Cementing its place as California's most important agricultural commodity by farm revenue, California farms sold about $9.4 billion worth of milk while the dairy industry contributed approximately $21 billion in value added to the gross state product in 2014, according to a California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) study conducted by the Agricultural Issues Center, a statewide program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Including sales of inputs to dairy farms and milk processors along with raw milk and wholesale milk product sales, the dairy industry contributed $65 billion in total sales to the California economy in 2014. The growing demand for dairy products like cheese and yogurt as well as strong dairy exports accounted for 189,000 jobs that are dependent on the state's milk production and processing.
“The dairy industry's contributions are vital to California's economy, from creating jobs to stimulating local and regional economies to providing nutritious and enjoyable products to consumers everywhere,” said John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board. “A large number of California residents depend on the dairy industry for employment and these jobs would not exist without it.”
The $21 billion to California's gross state product included $7.4 billion as income to industry workers and owners and $13.4 billion through related, outside industries such as feed, veterinary and accounting services used for dairy production and electricity, packaging, equipment and trucking services used by processors. The tax revenue generated from these jobs supported important statewide initiatives to improve education, healthcare, roads, community services and the environment.
Overall, 189,000 jobs in California are associated with the dairy industry. Of this amount, approximately 30,000 jobs are on the farm and 20,000 jobs represent dairy processing. For every dairy farm job, there are several more jobs that are tied to the business and create a linked chain of economic impacts.
Additionally, the induced effect of the dairy industry also creates jobs in the community to support the area's dairy workers and their families, such as school teachers and local bus drivers.
California Holds Rank as Nation's Dairy Leader
California leads the nation in dairy production and dairy continues as the top commodity in the country's top agricultural state. It has been the nation's largest milk producer since 1993 and is also the country's leading producer of butter, ice cream, nonfat dry milk and whey protein concentrate. California is also the second largest producer of cheese and yogurt.
Farm milk sales generated $9.4 billion gross revenue in 2014. Wholesale dairy product (cheese, fluid milk, ice cream, butter and other dairy) sales hit $25 billion in 2014.
Dairy Farmers Improve Business Performance
As an essential part of California's farming heritage, dairy farmers understand the importance of protecting the land, water and air for their families, their communities and future generations. In 2014, California dairy farmers produced more milk with fewer resources. Talbot credits “improved dairy practices and management adopted by farmers” for the increased business efficiencies. The pounds of milk produced per cow increased to 24,000 pounds in 2014 from 15,000 in 1984. Farmers are applying 23 percent less water to their fields than they did in the early 1980s and have seen their average crop yields increase by more than 40 percent despite using less water.
Beyond the economic impacts calculated in the report, California dairy farmers and employees are active participants in their communities and contribute to social, environmental and other broad public goals.
Study Leaders and Methodology
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at the UC ANR Agricultural Issues Center (AIC). Daniel A. Sumner, the director of AIC who holds the Frank H. Buck, Jr. Chair Professorship in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis, led the study. Josué Medellín-Azuara, a project scientist at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, and Eric Coughlin, a junior research specialist at AIC, were part of the research team. They measured myriad impacts using dairy-specific data for 2012 and projections for 2014 and a database and model of economic linkages (IMPLAN).
About the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state's more than 1,450 dairy families. With headquarters in South San Francisco and Modesto, the CMAB is one of the largest U.S. commodity boards. It executes advertising, public relations, research and promotions on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com.
The latest issue of California Agriculture is devoted entirely to forestry, starting with the editorial on 100 years of forestry at UC Berkeley by College of Natural Resources Dean Keith Gilless. Other articles are listed below.
Research news:
Fewer trees, more water, safer forests: The Sierra Nevada Watershed Ecosystem Enhancement Project is investigating how tree thinning — which is needed urgently in much of the Sierra Nevada due to long-term fire suppression — may increase the water yield from forested watersheds by as much as 10 percent. Monetizing this increased water yield, as well as other benefits from healthier forest ecosystems, could help fund forest management.
Forest thinning may increase water yield from the Sierra Nevada
Protecting oak woodlands: On California's North Coast, grassy oak woodlands are being invaded by stands of Douglas fir at an alarming rate. A UC ANR–led research team is working to understand the reasons why and guide efforts to reverse the trend.
Conifer encroachment study will inform efforts to preserve and restore North Coast oak woodlands
Peer-reviewed Research
Remote sensing: The powerful mapping capabilities of Lidar soon may be widely available to California forest managers as costs fall and the technology improves.
Mapping forests with Lidar provides flexible, accurate data with many uses
Maggi Kelly and Stefania Di Tommaso
Forest carbon: Private forests that are harvested and regenerated yield approximately 30 percent more carbon sequestration benefits than if they are left to grow.
Carbon calculator tracks the climate benefits of managed private forests
William C. Stewart and Benktesh D. Sharma
Forest management: A long-term study in the Sierra Nevada confirms the negative consequences of preferentially removing large trees.
