Lawyers are asking a federal judge to combine multiple lawsuits against milk distributor Fairlife and the owners of a northern Indiana dairy farm into a single class-action suit.

Indiana regulators have a granted a key permit for an organic dairy farm that could become home to more than 4,000 cows in Newton County.

Congress still has to approve the deal and industry experts say securing new markets will take time.

When Dean Foods decided last month to end procurement contracts with 27 of its 28 Hoosier farmers, dairy experts worried about the ramifications. Some farmers were lucky enough to find new markets for their milk, but others were not

The contracts were canceled, in part, because Dean Foods lost a deal with Walmart, which means it doesn't need to buy as much milk from producers.