California dairy farmers and processors, with the support of the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and Dairy Council of California (DCC), are aiding schools in the central and southern regions of the Golden State through a pilot program that supplies California schools with portable insulated milk cooler bags to keep milk cold and remain part of school meal service. When …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announced yesterday that it will soon implement the $400 million Dairy Donation Program established by Congress in December 2020. The department provided details on program participation to dairy processors and cooperatives in order to ensure donations of nutritious dairy products continue to make their way to Americans struggling with hunger while USDA finalizes the program. …

In a partnership that combines three key retail categories-meat, dairy and spirits-the California Beef Council (CBC) is teaming up with the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and E. & J. Gallo’s Camarena Tequila for a co-branded Cinco de Mayo promotion. Dubbed “Tacos, Tequila y Más,” the 5-week campaign runs April 7 through May 11 and provides consumers with product offers …

In Mediterranean or arid climates, particularly in areas with marginal soils, crop rotations are often limited to a narrow range of hay, pasture, a handful of winter legumes, or rainy-season grasses. Arid conditions and weathered soils drove Australia’s rainfed grain growers to adopt no-till strategies earlier than their counterparts in California. While beneficial from a water use perspective, successful no-till …

How do you build a better dairy cow? Use a tool designed to study the human genome, of course. Working alongside international research partners in the Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are using technology to meet the challenges of the increasing global population and ever-changing environmental stressors. The goal of AG2PI is to better understand how …

Producers under the California Federal Marketing Order (CFMO) are paid according to the quantity of components in their milk (pounds of butterfat, protein, and other solids) and their respective prices along with a proportionate share of the classified value of the monthly pool as accounted for in the Producer Price Differential (PPD). As has been the case in recent months, …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced the 2021 Marketing Assistance Loan rates. Marketing Assistance Loans provide interim financing to producers so that commodities can be stored after harvest when market prices are typically low and sold later when market conditions may be more favorable. The 2018 Farm Bill extended the Marketing Assistance Loan program, making …

Barley is important for more than beer. A UC Riverside geneticist has won $1.7 million to study how one of the world’s staple foods might survive climate change. The National Science Foundation CAREER Award to Daniel Koenig, an assistant professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, will reveal details about genetic adaptations barley has made in the past to enable …

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) urged the Biden Administration to work to eliminate foreign tariffs on and nontariff impediments to U.S. exports, following the release today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of the 2021 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. The annual report looks at progress …

Dairy Cares — California is leading the nation toward a 100 percent clean energy future. Multiple state policies are working to achieve a cleaner, more efficient energy grid and transportation sector. The state’s dairy farmers are also world leaders in energy-smart practices. They’re reducing usage, electrifying equipment, generating renewable energy, and producing carbon-negative transportation fuel. California has already made great …