What California Dairy Research Foundation does

The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) is a non-profit public research management corporation founded in 1988 and headquartered at 2020 Research Park Drive, Suite 110, Davis, California. The organization is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and is governed by a Board of Directors whose representatives are drawn from key California dairy producer and processor organizations, including the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), National Dairy Council, and Dairy Council of California. CDRF leads and delivers science-based research and educational programs to support an innovative and sustainable California dairy industry, operating across five core focus areas: Environmental Management, Social Responsibility, Food Science/Nutrition/Health, Industry Development and Educational Outreach, and Innovation/Technology.

CDRF does not sell commercial products. Its core technology is a managed research portfolio delivered through flagship programs including the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP), the International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC, with 1,000+ scientific members globally), the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), and the Dairy Plus Program — a competitive grant program administered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) that awards up to $1.25 million per project for advanced manure management practices. CDRF also produces publications such as the Dairy Research Bulletin and SPLASH! Milk Science Update, and operates fellowship programs like the California Dairy Feed Fellowship at UC Davis.

CDRF's revenue model is a non-profit, grant-funded structure. Primary funding comes from dairy producer checkoff dollars via CMAB under the Marketing Order for Research, Education and Promotion of Market Milk and Dairy Products, supplemented by USDA grant flows (notably an $85M+ Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities award in 2023), strategic co-funding from processors (Hilmar, Glanbia, Actus Nutrition) and foundations (Valhalla, Dairy Management Inc.), and partnerships with UC Davis, UC ANR, and other research institutions. The foundation's principal stakeholders are California dairy producers, with secondary stakeholders including academic researchers, dairy industry organizations, and state and federal regulatory agencies (CDFA, USDA). CDRF employs a lean team of three key staff headed by Executive Director Denise Mullinax, with Kevin Comerford as Chief Science Officer and Kimberly Yarris as Executive Administrator.

Name

California Dairy Research Foundation

Legal name

California Dairy Research Foundation

Website

https://cdrf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Dairy Research Foundation is a non-profit research management corporation that funds and delivers science-based research and education programs across environmental, social responsibility, nutrition, industry development, and innovation focus areas for the California dairy industry, funded primarily by producer checkoff dollars and USDA grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Dairy research foundation
• Agricultural research programs
• Producer education services
• Environmental sustainability research
• Food science nutrition

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dairy Producer Checkoff Funding: Primary funding source from the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), which receives checkoff dollars from local dairy producers governed by the Marketing Order for Research, Education and Promotion of Market Milk and Dairy Products in California and the federal Dairy and Tobacco Adjustment Act of 1983.
2. USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Funding: In 2023, CDRF secured over $85 million in funding from USDA through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program, now called Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP). 87% ($75 million of $86.7 million) is allocated directly to dairy farmer incentive payments. Every Federal dollar is matched with state matching funds and producer dollars.
3. Strategic Partnership Contributions: Co-funding and partnership contributions from organizations including National Dairy Council, Dairy Council of California, California Dairy Innovation Center, Hilmar Cheese Co., Glanbia, Actus Nutrition, Valhalla Foundation, and Dairy Management Inc.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public research management corporation that funds, manages, and delivers science-based research and educational programs to support an innovative and sustainable California dairy industry. It channels producer checkoff dollars, USDA grants, and industry co-funding into research across five core areas — environmental management, social responsibility, food science/nutrition/health, industry development and educational outreach, and innovation/technology — and operates flagship programs including CDQAP, IMGC, CDIC, the Dairy Plus grant program, and the California Dairy Feed Fellowship.

Product overview

The California Dairy Research Foundation is a non-profit research management corporation that offers a portfolio of research and science-based educational programs rather than a commercial technology product. The organization manages programs across five core focus areas: Environmental Management, Social Responsibility, Food Science/Nutrition and Health, Industry Development and Educational Outreach, and Innovation and Technology. Key named programs include the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP), the International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC), the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), and the Dairy Plus Program. The organization also produces educational publications including the Dairy Research Bulletin and SPLASH! Milk Science Update, and operates fellowship programs like the California Dairy Feed Fellowship. These programs collectively support California's dairy industry through targeted research, science-based education, and strategic partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $85 million in USDA funding secured for California dairy producers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partners with CDRF on the Dairy Plus Program, administered by CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS). In 2023, collaborative initiative secured over $85 million in USDA funding for climate-smart dairy practices.
• California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooperative effort between CMAB, industry partners, and CDRF to leverage brain trust of California colleges and universities and dairy industry to support mutual innovation goals. Not a physical building but a collaborative framework.
• California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner providing checkoff dollars from California dairy producers. Board member (Bob Carroll, CEO) serves on CDRF Board of Directors. Collaborates on California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) for product-oriented innovation.
• National Dairy Council (NDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member (Michelle Slimko, DrPH, MPH, RD, SVP Nutrition Research) serves on CDRF Board of Directors. Co-funds multiple research projects including yogurt gut health studies, dairy co-products role in gut-brain function, and yogurt microbiome research.
• Dairy Council of California (DCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member (Amy Delisio, MPH, RDN, CEO) serves on CDRF Board of Directors. Collaborates on nutrition research including WIC program needs assessment for fermented dairy products.
• University of California, DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research partner conducting funded dairy science research. Home to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Foods for Health Institute, Robert Mondavi Institute, and key researchers including Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Dr. Daniela Barile, Dr. Maria Marco, and others leading CDRF-funded projects.
• UC ANR (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting sustainability benchmarking projects including energy and water use across California dairy farms, and sustainable dairy practices outreach to nutritionists.
• Dairy CarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunications partner for raising public awareness about sustainable farming practices. CDRF is a key contributor to the Dairy Cares communications program focused on environmental stewardship.
• Sustainable ConservationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on dairy manure subsurface drip irrigation (MSDI) projects including piloting systems for almonds and enhancing climate sustainability of dairy forage production.
• International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal collaborative pre-competitive consortium managed by CDRF with 1,000+ scientific stakeholders and support from dairy industry associations worldwide. Produces SPLASH! Milk Science Update and annual symposium.
• Western United DairiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy cooperative receiving CDRF research distribution for sustainability outreach to member producers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dairy Management Inc. National dairy promotion and research organization that funds and manages dairy research, product innovation, and sustainability initiatives across the U.S. CDRF's partnership with DMI and overlapping mission around dairy science, nutrition, and innovation makes it the closest direct peer.
• National Dairy Council: National nutrition research and dairy promotion body that co-funds research with CDRF (including yogurt and gut-brain studies) and shares board representation. Operates the same nonprofit checkoff-funded research model at a national scale.
• Dairy Council of California: California-focused nutrition education and research nonprofit with shared board representation and joint CDRF-funded nutrition research (e.g., WIC fermented dairy needs assessment). Closest California-state peer with overlapping mission and funding flows.
• Dairy Australia: Australian dairy industry research and marketing organization funded by producer levies. Operates the same checkoff-funded research, innovation, and sustainability model for the dairy industry as CDRF does in California, making it a strong international comparable.
• DairyNZ: New Zealand dairy farmers' industry body that funds and delivers research, sustainability, and innovation programs funded by farmer levies. Closely mirrors CDRF's structure and mandate around science-based dairy industry support.

Broad incumbents

• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy: Industry-wide pre-competitive collaboration for dairy sustainability and innovation. Has overlapping scope with CDRF's environmental and innovation programs but operates at a national U.S. scale rather than California-only.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Conservation: California-focused environmental nonprofit partnering with CDRF on dairy manure subsurface drip irrigation (MSDI) projects. Comparable as a nonprofit research/program implementation partner in California's dairy sustainability space.

Regional players

• Western United Dairies: California dairy trade association that distributes CDRF research to member producers on sustainability and animal care. Comparable as a regional industry-organization channel through which CDRF's research outputs reach farms.
• UC Davis Food Science and Technology: CDRF's primary research execution partner (Foods for Health Institute, Robert Mondavi Institute, Vet Med). Comparable as a California-based academic R&D institution that conducts dairy science research funded by CDRF checkoff dollars.

Others

• Hilmar Cheese Co. Major California dairy processor and CDRF board-represented partner (Chuck Ahlem) that co-funds dairy research and innovation. Comparable as a processor-side industry partner contributing to and benefiting from CDRF's research pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDRFMedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/CalifDairyResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-dairy-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Dairy Research Foundation