The eleventh annual World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest auction raised $30,029. The contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, was held Tuesday, Oct. 1 at World Dairy Expo. (WDPA).

A portion of the auction proceeds will be used to fund the Dr. Robert L. Bradley Scholarship, Wisconsin Dairy Products Association Scholarship, MATC Culinary Foundation Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to deserving students pursuing, careers in the dairy industry. WDPA will also use a portion of the proceeds to fund a major sponsorship of the National Collegiate Dairy Product Judging Contest. Product donations were made to the MATC Culinary Arts School, UW Food Science Dept., the Ronald McDonald House and Second Harvest Food Bank.

“This year’s contest was extremely successful,” said WDPA Executive Director Brad Legreid. “We had a record number of entries (820), and a wider variety of participation than ever before. This contest just keeps growing. To have grown this large in such a short period of time is unprecedented.”

“Dairy manufacturers throughout North America have embraced this competition and clearly seen the many benefits accrued through participation,” Legreid said. “We started this contest 11 years ago to promote the entire dairy industry. Due to this contest, manufacturers of all dairy products now new and exciting ways to promote their dairy products.

Dairy Foods sponsored the Grade A Champion trophy, won by Upstate Niagara, Buffalo, N.Y., for its sour-cream-based Bison Dill Dip. Ag Source purchased the dip for $1,078.  See all the winning bidders and their bids here.