U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today congratulated Dr. Seth Meyer for his years of service to our country and announced Dr. Justin Benavidez as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Chief Economist.
“Seth Meyer has been a trusted and steady leader at USDA, providing rigorous, objective economic analysis that has helped guide USDA and America’s farmers and ranchers’ insights into complex commodity markets. I am grateful for his years of service and the lasting contributions he has made to American agriculture,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “As we thank Seth for his leadership, I am pleased to welcome Justin Benavidez to USDA as our new Chief Economist. Justin brings strong policy experience, deep roots in production agriculture, and a clear understanding of the economic realities facing farmers and ranchers. I look forward to working with him as we continue to put Farmers First and ensure USDA’s work is guided by sound, data-driven analysis.”
Retirement of Seth Meyer from USDA
Seth Meyer has served as USDA Chief Economist since 2021, providing rigorous economic analysis and objective market insight to support USDA leadership, policymakers, producers, and stakeholders across the agricultural economy. During his tenure, Dr. Meyer oversaw USDA’s economic forecasting and analysis, including leadership of the World Agricultural Outlook Board and the widely followed World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report.
Prior to and during his time at USDA, Dr. Meyer brought decades of experience in agricultural economics, global trade analysis, and policy evaluation. His leadership helped guide USDA through periods of market volatility, global supply chain disruption, and evolving policy priorities.
Appointment of Justin Benavidez to USDA
Justin Benavidez has been appointed to serve as USDA Chief Economist. Dr. Benavidez previously served as Chief Economist for the Majority Staff of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, where he provided economic analysis on farm bill policy, commodity markets, and agricultural legislation. Before his service on Capitol Hill, Dr. Benavidez worked as an agricultural economist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, focusing on farm and ranch management, production economics, and policy analysis. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.
As USDA Chief Economist, Dr. Benavidez will lead the Department’s economic analysis and forecasting efforts, ensuring USDA’s policies and programs continue to be informed by sound, data-driven economic research that supports America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
About the Office of the Chief Economist
The Office of the Chief Economist provides independent economic analysis to inform USDA decision-making, including market outlooks, policy evaluation, and global agricultural assessments that support U.S. agriculture and food systems.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for January 2026, which are effective Jan. 1, 2026. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans
FSA offers farm operating, ownership and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation.
Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for January 2026 are as follows:
FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders. To access an interactive online, step-by-step guide through the farm loan process, visit the Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov.
Commodity and Storage Facility Loans
Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has signed a Secretary’s Memorandum directing all USDA agencies and staff offices to immediately adopt and implement the first-ever set of USDA General Terms and Conditions for all future awards.
“Since Day One, the Trump Administration has been working to promote government efficiency, streamline unnecessary regulations, and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in all USDA programs. As we took action to eliminate radical left ideology and foreign adversaries within these programs, we quickly realized the herculean task of updating over 100 sets of terms and conditions, some of which didn’t even have termination clauses, each time a new policy or priority was announced,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “Today’s action not only reduces government bureaucracy and makes it easier for USDA customers to access our programs, but it also strengthens our ability to take swift action when recipients and cooperators—and even recipients of subawards and subcontracts—are not compliant with Federal law and applicable Executive Orders.”
USDA administers an expansive grant and cooperative agreement portfolio, spanning 21 agencies and staff offices. In FY2025 alone, the Department distributed over $145 billion through 287 programs, resulting in nearly 38,000 new awards to farmers, ranchers, foresters, families, rural communities, small businesses, universities, and various other entities. Currently, there are 50,979 active awards across the entire USDA enterprise, underscoring the critical need for consistent oversight and accountability.
Until now, every agency and staff office implementing these programs utilized a different version of terms and conditions when entering into arrangements with recipients and cooperators, resulting in over 2,200 pages of terms and conditions across over 100 different documents. This patchwork approach to award management at USDA has created unchecked paperwork burdens and barriers for producers and small businesses seeking financial assistance from USDA and also made it difficult to swiftly implement new policies and priorities across all programs.
Under this new directive, all USDA grant, cooperative agreement, and mutual interest agreement programs will utilize the same terms and conditions, and award recipients and cooperators will only need to navigate 50 or less pages of requirements.
This action is an important step in the implementation of USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan and Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, as well as various other Executive Orders and Secretary’s Memorandums that have been signed this year to establish a return to American principles and align the Department’s focus towards its original objectives.
As committed to under USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has announced a number of coordinated actions to continue to emphasize American agricultural research and innovation by ensuring ideas stay in America or among our allies, not with hostile nations and that we are putting American farmers and ranchers first in every USDA program, period.
These historic actions strengthen transparency around foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and ensure federal programs and purchasing preferences do not support supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. The actions include opening up an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to allow the public an opportunity to comment as USDA moves to improve the regulation and strengthening the implementation of USDA’s BioPreferred Program to ensure federal programs and purchasing preferences prioritize American producers and manufacturers and rid out foreign adversaries.
“Strengthening national security starts with knowing who owns our farmland and where federal dollars are flowing,” said Secretary Rollins. “These actions close long-standing gaps in oversight and enforcement by improving transparency around foreign land ownership and ensuring USDA programs support American farmers and manufacturers, while prioritizing domestic supply chains – not foreign adversaries.”
AFIDA Modernization
AFIDA requires foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan(PDF, 1.2 MB) calls for aggressive implementation of reforms to the AFIDA process including improved verification and monitoring of collected AFIDA data.
USDA seeks input on potential regulatory or other changes that may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its AFIDA reporting and filing requirements which will result in improved tracking of foreign adversary agricultural land purchases to the public and will further enhance USDA’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF, 164 KB) with Treasury which memorializes cooperation on CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) cases involving the transfer of agricultural land.
Foreign adversary linked entities currently control at least 277,000 acres of agricultural land in the United States. Each acre represents a threat to our food supply chains, a vector for agroterrorism, and a potential platform for surveillance and sabotage of our military bases and critical infrastructure.
The BioPreferred Program supports domestic manufacturing, increases the purchase and use of U.S. biobased products to spur economic development, create new jobs and open new domestic markets for crops grown by American farmers and producers. Moving forward and effective immediately entities and products from foreign adversary countries are no longer eligible for the BioPreferred Program or USDA guaranteed lending programs. Current participants must comply with audits or risk removal.
The USDA BioPreferred Program is currently funded through September 30, 2026.
Taken together, these actions reiterate USDA’s historic commitment to American agriculture as a key element of our nation’s national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation’s food and agricultural systems.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has signed a Secretary’s Memorandum that puts forth a focused effort to establish new priorities for future research and development activities funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen U.S. Agriculture for farmers and consumers.
The American farm economy suffered under failed Biden-Harris Administration policies that drove up inflation, created a weak trade agenda that resulted in no new trade deals for American commodities, and propagated crippling overregulation. Further, misguided policies focused on DEI and environmental justice in agricultural research, extension, and education programs diverted resources away from solving actual programs that American farmers and ranchers are facing.
Since January, the Trump Administration has been working nonstop to strengthen the farm safety net, create new export opportunities for American commodities, lower the cost of critical agricultural inputs, and root out DEI from all USDA programs. However, strategic investments in agricultural research and development will help American farmers and ranchers increase profitability while continuing to provide consumers with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food and fiber supply in the world for decades to come.
“When he created the People’s Department and the land-grant university system in 1862, President Lincoln had a vision for American agriculture rooted in agricultural innovation and education. Since that time, research coming from USDA and our colleges of agriculture have successfully helped American farmers and ranchers address countless challenges,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “The priorities we are announcing today further reiterates President Trump’s commitment to put Farmers First and provides our agricultural researchers with a strategic roadmap to help keep our producers at the forefront of productivity.”
New Research and Development Priorities:
Moving forward, new research and development activities funded by USDA will be focused on projects that address one or more of the following priorities that put Farmers First:
1 Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers: While research to increase productivity has allowed American farmers and ranchers to provide the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food and fiber supply, the volatility in profitability of American agriculture leads to significant uncertainty for producers. Research and development that results in increased profitability—such as reducing inputs or increasing mechanization and automation—will benefit American farmers and ranchers.
2 Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products: With many producers experiencing record yields this growing season, it is more important than ever to ensure USDA is expanding markets and creating new uses for these American-grown commodities. Research and development that seeks to open new markets—such as generating science and data to resolve longstanding sanitary and phytosanitary trade barriers—or expand the utilization of these commodities in novel biobased products and bioenergy (including biofuels) will result in increased demand.
3 Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species: The resurgence of New World Screwworm in Mexico, continued westward expansion of the Spotted Lanternfly, persistence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry flocks, and decimation of our domestic citrus industry due to citrus greening are just a few examples of how invasive pests and diseases threaten American agriculture and natural resources. Research and development focused on new and effective methods for preventing, detecting, controlling, and eradicating these threats is a top priority for USDA and the security of U.S. agriculture.
4 Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land: American farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists as no one stewards their land more than those whose entire livelihood, and that of their successive generations, depend on it. Research and development that promotes soil health practices, increases water-use efficiency, and reduces inputs will ensure farms and ranches remain productive for generations to come.
