Researchers at UC Davis have found a new, safe way to treat dairy manure for use as a high quality, organic liquid fertilizer on fresh produce crops. Watch this interview with Ruihong Zhang from UC Davis as she shares the results of their studies and read more in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
Watch this brief interview with Dan Putnam from the UC Davis/Cooperative Extension as he shares research on some new alfalfa varieties with reduced lignin available for dairy feed growers and their yield and quality benefits. Read more in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
The market for organic milk in California and the United States has seen better days; but over the past year, increased input costs are compounding the challenges for organic dairies in the state. Watch this brief interview with Melissa Lema from Western United Dairies as she explains, and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
Enjoy this great throwback video with Ed DePeters from the Animal Science Department at UC Davis as he shares the significance of colostrum for the first few months of life of a dairy calf and successfully managing that for a healthy future. Read more about keeping calves healthy in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
The Sonoma County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce its new Executive Director, Dayna Ghirardelli.
Dayna Ghirardelli grew up in Petaluma where she was active in Tomales 4-H and Tomales FFA, showing registered and grade dairy cattle, and market lambs, participated on the parliamentary procedure team, and served several officer terms.
Dayna attended California State University, Chico where she majored in Agriculture with an Animal Industries pathway, which focused on both animal science and agricultural business.
Upon completion at Chico State, Dayna began her professional career with the UC Cooperative Extension as the Dairy Program Representative in Sonoma and Marin Counties. Dayna also spent time as a consultant to local dairy farmers, assisting them with their water quality permits/reports, and navigating organic transitions while she raised her two children, Grace (22) and Andy (20).
In 2008, Dayna began working part-time for Clover Stornetta Farms as their Producer Liaison, but that quickly turned into a full-time position where she was responsible for overseeing the efforts around animal welfare standards and compliance, milk quality, recordkeeping assistance for existing organic dairies, guidance for transitioning organic dairies, and building community relationships. Dayna eventually became the Producer Relations Manager while assisting Clover Sonoma through various transitions. The farmer-processor partnership was always at the core of every endeavor.
In 2020, Dayna joined the California Milk Advisory Board as the Director of Producer Relations, focusing on industry advocacy, dairy farmer communication and outreach, and relationships.
“The Farm Bureau is very excited to have Dayna on board as our newest Executive Director,” said Sonoma County Farm Bureau President Jennifer Beretta, “Dayna comes to the Farm Bureau with lifelong connections in the ag community and a successful career advocating for Sonoma County farmers and ranchers. We are confident that she will help us amplify our mission here at the Farm Bureau.”
Dayna is a member of the California Department of Food and Agriculture 4th District Agriculture Association (Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds and Event Center) board of directors and is currently the chairperson of Petaluma High School’s Agricultural Advisory Committee. Dayna resides in Petaluma with her husband Louie and son Andy.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced the winners of the 2022 Cal-Mex Invitational – its inaugural culinary competition to find the nation’s top recipes that incorporate Hispanic-style cheeses and dairy from California with Mexican cuisine and California flavors.
Chefs Chad Clevenger of Atlanta, Ga., Claud Beltran of Pasadena, Calif., and Marco Colin of Chicago, Ill., won $5,000 each in the cook-off finals while competing in three meal categories: Appetizer, Entrée, and Dessert. Each chef received a trophy, $5,000 cash prize and the distinction of being a Cal-Mex culinary pioneer.
The event is a new foodservice competition that celebrates Cal-Mex, an emerging trend in foodservice nationwide. Cal-Mex marries California and Mexican cuisines and spotlights recipes featuring California cheese and dairy products.
The cook-off finals, which took place at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Copia in Napa, Calif., included six professional chefs selected from a group of culinary experts from throughout the U.S. who submitted recipes in the three categories for review by the judging panel.
Three nationally recognized chefs judged the live event: Ben Diaz, Executive Chef of Leoness Cellars in Southern California; Claudette Zepeda, San Diego-based Chef and Culinary Entrepreneur; and Barbara Alexander, California-based Certified Executive Chef and Culinary Educator. The judges scored dishes in each category based on factors including taste, innovation, and creative use of Hispanic-style cheeses and dairy products made with Real California Milk.
