2023 December Board Book

Dear California Milk Advisory Board Members:

This year, CDRF is closing its 35th year of supporting California dairy producers and the greater California dairy community. We take pride in the projects we manage and the impacts our funded research has had on our producers, the industry, and our communities at large. This past year was an exciting one, opening us up to in-person meetings, conferences, and on-farm field days. Our research was published and distributed to key stakeholders and policy makers through news letters, white papers, reports, and peer-reviewed publications on varied subjects such as, “Evaluation of California’s Timeline to Climate Neutrality,” “Discovering the Bioactivity of Milk Fat Globules,” and, “Economic Opportunities and Risks of Automatic Milking Systems.” Much of our research produced outcomes that translated into field day presentations and lay articles through the California Milk Advisory Board, across industry and other media outlets. We even added webinars and podcasting to the mix to promote current and upcoming programs designed to support California dairy producers. This year CDRF worked with a local consulting firm that specializes in the California agriculture sector to update and refine our 5-year Strategic Business and Research Plan. The firm conducted in-depth inter views with a variety of stakeholders and has worked closely with the CDRF staff and Board to ensure that CDRF is on a path to continue to meet the needs of California dairy. We continue to choose projects under five focus areas, though those focus areas have been updated to clearly define the priority impact areas CDRF can best support. Projects are chosen through a rigorous process of application, peer-review and response, and CDRF Board approval, prior to being presented to the CMAB Board for consideration. CDRF is primarily funded by CMAB and aims to be an exemplary steward of the check-off dollars it receives from California dairy producers. In addition to CMAB funding, CDRF seeks project co-funding and investments from research institutions, government agencies, and private industry. Multiple CDRF projects are co-funded with partners in the dairy industry and beyond as we continue to leverage both dollars and expertise to the maximum benefit possible. In this budget package, we propose a total of 20 projects, seven of which are co-funded projects that will bring in more than $300,000 in funding to CDRF-managed projects. CDRF is proposing to participate in shared funding to three projects that are managed by Dairy Management Inc./National Dairy Council, that can have a positive effect on the California dairy industry and producers. In the 2024 budget period we also have three projects fully funded by outside sources; one project is a one-year period for more than $47,000, one is a three-year project of nearly $900,000, and the third is a five- year project benefiting California dairy producers directly with over $85 million dedicated to providing incentives to producers to adopt advanced manure management practices, verify GHG reductions and nitrogen surplus improvements and advance markets for climate-smart dairy products.

We greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting our industry with a robust scientific education and research portfolio.

Sincerely,

Denise Mullinax Executive Director, CDRF