The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board says dairy products can help people lose weight, but some nutrition experts dispute such claims, and a consumer protection lawyer says the board's claims qualify as "deceptive" under Wisconsin law.

The plan developed by Rep. Collin Peterson would replace dairy programs with new ones aimed at better protecting farmers by limited milk production when the difference between milk prices and the cost of producing it fell to a certain level.

Milk production in the dairy state jumped less than 1 percent from 2010, but that was still enough to set a new state record. The Winona Daily News says Wisconsin cows accounted for 1 out of every 8 gallons of milk in the United States. Minnesota, meanwhile, saw dairy production dip about 2 percent.

Long strenuous hours and rising operating costs can be blamed for fewer milk producers in Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports there are roughly 4,079 dairy farms in the state -- 356 fewer than in January 2011.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) says it believes the agriculture industry is behind a new campaign and media blitz urging people to donate to local animal shelters instead of funding the HSUS, which has long spoken out against conditions on factory farms. The group calling itself the Humane Society for Shelter Pets tells the Associated Press they're just trying to educate people on better ways to help local shelters.