I applied for the California Milk Advisory Board Career Internship because I believed it would be a great learning experience and allow me to gain valuable insight into positive dairy marketing. The internship has given me all that and much more. Through the CMAB Career Internship I was able to see all aspects of the California dairy industry. I learned that dairying varies tremendously around the state.  Numerous organizations work very hard to make certain that California dairies are successful. We had the pleasure of observing many processing aspects of the industry and all its diversity. This internship has opened my eyes to vast possibilities within the industry.  It has shown me avenues I never thought of pursuing to achieve my goal of being an advocate for our remarkable product and industry.

Lauren and I had the unique opportunity through the CMAB Career Internship to travel from Humboldt to San Diego counties looking at almost every aspect of the dairy industry. While in Northern California we had the pleasure to make cheese at Loleta Cheese Factory as well as ride-a-long on sales calls for the company. A visit to Clover Stornetta in Petaluma enabled us to see fluid milk bottling first hand.  We were able to talk about how Clo, the mascot, helped in a successful marketing campaign and helped them profitably market their product. While working our way down the state we also met with Ketchum, the public relations agency who works with CMAB, where we honed our ability of public speaking. Further south we listened to presentations from Deutsch, the advertising agency that has produced the successful Happy Cow campaign. While in the extreme southern end of California, we toured Cantaré Foods were we saw how unique cheese manufacturing can be. Their diverse plant allows Cantaré Foods to produce high quality cheese that is sold throughout the state. From the top to bottom of the state we got to meet California dairymen and women all along the way.

The dairies we were able to see were unforgettable; you never realize how different dairying can be from one part of the state to another.  No one has the same story to tell, but they all produce Real California Milk. We met with dairy producers from Humboldt, Marin, Stanislaus, Merced, Tulare, Fresno, Kings, San Bernardino, and Sonoma counties; each person had a different way of doing things and new challenges to face every day. In Northern and Costal California we met with dairy families and discussed the differences between pasture based operations and freestall operations. In the Central Valley and Southern California we talked about keeping cows cool in summer months. Everywhere we travelled we connected with dairy farmers talking about life experiences, how they got their passion for the industry, and what they see in the future for the California dairy industry,  Lauren and I were afforded the opportunity to tour a variety of processing facilities, from farmstead cheese companies to very large industrial plants.  We saw everything from the national award winning cheese companies such as Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese and Bravo Farms to the world’s largest single site cheese and whey producer, Hilmar Cheese Company. Touring the many different facilities around California gave me a better understanding of what dairy farmers are helping to accomplish. We saw cheeses that are sent around the world, butter companies that have made their product a staple in stores around the country and even overseas. I will never forget these experiences because I got to see how much pride there is in the dairy products California produces.

It is amazing how much you think you know when you start something and then you realize you were very mistaken. That is exactly how I felt when we started meeting with all the organizations that work on behalf of the California dairy industry. I have met so many people who are influential in the decisions made on behalf of dairymen and our industry. Meeting with people from CDQAP, Dairy Council of California, CDFA, Dairy CARES, Farm Bureau, CDRF, Western United Dairymen, Tulare VMTRC and Tulare County Dairy Action Resource Team have shown me issues that I didn’t even know dairy farmers were facing in our ever changing industry. Each of these organizations are working towards a more sustainable, prosperous, and progressive dairy industry.

My six week opportunity with the CMAB Career Internship has been a busy, challenging and above all a rewarding experience. I would like to thank all of you for allowing me this incredible opportunity, your support in this amazing program ensures a bright future for young industry persons and a once in a lifetime chance.

L to R: Lauren Reid, Joey Airosa of Airoso Dairy in Pixley, and Kate Rector