Press Releases and Industry Insights
New Dairy Princess Crowned Riley Sheppard of Orland Selected as District 3 Dairy Ambassador
May 2026New Dairy Princess Crowned Gia Wattenbarger of Bakersfield Selected as District 6 Ambassador
May 2026New Dairy Princess Crowned Eva Taylor of Point Reyes Station Selected as District 2 Dairy Ambassador
April 2026CONTESTANTS VIE FOR DAIRY PRINCESS TITLE AND ROLE AS INDUSTRY AMBASSADOR
April 2026District 3 Will Crown 2026 Dairy Princess May 3rd
ORLAND, Calif. – April 20, 2026 – Three young women will compete for the prestigious title of Dairy Princess during the District 3 Dairy Princess contest on May 3, 2026, in Orland.
REAL CALIFORINA MILK’S GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH FOODSERVICE CONTEST WINNERS CELEBRATE ICONIC COMFORT FOOD WITH A CALIFORNIA TWIST
April 2026Triple Jack Club and Chile Relleno Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Earn Top Honors in Virtual Competition
Tracy, Calif. (April 13, 2026) – The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) today announced the winners of the Real California Milk Grilled Cheese Sandwich Contest, a national online foodservice competition challenging professional chefs and culinary students to develop innovative dishes using California dairy products.
JAMIE HO JOINS CALIFORNIA MILK ADVISORY BOARD TEAM
April 2026New Processor Partnerships Manager to strengthen industry collaboration and Drive Category Growth
TRACY, Calif. – (April 7, 2026) – The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), the marketing order representing California dairy producers, today announced the addition of Jamie Ho as Processor Partnerships Manager.
California Spotlights Innovative Dairy Options, Global Flavors At Pizza Expo In Las Vegas
March 2026Event marks kickoff of 8th annual call for cutting edge pizza recipes using California cheese
Tracy, Calif. – (March 18, 2026) – Innovative products, on-trend applications and live chef demos are elements of the California Milk Advisory Board’s (CMAB) presence at the Pizza Expo March 24-26, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Real California Milk Launches 8th Annual National Search For The Best Pizza Recipes Featuring California Cheese & Dairy
March 2026REAL CALIFORNIA MILK LAUNCHES 8TH ANNUAL NATIONAL SEARCH FOR THE BEST PIZZA RECIPES FEATURING CALIFORNIA CHEESE & DAIRY
2026 Real California Pizza Contest features two dynamic categories,
eight finalists, and $18,500 in prize money
California Milk Advisory Board Selects Student Ambassadors To Share California Dairy Messages With International Audience
February 2026Interns Selected to Represent Real California Milk in Thailand and Mexico This Summer
TRACY, Calif. – February 4, 2026 – Morgan Oliveira of Hilmar and Victoria Paolini of Los Banos have been selected to serve as interns for the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Julia Basch of Los Angeles and Ellie Dyt of Crows Landing will serve in Bangkok, Thailand, as part of the 2026 CMAB International Internship Program.
Cheese Market News
January 2026GUEST COLUMNIST — Lizzie Werber
The Case for Experience in Today’s Retail Ecosystem
Lizzie Werber is director of U.S. retail business development for the California Milk Advisory Board, Tracy, California, where she leads planning, execution and analysis of consumer promotions, including retailer-specific shopper marketing programs, e-commerce and direct-to-consumer activations.
California Dairy Innovation Center Releases Schedule for Dairy Short Course Training Opportunities for 2026
January 2026Tracy, Calif. – January 22, 2026 – The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) has released the schedule for short courses and events as a part of its 2026 training program series for processors, producers, entrepreneurs, and students. The courses, which have no pre-requisites, will be held at a variety of California locations and are open to all participants. The schedule includes:
California Dairy Innovation Center Releases Dairy Innovation Conference Schedule and Details
January 2026Tracy, Calif. – January 26, 2026 – The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) has released the final program of the Dairy Products, Process & Packaging Innovation Conference, Feb. 24-26, at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, Calif.
Winter FancyFaire Showcases Cutting-Edge Specialty Dairy Made With Sustainably Sourced Milk From California
January 2026TRACY, Calif. – (January 5, 2026) – The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) will highlight a diverse selection of innovative specialty dairy products made with sustainably produced milk at the 2026 Winter FancyFaire, taking place January 11–13, 2026, in San Diego, Calif.
Smearcase’s Innovative Frozen Cottage Cheese Disrupts the Indulgence Aisle, Wins $100,000 Grand Prize at the 2025 Real California Milk Excelerator Final Pitch Event
December 2025Tracy, Calif. – December 15, 2025 – 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.
California Milk Advisory Board Announces Recent Organizational Promotions
December 2025Tracy, Calif. – December 8, 2025 – 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.