Targeted and Collaborative The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public research management corporation established by CMAB and the dairy industry in 1988 to carry out research and scientific education programs on behalf of California’s dairy industry.
Food Science, Nutrition & Health
Innovation & Technology
Environmental Management
Social Responsibility
Industry Development & Educational Outreach
CDRF’s research and education priorities are organized within five Areas of Focus. Our top priority is to fund and support projects focused on improving dairy industry sustainability, with more than half of our research budget going towards Environmental Management projects. Strategically we seek to: • Prioritize projects addressing issues unique to California dairy and touching multiple focus areas. • Favor shorter-term studies with outcomes that can be directly applied by industry or producers. • Co-invest in and collaborate on projects with key dairy industry partners to leverage check-off dollars. • Include cost estimates, pricing, and profitability projections as appropriate in project deliverables. • Provide timely communications regarding project outcomes, their value to stakeholders, and next steps in research and education via varied media. CDRF employs a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the scientific integrity, quality, and relevance of all funded research. In addition, three specialized committees—the Nutrition and Health Advisory Team, the Environmental Steering and Technical Advisory Committee, and the Social Responsibility Advisory Committee—provide expert guidance to identify emerging trends and help shape CDRF’s evolving research priorities. Comprising leaders from industry, production, processing, and academia, these groups help identify emerging trends and shape CDRF’s evolving research priorities to advance dairy sustainability. CDRF Board of Directors: Josh Zonneveld, Chairman; Jared Fernandes, Vice Chairman; Chuck Ahlem, Secretary; Dante Migliazzo, Treasurer; Bob Carroll; Dixie Martinho; Sietse ‘Sean’ Tollenaar; and Michelle Slimko, DrPH Our Key People: Denise Mullinax, Executive Director Kimberly Yarris, Executive Administrator Kevin Comerford, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer
CDRF 2026 Proposed Projects and Budget Request
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator