A Message From the Board Chair

Our Role in Supporting Community Health

Over the past 100 years, Dairy Council of California has done a lot to improve the health of children, families and communities on behalf of the dairy industry. The organization has evolved over the decades, continuing to thrive by finding new opportunities to advance its cause of elevating the health of children and families through nutrition while also bringing its vision of igniting a passion for milk and dairy foods to life.

I believe that the true strength of Dairy Council of California is its people. Led by a strong, visionary leader who guides her staff to find opportunities even when presented with obstacles and challenges, the organization consists of highly qualified experts in nutrition, education, health and communications who are passionate about the work they do and driven to make a difference. They are well-connected, respected and valued in their communities, which enables them to have their ear to the ground to quickly respond to changes in the environment, whether in the school community, health and nutrition space, food systems and access, or policy. They are agile, innovative and adaptable, which is reflective in the many accomplishments shared in this report.

Dairy Council of California started as a dairy education and school milk access program, but it has evolved to become so much more. When COVID-19 forced businesses and schools to close their doors and families to shelter in place, instead of seeing a problem, Dairy Council of California saw an opportunity to innovate its programs and resources to continue to support students, families and communities as well as its partners during an uncertain, unprecedented time. That speaks to the caliber of the organization, and I am proud to say that there is simply no other organization like it.

As members of the dairy community, we also have a role to play. We are dairy experts, and we know the value of dairy foods in supporting good health. In addition to continuing to support Dairy Council of California and the work done on our behalf, I encourage all of us to proudly advocate for dairy foods and their vital role in supporting the health of children, families and communities. This can mean getting involved with the local school board, opening up our doors for virtual and in-person farm tours or creating new advocates by sharing the emerging news of health benefits provided by dairy foods, which can be found in the Dairy UP app. By working together, we can all help to ensure milk and dairy foods are valued as a solution to nourishing children and families and improving the health of all communities.

Regards,

Brad Scott, Dairy Farmer
Scott Brothers Dairy in Moreno Valley, California