Dairy Council of California

07/30/2025

✨ Our report, Well-Nourished, Brighter Futures, captures powerful insights from school nutrition professionals, students, dairy advocates and more who gathered to reimagine school meals.

Together, we explored real-world strategies to make meals more inclusive, sustainable and student-centered.

Read the full report: https://na2.hubs.ly/y0DDC50

07/25/2025

📰 We’re proud to be featured in CSNA’s Poppyseeds Journal!

💡 From elevating dairy’s role in school meals to inspiring culturally rich recipes, the articles highlight progress through partnership.

🎉 Kudos to Alyssa McClelland and Heather Reed for their leadership—and to all working toward more nourishing, equitable school meals.

📖 Flip through pages 6–14: https://hubs.la/Q03y-Bjd0

07/24/2025

We had a wonderful time connecting with the dedicated team at Lodi Unified School District Nutrition Services during their back-to-school in-service day!

As part of a speed networking panel with local partners, we shared how Dairy Council of California supports school nutrition teams with no-cost educational resources, Farm to School engagement, and science-based nutrition programming.

This year’s theme, Seasons of Growth, was the perfect reminder that through collaboration, we can cultivate a brighter, healthier future for our students and communities.

Thank you, Lodi USD, for your partnership—and for championing student wellness every day!

07/22/2025

We’re still feeling inspired after The Wellness Conference! 💫 Thank you to everyone who joined our session and to Dr. Rubalcaba for sharing how Los Nietos School District is making school wellness a priority.

We had meaningful conversations with so many wellness champions across the state, and it was exciting to see everyone walk away with ideas they can bring back to their schools.

Let’s keep the momentum going—healthy students thrive! 💪

Learn more about creating healthier school environments at https://hubs.la/Q03y8d3p0.

07/21/2025

We’re inspired by the amazing work of school nutrition professionals from across the country! Earlier this month, Dairy Council of California had the opportunity to present at the School Nutrition Association's ANC 2025, connecting with over 4,500 leaders dedicated to nourishing students.

Our team led two sessions focused on supporting healthier schools through equity-centered, student-informed approaches:

💡 Engaging the Next Generation

This session highlighted how integrating nutrition education with farm-to-school programs builds stronger connections between students and their local food systems. We explored how dairy foods contribute to sustainable, nutrient-dense meals.

💡 Game Time for Healthy Eating

This session explored new Gen Z insights linking physical activity and student interest in healthy eating. Presenters shared successful strategies for aligning school meals with afterschool activities and wellness programs—creating real-world impact for students.

Thank you to the school nutrition community for everything you do to support children’s health and well-being. Together, we can make healthy eating patterns accessible for all students.

📲 Discover free resources to support your work at https://hubs.la/Q03y3pMm0.

07/19/2025

A week later, we’re still inspired by all the amazing conversations from the 2025 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Conference in Indianapolis! 💬

Dairy Council of California was proud to present two engaging sessions on culturally responsive nutrition and inclusive education—highlighting practical ways to strengthen food security, elevate early childhood nutrition, and promote equity in schools.

From hallway chats to conference rooms, one thing was clear: the work we do matters—and we’re stronger together. 💡

Thank you to all the amazing presenters, attendees, and partners who make these conversations possible! Let’s keep the momentum going. 💪

07/16/2025

Bringing Healthy Meals Home in Lodi!

Our Dairy Council of California team joined forces with Lodi Unified School District to support its non-congregate summer feeding program—making sure children and families have nutritious meals, including milk, even when school is out.

Families could pick up single-day meals or a multi-day food box at no cost. The food boxes included 20 complete meals (10 breakfasts and 10 lunches) along with a half gallon each of white and flavored milk. A big thank you to Crystal Creamery for supporting fresh milk distribution!

In total, 1,200 families participated, reaching 2,900 children and providing 58,000 healthy meals. Families also received a MyPlate Nutrition Builder to help make balanced meals at home.

Community partnerships like this help build a healthier California—one meal, one family at a time. 💙🥛

07/08/2025

We’re excited to be part of the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference in San Antonio! 🎉
Dairy Council of California is co-presenting two dynamic education sessions and joining the National Dairy Council booth to connect with school nutrition professionals and partners from across the country.
📚 Engaging the Next Gen – Learn how to connect students with agriculture and school meals.
🌿 Best Practices for Elevating Nutrition & Ag Literacy – A collaborative session with CustomEd and GENYOUth focused on elevating student health through education.
If you’re attending , we’d love to connect with you! Stop by our booth or join our sessions to explore how we can work together to champion healthy eating habits in schools and communities.

School Nutrition Association CustomED GENYOUth

07/08/2025

We’re excited to be part of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior’s Annual Conference this week in Indianapolis! 🎉

🗣️ Don’t miss two powerful sessions featuring Dairy Council of California team members and expert partners:

👶 Culturally Responsive Nutrition: Transforming the First 1,000 Days
Speaker: Angela Brown of Bond of Color – exploring culturally rooted strategies for early childhood nutrition.

🌱 Developing an Inclusive Vision for Nutrition Education
Presented with Rachel Scherr, PhD, and Adrienne Markworth of Leah’s Pantry – highlighting how nutrition education can be a tool for supporting students’ social and emotional development.

Whether you're a nutrition educator, public health professional or academic researcher, is the place to be!


for Nutrition Education and Behavior ’s Pantry Nutrition Science Consulting

07/03/2025

Dairy Council of California’s Bailey Suarez is hitting the stage at The Wellness Conference 2025! 🎉
On Thursday, July 10, join her and Dr. Ramiro Rubalcaba, Superintendent of Los Nietos School District, for their session at the Disneyland Hotel: “Leveraging Wellness Policies for Student Health and Academic Achievement.”
Learn how districts are turning wellness policies into practices that:
✅ Improve student health
✅ Reduce absenteeism
✅ Support academic achievement
Session Details:
🗓️ Thursday, July 10
🕐 1:45–2:45 p.m.
📍 Room Castle C, Disneyland Hotel Conference Center
Don’t miss this chance to hear about proven strategies and resources that can support wellness efforts in your own community.

06/24/2025

♻️ Did you know dairy cows are nature’s recyclers?

This , we're celebrating the incredible role cows play in sustainability, like upcycling agricultural byproducts such as almond hulls into nutritious milk instead of letting them go to waste. 🥛🐄

Dairy cows are efficient recyclers, upcycling nutrients from food and agricultural byproducts that are either indigestible or undesirable for humans and avoiding the need to dispose of these materials. For example, dairy cows are often fed agriculture byproducts like almond hulls, helping keep these foods out of landfills and reducing their climate impact.



Dairy Council of California

06/20/2025

🎉 Big news! Our CEO, Amy DeLisio, just dropped by the Voice of CA podcast to chat all things dairy, health and sustainability. If you've ever wondered why dairy matters, this is for you!

In this insightful episode, Amy & host, Gary Sack, dive into:
- The science and impact behind dairy's unique nutrition profile
- Innovations in sustainable dairy farming
- The bold vision we’re pursuing to deepen agricultural literacy and community health across California.

💬 Give it a listen here: https://hubs.la/Q03t1KH80

CEO Amy DeLisio shares dairy’s global impact and health benefits on the Voice of California Agriculture podcast.