If you were to rewind the clock 15 years, you’d find 4-year-old Morgan marching through the halls of her childhood home with a princess crown on her head and a glass of milk in her hand. This statement rings true several years later, when I served as the 2023-2024 District 4 Dairy Princess.

The dairy princess program is hosted through the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) as a one-year ambassadorship for young women throughout the state. The CMAB is an agriculture marketing board that represents California dairy farmers and dairy farming families and advocates in favor of the dairy industry while increasing consumer awareness and education. As part of their advocacy efforts, they created the California Dairy Princess Program, which has played an integral role in establishing a positive image for milk and dairy products across California. This program provides a platform to advocate for the dairy industry while wearing a crown and sash that instantly sparks a conversation.

In June of 2023, I was crowned the District 4 Dairy Princess, which covers 19 counties from California’s capital of Sacramento down to Merced, Calif. Throughout my reign, I had the opportunity to speak with the public, attend community events, and educate in classrooms to a younger audience.

During my role of Dairy Princess, I attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., where I presented to elementary students in the surrounding area who had limited exposure to the dairy industry. The experience to share dairy knowledge with a young audience was one that changed my perspective on agricultural literacy and advocacy.

Throughout California, there are several districts that host annual competitions for their Dairy Princess title. Contestants go through interviews, presentations, and impromptu questions with a judging panel that selects the dairy princess and her alternate princesses. The California Milk Advisory Board is most known for their bright yellow seal, with “Real California Milk” written on it. The seal is placed on products that are certified to only contain milk from California dairy farms, helping alleviate consumer concerns.

My experiences within the Dairy Princess program have grown my skill set and provided a platform to advocate on behalf of the dairy industry. Dairy has been an active part of my life for as long as I can remember, and sharing my experiences and knowledge with others through the Dairy Princess program is an opportunity that I will be forever grateful for. Whenever you’re perusing the grocery store aisle, make sure to look for the Real California Milk seal or something similar in your area!

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Morgan Oliveira is the 2024 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She grew up working on her family’s dairy farm near Hilmar, Calif. As a student at Cal Poly University, Oliveira is majoring in agriculture communications.