5 Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality: Substantial and increasingly robust evidence shows that a healthy diet can help people achieve and maintain good health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases throughout all stages of life. Rigorous research on precision nutrition is needed to better understand how healthy dietary patterns impact people at the individual level with the goal of more targeted nutritional recommendations to encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families. Additionally, research and development on increasing the nutritional content and quality of foods will lead to increased demand for American agricultural products.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has finalized two new regulations that take effect on January 1, 2026.
Restrictions on 1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) to protect occupational bystanders
New regulations, developed jointly and mutually by DPR and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), will restrict the use of the pesticide 1,3-D to address cancer risks to occupational bystanders, including farmworkers. The new regulations establish buffer zones and require ongoing evaluation of potential exposure risks. The regulations build on recent protections for residential bystanders that went into effect in January 2024.
New regulations update DPR’s requirements for pesticide applications near schoolsites to implement Assembly Bill 1864 (2024). For applications within ¼ mile of a schoolsite the regulations now require separate site identification numbers for pesticide use reporting along with the inclusion of application method details in permits and reports. The definition of “schoolsite” will expand to include private schools (K–12) serving six or more students on December 31, 2026. These reporting requirements build on existing restrictions for pesticide use near schoolsites.
California pear farmers are fighting for survival as a surge of low-priced pear imports from Argentina continues to flood the U.S. market each year just as the domestic harvest begins. Industry leaders are now in discussions with staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to find meaningful relief from a situation they say has become a major driver of the decline of California’s historic pear industry, which dates back to the Gold Rush.
“Since 2016, Argentine exports of fresh pears to the U.S. have increased by 125 percent in direct competition with California Bartlett and Bosc pears, particularly in the early season,” said Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board. “Argentina has been flooding the U.S. market just before the start of California’s harvest in early July.”
Although Argentina supplies more than 90 percent of pears imported into the U.S. during winter months, Zanobini notes that roughly 70 percent of Argentine pear imports now arrive in April and May—after long storage periods and right as California growers prepare to ship their first fresh fruit.
“This flood of cheap imports has a devastating impact on California growers,” he said. “Retailers feature these low-priced imports instead of newly harvested U.S. pears. Additionally, retail data indicates these imported pears are not being sold to shoppers at a discount. It’s bad for farmers and it’s bad for consumers.”
James Christie, president of Bryant Christie Inc. (BCI), which represents several U.S. agricultural groups including the California pear industry, says the need for action is urgent.
“The stakes are high and this will be a challenge, but we are doing everything we can to fight for California farmers,” Christie said. “The USTR has indicated they are looking for ways to help U.S. farmers manage import pressures. That is exactly what we are asking for.”
Christie emphasized that tariffs alone are unlikely to solve the problem.
“We are requesting relief in the form of a quota on Argentine pears or a defined period during which these imports cannot enter the U.S.,” he said.
According to Zanobini, Argentine pears are counter-seasonal to U.S. production, meaning the fruit arriving in spring has often been stored for half a year. Many Argentine shippers also use 1-MCP, an anti-ripening agent that extends storage life but can prevent pears from ripening properly, resulting in a poor eating experience for consumers.
“California pear shippers have pledged never to use this chemical,” Zanobini noted. “But when our fresh, newly harvested pears arrive, they are forced to compete with old, stored fruit that often won’t ripen.”
The impact is tangible. Zanobini described a major lost opportunity this past July:
“A national grocery chain had planned a large promotion featuring our early California fruit, including a price premium,” he said. “But the retailer canceled, citing a market flooded with Argentine pears. Our shippers lost both the sales and the premium.”
Small Family Farms at Risk
“This is just one example of how Argentine imports are harming U.S. farmers,” Christie said. “California pear growers are struggling. Acreage is shrinking. The number of pear growers continues to decline.”
Zanobini added that the industry is composed of small, multi-generational family farms known for producing nutritious fruit using some of the most environmentally responsible practices in the world.
“These are exactly the types of farmers U.S. trade policy should protect,” he said.
He also pointed out that pears are not alone. “California pear growers are just one of many U.S. farmers suffering from recent trade negotiations—from soybean farmers to cattle ranchers to citrus growers,” Zanobini said. “While the Trump Administration provides the Argentinian government with a $40 billion bailout, we believe there is room to negotiate a fair deal that prevents Argentine imports from undercutting U.S. farmers in their own market.”
Christie underscored the urgency of the issue. “California’s pear industry may be small within U.S. agriculture, but that does not make it unimportant,” he said. “If anything, the fact that these are small family farmers should make defending them a priority.”
