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Outlines CMAB’s 2026 Retail Strategy for Real California Milk Through promotional tentpoles, digital commerce investments, and innovation, the organization unveils a 2026 blueprint

by  Jordan Okumura-Wright

TRACY, CA

Monday, February 23rd, 2026

Real California Milk stands out in a class of its own for visibility, awareness, recognition, and familiarity in the specialty foods space. Consumers see the colors and the silhouette, and immediately they can locate themselves in a memory, a commercial,

Calif. – May 10, 2026 – Riley Sheppard of Orland was selected as the 2026 Dairy Princess for the California Milk Advisory Board’s (CMAB) District 3 in a crowning event on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

Riley will represent District 3, which includes Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba counties. As Dairy Princess, she will play a key role in meeting CMAB’s community

– May 11, 2026 – Gia Wattenbarger of Bakersfield was selected as the 2026 Dairy Princess. The coronation was held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Bakersfield.

Gia will represent District 6, which includes Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. As Dairy Princess, she will play a key role in meeting CMAB’s community relations objectives.

Gia, daughter of David and Joni Wattenbarger, is a junior at Garces Memorial High School.