California Milk Advisory Board Celebrates National Dairy Month with Proclamation for State of California

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & MODESTO, Calif. – June 3, 2008 – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office today proclaimed June as "Real California Milk Month" in the state of California. The proclamation honors the efforts of California dairy farmers and the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) to keep California’s dairy industry healthy and strong.

California is the leading milk producer in the United States, accounting for almost one-fourth of the nation's supply. Governor Schwarzenegger's proclamation stresses the importance of the dairy industry to California and continues to encourage Californians to buy local milk and dairy products.

"The official proclamation of June as Real California Milk month in California is a special occasion for the dairy industry and California consumers," said Tricia Heinrich, CMAB Vice President of Communications. "The dairy industry is a tremendous contributor to our state's economy, creating thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in sales. Californians often express their desire to purchase local food products, and this proclamation is meant to encourage them to do so – not just in June, but always."

The CMAB introduced the Real California Milk seal in 2007 in response to research indicating that seven out of 10 Californians prefer to purchase locally-produced milk for their families. In fact, two-thirds stated they would go to a different store to find locally-produced milk. The seal helps consumers identify milk that comes from California dairy farms as well as other dairy products, including butter, ice cream and yogurt, which are produced exclusively with California milk.

"As a third-generation dairy farmer, I believe this proclamation is a symbol of the state's commitment to the 2,000 dairy families that live here in California," said Ann Silva, a dairy farmer from Tracy, Calif. "It's important to continue to encourage Californians to buy local dairy products to support California dairy producers, and I see this as a wonderful step in the right direction."

As the leading agricultural commodity in California, dairy farming produced $7.3 billion in annual sales in 2007 and continues to grow steadily. In addition to being the nation's largest milk producer, California also produces more butter, ice cream, yogurt and nonfat dry milk than any other state.

Contact:
Sara Kerns, Ketchum sara.kerns@ketchum.com (415) 984-6229

Editor's note: photos are available from the CMAB upon request.