The winning chefs and dishes for the 2022 Cal-Mex Invitational are:
Appetizer Category Winner: La Menonita en El Molcajete
Entrée Category Winner: Grilled Panela and Eggplant
Dessert Category Winner: Winter Corn
“The competition demonstrated how Hispanic-style cheeses from California can be the centerpiece for standout dishes across multiple meal parts,” said Mike Gallagher, Business and Market Development Consultant for the CMAB. “The winning recipes displayed tremendous innovation in the use of California dairy as ingredients and each chef’s take on the marriage of California and Mexican cuisine. We look forward to sharing these concepts and insights on the category with operators interested in tapping into the Cal-Mex trend.”
Competition recap videos, including the live awards ceremony for each category, can be found on the CMAB Foodservice YouTube channel. Additional details are available on the Cal-Mex Invitational site.
California leads the nation in the production of Hispanic-style cheeses, headlined by Queso Fresco, Quesadilla, Cotija, Oaxaca, and Panela. The Golden State is also the nation’s largest producer of milk, butter, ice cream, and nonfat dry milk. California milk and dairy products can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made with sustainably sourced milk from the state’s dairy farm families. California boasts an impressive lineup of award-winning cheesemakers and dairy processors that are helping to drive dining innovation.
About Real California Milk/the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs.
The Foodservice Division of the CMAB supports foodservice operators and distributors that use Real California dairy products. The CMAB offers marketing and promotional support for foodservice operators that purchase dairy products with the Real California Milk seal, which means they are made with 100 percent milk from California’s more than 1,100 family dairy farms, using some of the most sustainable dairy practices in the nation.
For more information on sourcing cheese from California, contact the foodservice team at 209.883.6455 (MILK), businessdevelopment@cmab.net or RealCaliforniaMilk.com/Foodservice, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced eight finalists in the Real California Milk Excelerator, a partnership with innovation consultancy VentureFuel. The program is focused on identifying, curating, and accelerating dairy-based products – including traditional consumer food and beverage items, textiles and beyond. The competition will award up to $500,000 in prizes for startups that introduce novel benefits and drive use of California milk and dairy in formulations.
In its fourth year, the 2022 Real California Milk Excelerator advances innovation in its truest state: open. As one of the biggest dairy competitions in the world, the program seeks early-stage applicants with high-growth potential that create a 50% cow’s milk-based product or working prototype.
“We launched the Excelerator to foster a culture of innovation in support of California dairy and this year’s contestants certainly delivered on our high expectations. Our ‘Open Innovation’ finalists’ focus on themes important to the next generation of consumers: sustainable sourcing and use of upcycled materials; clean labels and benefits from convenience to function; and global flavors and ingredients,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “It’s exciting to take the next step with each of these candidates in preparation for the final pitch event.”
The eight members of the 2022 Real California Milk Excelerator cohort are:
Dosa by DOSA (Chico, Calif.) – Indian yogurt Lassi drinks.
Board at Home (Chico, Calif.) – E-commerce company, offering an experience of artisanal crafted cheeses and products shipped directly to consumers’ homes.
Goon with the Spoon (Danville, Calif.) – Specialty super premium ice cream from hip-hop artist, entrepreneur, and chef Earl “E-40” Stevens.
Mi Terro (City of Industry, Calif.) – A first-of-its kind, venture-backed synthetic biology and advanced material company that engineers biomass waste into compostable biomaterials to end microplastic.
Neutral Foods (Gustine, Calif.) – Organic Half and Half product that has a carbon neutral footprint.
Pariva (Boston, Mass.) – Spreadable marinated yogurt bites.
Tres Lecheria (La Habra, Calif.) – Traditional and flavored Tres Leches cakes.
Wheyward Spirit (Sonoma, Calif.) – A clear, specialty spirit upcycled and distilled from whey.
“This VentureFuel innovation program for CMAB was designed to uncover the many uses of dairy,” said Fred Schonenberg, Founder and CEO of VentureFuel, Inc., the corporate innovation advisory firm that curated and runs the Excelerator. “Our curation of new startup solutions, especially the finalists, demonstrates the many ways dairy can innovate to connect with the next generation of consumers, showcasing sustainable options, creative packaging, new markets and direct-to-consumer approaches.”
Each member of the cohort will have access to a group stipend and a robust network of resources to refine and scale their product and business. They will also participate in the CMAB/VentureFuel Mentorship Program, consisting of elite counsel from successful founders, investors, leading corporate executives, and experts across design, marketing, sales, manufacturing, distribution, farming, and processing industries.