Large-tree removal in a mixed-conifer forest halves productivity and increases white fir
Robert A. York
Post-fire ecology: Nearly 30 years after a burn at two sites in northeastern California, sagebrush had recovered fully and invasive grasses had diminished.
Post-fire vegetation dynamics of a sagebrush steppe community change significantly over time
Sara K. Hanna and Kenneth O. Fulgham
Community engagement: All sides of the Sierra Nevada forest management debate have learned from SNAMP. Can stakeholders help ensure research results are part of future management?
UC plays a crucial facilitating role in the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project
Adriana Sulak, Lynn Huntsinger and Susan D. Kocher
Ecosystem Restoration: A cooperative meadow restoration plan that successfully engaged a diverse group of stakeholders is a model for future projects.
Cooperative, cross-boundary management facilitates large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts
Erin Kelly and Jonathan Kusel
Community Fire Safety: The collaborative partnership has improved fire safety at the urban-wildland interface in fire-prone communities of Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties and stopped major wildfires.
UC Cooperative Extension works with fire safe councils to reduce wildfires
Glenn A. Nader and Michael De Lasaux
The entire California Agriculture issue can be downloaded at http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.edu.
California Agriculture is a peer-reviewed journal of research in agricultural, human and natural resources published by the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. For a free subscription, visit http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.edu, or write to calag@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
“I feel blessed to have been able to be in an organization that allows you to come to work each day and use the power of the University of California system to solve local problems and help improve people's lives,” Nader said.
After earning a bachelor's degree in animal science at California State University, Chico, and a master's degree in animal nutrition from UC Davis, Nader joined UC ANR in 1982 as a livestock and natural resources advisor in Lassen County. Over the years, advances in information technology dramatically changed the way he communicated with ranchers.
In the early 1980s, Nader mimeographed lengthy newsletters and mailed them to clientele. In recent times, he emailed a paragraph with hyperlinks to more information. While in Lassen County, Nader also maintained a morning agriculture radio program as a method of extending information.
“I am impressed that UC ANR allows advisors to able to lead collaborative groups to solve problems in the field,” Nader said, a practice that he used numerous times over his career.
Examples include his work in the Pine Creek Coordinated Management Plan and the Yuba and Butte counties coordinated pre-fire management plan. A recent article in California Agriculture journal, UC Cooperative Extension works with fire councils to reduce wildfires, highlights the pre-fire plan's role in stopping two potentially catastrophic fires. Although not a fire scientist himself, Nader aggregated the basic concepts from UC Cooperative Extension during a sabbatical leave to be better able to address problems of the local communities he served.
The groups that he worked with were honored with the Smoky Bear Award and the Cal Fire Service Award. The Pine Creek CRMP group's work was cited as a reason to not list the Eagle Lake trout as endangered. Nader also used his animal science background to work with other advisors to publish information on how grazing could be used as a tool reduce fuels.
In 1996, Nader transferred to Sutter and Yuba counties. He said looks back on the rice straw research he conducted with animal science specialist Peter Robinson there with a sense of fulfillment. Their work over 14 years showed that preventing rice straw from drying greatly increases the nutritional value to animals. Their work was one of the UC Cooperative Extension programs recognized with the Circle of Life award from the California Rice Commission.
Nader was named the Cattleman of the Year from both the Lassen and Butte county Cattlemen's associations. He was recognized by the California Cattlemen's Association for his education and research work. The Butte and Yuba Fire Safe Councils honored Nader for his assistance in forming and for actively participating in their councils.
“I saw the councils as the perfect platform to extend research information to local residents on what they could do to reduce their risks to wildfire,” Nader said.
During a presentation to UC President Dynes on pre-fire planning, the resulting discussion revealed a need to teach the thermal transfer process for people to better understand how fire science related to fire safety recommendations.
“This is an example of how the interaction with UC faculty that can perfect the impact of Cooperative Extension,” he said.
Nader said he especially enjoyed the people he worked with during his career.
“I appreciate all the clientele and ANR staff that allowed me to greatly enjoy the blessing of being a farm advisor for 32 years,” Nader said.
During retirement he plans to spend more time with his wife Marie and son Alan on their Modoc County ranch.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
With the ongoing interest in the California drought and water issues in general, the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is pleased to offer the following expert sources to assist in your coverage.
We've selected UC ANR specialists and advisors from throughout the state who possess a wide range of research and scientific expertise related to water and agriculture, and who have agreed to serve as interview subjects as their time and schedules permit. One of our experts is fluent in Spanish. Another is fluent in Italian.
Please contact a member of the UC ANR news and media staff with additional questions.
Jim Baird, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension turfgrass management specialist, based at UC Riverside
(951) 827-5630
cell (951) 333-9052
jbaird@ucr.edu
Dave Fujino, Ph.D.
Executive director, California Center for Urban Horticulture, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-7739
dwfujino@ucdavis.edu
Missy Gable
Director, UC ANR Statewide Master Gardener Program
Home gardening, landscaping
(530) 750-1266
mjgable@ucanr.edu
Thomas Harter, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension groundwater hydrologist, based at UC Davis (speaks fluent German)
(530) 752-2709
thharter@ucdavis.edu
Mark Lubell, Ph.D.
