakfast, Dennis and Garrett set a farm milk statement next to a retail package and each picked a number to defend. Dennis wanted to know what the dairy was paid for. Garrett wanted to know what one serving cost. Dennis’s wife, Cora, said those were sensible questions with different answers. For shoppers comparing powders, the servings per container and grams of protein per serving tell more about value than a large tub does. For the farm, the dry whey forecast offers market context, while the milk statement shows the payment actually coming in.
Cora said she was happy to look at the numbers further if she could see where the family’s investment in feeding Garrett during high school had been recorded. Garrett concluded that it might not have been fully depreciated. Dennis said he still had several of the shopping receipts. Suddenly it was everybody’s favorite idea to go check on the cows.
Garrett left the tub on the counter when he drove into town. Dennis read the suggested servings and calculated enough to make it clear that one scoop cost more than his old thermos. Before supper he asked Garrett if the proposal came with a farmer discount. Garrett said the best he could do was $49.99 if Dennis was prepared to give up the scoop. Dennis said that was fine. He had a clean soup spoon and had been waiting years to see what it was worth.
Garrett’s first sale remains pending. Dennis demanded to see the invoice before allowing anyone to customize the scoop.
Last Updated on November 15, 2026 by Alan Nafzger