A study released by the CMAB confirmed the dairy industry's positive impact on the state's economy, including job creation. In 2008, the latest year for which figures are available, the dairy industry created a total of 443,574 jobs in California, approximately three percent of the total overall job production for the year. The 2008 report shows that for every single ‘on-the-farm' job, 22 additional ‘beyond-the-farm' jobs are created.

Food trends may come and go, but yogurt is making a lasting impression on consumers' palates. According to consumer marketing research firm NPD Group - yogurt is the top food of the 2000s.

Demand for Real California Cheese and other dairy products made with Real California Milk is growing both in the U.S. and abroad.

Dairy Foods magazine recently named Hilmar Ingredients as its 2009 Exporter of the Year, an award sponsored by the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The company is the whey protein and lactose division of the Hilmar Cheese Company, which was founded in 1984 by 12 Central Valley dairy families.

As the use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter continue to grow, California dairy producers are using these social media applications to connect with their own network of dairy producers, as well as expand their visibility beyond the pastures and have begun to develop a following from outside the dairy industry.