Professor
Human behavior and water conservation
(530) 752-5880
mnlubell@ucdavis.edu
Loren Oki, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension landscape horticulture specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-4135
lroki@ucdavis.edu
Doug Parker, Ph.D.
Director, California Institute for Water Resources
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist, statewide water policy
(510) 987-0036
doug.parker@ucop.edu
Dan Putnam, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomy specialist, based at UC Davis
Alfalfa
(530-752-8982
dhputnam@ucdavis.edu
Samuel Solis Sandoval, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist (speaks fluent Spanish), based at UC Davis
Municipal and agricultural water use
(530) 754-9646
samsandoval@ucdavis.edu
David Sunding
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist based at UC Davis
Water resource management
(510) 642-8229
sunding@are.berkeley.edu
Daniel Sumner, Ph.D.
UC ANR agricultural economist, based at UC Davis
Director, UC Agricultural Issues Center
(530) 752-1668
dasumner@ucdavis.edu
Daniele Zaccaria, Ph.D. (Speaks fluent Italian)
UC ANR Cooperative Extension water management specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 219-7502 cell (email first)
dzaccaria@ucdavis.edu
Central Valley
David Doll
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Merced County
almonds, pistachios, walnuts
(209) 385-7403
dadoll@ucanr.edu
Twitter: @thealmonddoctor
Allan Fulton
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Tehama, Colusa, Glenn and Shasta counties
Irrigation and water resources
(530) 527-3101
(530) 200-2246 cell
aefulton@ucanr.edu
Craig Kallsen
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Citrus and pistachios
(661) 868-6221
cekallsen@ucanr.edu
Robert Hutmacher, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomic crops specialist
Director, UC West Side Research and Extension Center
(559) 260-8957
rbhutmacher@ucanr.edu
Dan Munk
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Fresno County
Irrigation and drainage
(559) 241-7521
(559) 284-6674 cell
dsmunk@ucanr.edu
Karrie Reid
UC ANR Cooperative Extension Environmental horticulture advisor, San Joaquin County
Landscaping under drought conditions
(209) 953-6109
skreid@ucanr.edu
Blake Sanden
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Irrigation, soil, water
(661) 868-6218
blsanden@ucanr.edu
Central Coast
Michael Cahn
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties
Irrigation and water resources, vegetables and berries
(831) 759-7377
mdcahn@ucanr.edu
Ben Faber
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
Water, soils and subtropical crops, such as avocado and citrus
(805) 645-1462
bafaber@ucanr.edu
Southern California
Janet Hartin
UC ANR Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture advisor, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside counties
Landscape and turfgrass irrigation/graywater use
(951) 313-2023
jshartin@ucanr.edu
Darren Haver, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Orange County
Landscaping and drought
(949) 653-1814
Twitter: @DHaverUCANR
dlhaver@ucanr.edu
Dennis Pittenger
UC ANR Cooperative Extension area environmental horticulturist, based at UC Riverside
Landscape irrigation management
(951) 827-3320
dennis.pittenger@ucr.edu
Northern California
Steve Orloff
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Siskiyou County
Alfalfa and irrigated pasture
(530) 842-2711
sborloff@ucanr.edu
The “Technology and Design Innovation to Support 21st Century School Nutrition” project will assess the impact of using a “SmartMeal” technology platform, distributed points of sale and staff promotion of school meals at 12 SFUSD middle and high schools. Sixty percent of the district's students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, as part of the National School Lunch Program, the country's largest child nutrition program. The researchers say that improving dietary intake among low-income youth is essential to reducing obesity, and schools are arguably the most important venue for change.
“Improving school meals is critical for addressing social inequities to healthful food access, said Lorrene Ritchie, Ph.D., RD, UCANR Nutrition Policy Institute director, Cooperative Extension specialist and co-primary investigator. “Poor nutrition is a primary cause of the obesity epidemic that threatens the health of American children, especially in low-income communities. We are targeting schools for interventions because most school-age children spend half of their waking hours and consume up to half of their daily calories in school.”
“This project will test whether we can change behavior by addressing the reality of today's adolescent lifestyles,” said Kristine Madsen, MD, associate professor in the School of Public Health and co-primary investigator.
“Mobile phones are ubiquitous among teens from diverse economic backgrounds, which makes this technology an ideal tool for promoting healthful food choices and nutrition education.”
The Nutrition Policy Institute was created in 2014 by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the division of the University of California charged with sharing research-based information with the public about healthy communities, nutrition, agricultural production and environmental stewardship. NPI seeks to improve nutrition and health in low-income communities in California and the nation by engaging in research and communications that inform, build and strengthen policy. Visit NPI online at http://npi.ucanr.edu. SFUSD's Future Dining Experience (http://www.sfusdfuturedining.org/) is funded by USDA and the Sara & Evan Williams Foundation.