Finalists will participate in a pitch event Wednesday, November 2nd in San Carlos, Calif. where all eight companies will present before a live audience and panel of industry expert judges.
For the first time, up to four of the eight startups will receive $50,000 each to grow and expand their product in California. One of the participating companies will win an additional $100,000 grand prize by establishing their presence in California and exhibiting the most promising growth. The competition awards have a total value of half a million dollars.
California, known for innovation, has a reputation for quality dairy products. As the number one milk producer in the U.S., California also leads the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. More than 1,100 family dairy farms produce the milk found in fluid milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products identified by the Real California Milk seal.
About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
About VentureFuel, Inc.
Founded in 2014, VentureFuel is an independent innovation advisory that helps the world’s best organizations ignite change through startup collaborations. Its innovation programs include Diagnostics, Corporate Accelerators and Commercial Pilots; and focus on solving clients’ biggest challenges by driving greater efficiencies across their supply chain; closing strategic capability gaps; and identifying emerging business models. VentureFuel provides organizations like Hershey’s, Comcast, Dick’s Sporting Goods, AARP Foundation and the States of California and New York the tools to drive transformative change with less risk, more speed, and greater proximity to the consumer than traditional innovation models. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast on Apple, Spotify or Simplecast.
As nearly 50 million children return to public school, a group of dairy and nutrition advocates is encouraging parents and policymakers to prioritize the health of students by making milk and dairy options more accessible in the coming school year.
A fact sheet released today by the group highlights that milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in kids ages 2-18. However, according to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, American children over four years old and adolescents are not consuming enough dairy to meet the recommendations in the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), thereby under consuming a variety of nutrients they need to grow.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the School Nutrition Association (SNA) look forward to working with parents and school nutritionists to increase consumption of dairy in keeping with recommendations from the 2020-2025 DGA report and leading health organizations. Moreover, because of falling participation rates in school breakfast and lunch programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and removal of universal free meals in the upcoming school year, there are growing concerns for nutrition security among students.
“Dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own have for generations taken pride in the fact that the milk they produce is critical in meeting the nutritional needs of schoolchildren,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Milk makes school meals more healthful and offering many varieties of milk encourages children to consume these products vital for their own development. From low-fat flavored to lactose-free options, parents, educators, and policy leaders overwhelmingly agree that milk on the menu encourages healthy kids and ensures that everyone has equitable access to the 13 essential nutrients milk provides through school meals.”
“The most recent DGA report is clear: children are not receiving enough essential nutrients for growth, development, healthy immune function, and overall wellness,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “School meals offer the most important opportunity of the day for children to get the essential nutrients they need in an 8-ounce serving of milk. Now is the time of year when our parents, educators, school meals professionals, and policymakers need to work together to encourage school meal participation and nutritious milk consumption each day. Survey data shows the best way to do that is by offering many varieties of milk, including different fat varieties, flavors, and lactose-free options. There is nothing more important than the health of our children.”
“Research shows children eat their healthiest meals at schools, which provide balanced nutrition including milk, whole grains and a variety of fruits, vegetables and lean protein. School nutrition professionals are committed to ensuring access to and promoting consumption of healthy school meals to support student success,” said SNA President Lori Adkins, MS, SNS, CHE.
An overall decline in school milk consumption has been identified in recent years, particularly after whole milk and low-fat flavored milk options were removed from school meals more than a decade ago. The fact sheet released by the group today underscores how all milk is a source for 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium—nutrients of public health concern for children. In addition to being nutritious offerings for children, flavored milk has been shown to decrease food waste from school meals and increase overall meal participation.
View the fact sheet here.
While dehorning dairy cattle is performed for their own health and safety, it can be a painful and cumbersome process for both the animal and the dairy producer. This practice could be a thing of the past though as researchers have been able to successful isolate and modify this gene to breed hornless cattle. Watch this brief interview with Alison Van Eenennaam from the UC Cooperative Extension as she explains and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
As drought conditions persist in California, dairy feed growers are taking more interest in replacing some of their corn fields with more drought-tolerant sorghum forages — however, sorghum has its own ideal growing condition growers should understand. Watch this interview with Jeff Dahlberg, former Director of the Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center, as he explains. Read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.