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) recently announced a series of strategic promotions that recognize the contributions of four accomplished individuals who have played vital roles in advancing CMAB’s mission to support California’s dairy families by increasing demand for dairy products made with Real California Milk.
Veronique Lagrange Promoted to Executive Director of CDIC
Veronique’s leadership of the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) has connected industry partners, academic institutions, and external stakeholders toward achieving a common goal of advancing product, process, and packaging innovation for California dairy. She has spearheaded efforts to secure millions of dollars in grant funding for California through the Pacific Coast Coalition and was a driving force in its creation. She recognized a gap in training and development, and has organized dozens of short courses, providing training for hundreds of dairy professionals across California and beyond. Veronique and her team have developed product concepts and prototypes and assisted both entrepreneurs and existing processors with formulation assistance to jump-start product innovation.
Katie Cameron Promoted to Director of Foodservice
For the past four years, Katie Cameron has served as Senior Manager of Foodservice at the CMAB, where she has supported growth opportunities for California dairy processors and helped strengthen relationships with key distributor and industry partners. Katie evolved the organization’s foodservice distributor tours, adding educational and training elements that have enhanced the attendee experience and deepened processor engagement. She played a central role in advancing foodservice culinary contests and events—creating platforms that raise visibility for Real California dairy and support volume growth. Katie brings a well-rounded background in sales, marketing and research that has helped shape CMAB’s foodservice strategy and broaden its impact across the industry.
Jarett Margolis Promoted to Director of Business Development
Jarett has led the Real California Milk Excelerator innovation program for the last seven years, accelerating over 50 start-ups and providing ongoing mentoring to them and numerous other RCM entrepreneurs. With a keen eye towards results and a strong sense of stewardship, he’s led the evolution of the program to one that is focused on commercial results and guided by return to our dairy farmers. He pioneered dairy entrepreneur classes at multiple California universities, a program that has attracted national attention, and importantly invested in the future of our industry in California. A consummate can-do leader, Jarett has led several projects developing business propositions for value-added California dairy products and co-led CMAB’s strategic planning the last two years.
Maddy Martin Promoted to Senior Analyst
Over the last six years, Maddy has supported the U.S. and International Business Development teams as a coordinator, providing reliable and diligent support. Her strong analytical capabilities have allowed her to elevate CMAB’s data-driven decision-making, providing valuable insights through comprehensive data analysis, reporting, and the ongoing stewardship of key databases. These efforts have enhanced internal visibility, improved workflow efficiency, and supported strategic planning across departments. Maddy has been instrumental in the successful implementation of the Salesforce CRM platform, assisting with organizational onboarding and helping to design and refine custom features tailored to the diverse needs of CMAB’s business development teams.
“Each of these team members has made a measurable and lasting impact on the California dairy community, and their promotions reflect both their individual accomplishments and the strength of our organization as a whole,” said Bob Carroll, CEO of the CMAB. “Their leadership has advanced innovation, strengthened key relationships, elevated the visibility of Real California Milk, and positioned us for continued growth. I am incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to the contributions they will continue to make in their new roles as we work together to drive demand for California dairy.”
California is the leading U.S. state in dairy production. Its family dairy farms are focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a more sustainable future for dairy in the state.
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.
MM Joel Rowyn-ET: Reserve Junior All American Four-Year-Old Cow, shown by Kamryn Kasbergen of Tulare, CA
Twenty-eight (28) Jersey youth between the ages of nine and twenty, representing 13 states, have been recognized by the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) as the 2025 Junior All American winners. A total of 175 youth exhibited 295 Registered Jerseys during the 73rd All American Junior Jersey Show, held November 7, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky.
2025 Junior All American Winners
Spring Heifer Calf
Junior All American: HC-Rader KRock Hanna, Shelby Rader, Conneaut Lake, Pa.
Reserve Junior All American: Freedom Lane KR Gabriella-ET, Eli Arp, Norwalk, Ohio
Winter Heifer Calf
Junior All American: Roc-N-Roll Keep My Sanity, Karlie Suplee, Mount Morris, N.Y.
Reserve Junior All American: Discoverys Ghost Janessa, Grace Sauder, Tremont, Ill.
Fall Heifer Calf
Junior All American: Mead-Manor Joel Cinnamon-ET, Kailey Guilette, New Franken, Wis.
The All American Junior Jersey Show is an annual production of the American Jersey Cattle Association. For information on sponsorship opportunities or to contribute to the Maurice E. Core Jersey Youth Fund, supporting Jersey youth exhibitors, contact the AJCA Communications Department at (614) 322-4451.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) recently announced Smearcase as the grand prize winner at the 7th Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator product innovation competition. The award was presented during the 2025 RCM Excelerator live pitch event on December 11th in Napa, Calif., where four new finalists were also selected to compete for the 2026 grand prize.
