**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE COMPLEX MELTING CHARACTERISTICS OF BUTTER ARE IMPORTANT TO ITS VERSATILITY AND KEY TO PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BUTTER AND OTHER HIGH FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS. MILK FATTY ACID PROFILE HAS AN IMPACT ON THE SPREADABILITY OF BUTTER AND RECENT CONTROVERSIES HAVE PROPOSED THAT DIETS FED TO DAIRY COWS MAY BE IMPACTING BUTTER PROPERTIES IN A NEGATIVE WAY. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT SOME DIETS THAT ARE COMMONLY FED TO DAIRY COWS THAT CHANGE MILK FATTY ACID PROFILE IMPACT THE MELTING CHARACTERISTICS OF MILK FAT. WE WILL USE MILK FAT FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTS THAT CAUSED CHANGES IN MILK FATTY ACID PROFILE AND VALIDATE THESE RESPONSES IN BUTTER. OUR UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE TEAM WILL ALSO DELIVER THE FINDINGS THROUGH A DIVERSE SET OF EXTENSION ACTIVITIES. OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF BUTTER AND MILK FAT PRODUCTS BY BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COW MANAGEMENT AND FINISHED PRODUCTS AND EDUCATE DAIRY PRODUCERS AND NUTRITIONISTS, MILK PROCESSORS, AND CONSUMERS ON KEY FACTORS IMPORTANT TO PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY DAIRY PRODUCTS.WE EXPECT THIS PROJECT WILL VASTLY EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIETS, MILK FATTY ACID PROFILE, AND MELTING PROPERTIES OF MILK FAT AND WILL DELIVER THIS INFORMATION TO BOTH PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS. THIS WILL HAVE DIRECT APPLICATION TO SOLVE A CRITICAL AND EMERGING ISSUE FOR PRODUCERS, PROCESSORS, AND CONSUMERS. WE EXPECT THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE BUTTER AND OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS WITH IDEAL PROPERTIES WILL INCREASE DEMAND FOR US DAIRY PRODUCTS BY REDUCING USE OF VEGETABLE OIL SPREADS AND IMPORTED PRODUCTS WITH MORE IDEAL PROPERTIES.