This competitive program is designed to drive value-added dairy innovation using California milk, ultimately strengthening the state’s dairy industry by providing brands with access to sustainably produced milk as well as resources, expertise, and non-dilutive funding to grow their businesses. As the winner of the 2025 Real California Milk Excelerator, Smearcase will receive $100,000 worth of marketing support from the CMAB to continue scaling their dairy-based innovation with milk from California dairy farm families.
Through the Excelerator, early-stage companies are able to leverage the power of Real California Dairy by accessing:
Tailored content and resources specific to the dairy industry, including access to quality, sustainably sourced milk, and other dairy ingredients
Mentorship from leading experts across product development, marketing, distribution, and sales
Extensive exposure to industry stakeholders
Smearcase was one of four finalists named in 2024 when the company was selected for its innovation as the first cottage cheese-based ice cream infused with collagen. As a “better-for-you” ice cream option, Smearcase features the most protein per pint of ice cream at about 40 grams and does not use artificial gums or sweeteners. Targeting health-conscious consumers, co-founders Joe Rotondo and Drew DiSpirito, launched the New York City-based brand after training for a marathon and identifying a market gap for high-protein ice cream.
Since being selected for the 2024 cohort, the founders have scaled production using Real California Milk and continue to demonstrate their company’s tremendous potential. Smearcase won this year’s Grand Prize based on their sales growth throughout the year. The company was recognized as a Dairy Foods 2025 Dairy Product of the Year Finalist and over the past year launched their products regionally in Whole Foods and will debut in Sprouts markets in Q1 2026. The $100,000 grand prize will provide marketing support for initiatives like on-pack promotions, digital and instant redeemable coupons, product sampling, and in-store signage to further drive brand awareness and retail expansion.
“The California Milk Advisory Board has taken our business to a whole new level,” Smearcase co-founder Joe Rotondo said. “They’ve opened doors that allowed us to work with world-class partners. We’ve increased the quality of our product and increased the scalability of our business with their collaboration.”
The Real California Milk Excelerator was established by the CMAB seven years ago to drive transformational growth for innovative dairy products that can deliver value both to consumers and the dairy community. Programs like the Excelerator play a crucial role in bridging the gap for high-potential food and beverage startups.
“Innovation pushes our industry forward, and Smearcase is a clear example of what happens when bold thinking meets real dairy. Their frozen cottage cheese is opening an entirely new lane in frozen indulgence. We’re proud to support their growth through the Real California Milk Excelerator and give consumers another fresh way to enjoy the benefits real California milk and dairy can offer,” said Bob Carroll, CEO of the CMAB.
At the 2025 Real California Milk Excelerator Live Pitch Event, attendees also experienced product tastings and exhibitions from seven pioneering dairy startups, and witnessed the selection of four new finalists chosen by a panel of judges from this year’s cohort:
Joseph Farms‘ String Cheese (Atwater, Calif.) – 99% lactose-free string cheese with 7g protein per stick.
Mavens Creamery (San Jose, Calif.) – Asian-inspired indulgent ice cream made with rich, exotic ingredients in flavors like Thai Tea, Durian, and Black Sesame.
Pioneer Pastures (Bozeman, MT) – Ultra Filtered, A2 whole milks crafted for superior nutrition and taste with higher protein and lower sugar for easier digestion.
“This year’s grand prize winner and finalists reflect the energy and creativity of California dairy,” said Fred Schonenberg, CEO of VentureFuel. “Their ideas are reshaping the category, and we’re proud to stand behind them with the CMAB as they help spark continued innovation and growth for dairy.”
The final pitch event offered industry stakeholders an opportunity to engage with products poised to shape the future of dairy, while also showcasing the commitment of California’s dairy farmers to sustainable practices. California is the leading U.S. state in dairy production. Its family dairy farms are focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a more sustainable future for dairy in the state.
California is the leading U.S. state in dairy production. Its family dairy farms are focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a more sustainable future for dairy in the state.
7th Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator product innovation competition finalists
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.
About VentureFuel
VentureFuel helps accelerate enterprise growth through startup partnerships. Its custom accelerators drive transformative change with less risk, more speed, and greater proximity to the consumer than traditional innovation models. VentureFuel provides organizations like Hershey’s, Comcast, Dick’s Sporting Goods, AARP Foundation and the State of California with the tools to learn, test, build and invest in what’s next. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net,LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. You can listen to The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast on Apple, Spotify, Simplecast or wherever you get your podcasts.
