The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA) announced the judges it secured for the 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. The 48 judges — the leading technical and sensory experts in their fields — will be under the guidance of head judge, Robert Bradley, Ph.D. Bradley will be assisted by three assistant head judges: Greg Kinate (cheese and butter), Doug Allen (Grade A) and Scott Rankin (ice cream), Middleton, Wis.-based WDPA said.
The judges selected for the 2021 contest are:
Cheese
- Ian Bodkin, Vivolac Cultures
- Steve Funk, Nelson Jameson
- Gary Gosda, Lake Country Dairy
- Jeff Jirik, Prairie Farms Dairy
- Kyle Koll, Sargento Foods
- Michelle Malone, Schreiber Foods
- Aaron Miller, Vivolac Cultures
- Tammy Miller, Colony Brand
- Adam Porath, Winona Foods
- Bill Rufenacht, Dairy Connection
- Shawn Sadler, AMPI
- Steve Schenkoske, TOSCA
- Eric Vorpahl, Masters Gallery Foods
- Matt Zimbric, Foremost Farms USA
Butter
- Kory Hyvonen, Oshkosh Cheese
- Noreen Ratzlaff
Fluid
- Trevor Bone, Tate & Lyle
- Tori Boomgaarden, Kemps
- Tom Gruetzmacher, Bay Valley Foods
- Tim Harried, Denali Ingredients
- Hoss Langhoff
- Charlie Mack, Prairie Farms Dairy
- George Strayer
- Chuck Yarris, QCS Purchasing
- Kevin Young, Dean Foods
- Jane Zeien, Denali Ingredients
Cottage Cheese
- Barry Spors, Organic Valley
- Herb Wyckoff, Crest Foods
Ice Cream
- Trevor Bone, Tate & Lyle
- Connie Kellogg, CK Development
- Tom Kelman, Kelman Consulting
- Rob Lagerlof, Prairie Farms Dairy
- Greg Nielsen, Dairy Ingredients
- Barry Spors, Organic Valley
- Daryl Spors, Organic Valley
- Eric Thomsen, The Chocolate Shoppe
- Chuck Yarris, QCS Purchasing
- Jane Zeien, Denali Ingredients
Sour Cream
- Ian Bodkin, Vivolac
- Mike Cigich, Chr. Hansen
Sour Cream Dips
- Dave Buteyn, Vivolac Cultures
- Doug Vargo, IFF
Whey
- Susan Larson, CDR
- Jenny Reuter, Foremost Farms
Yogurt
- Rob Lagerlof, Prairie Farms Dairy
- Michelle Malone, Schreiber Foods
- Gary Pieper, Chr. Hansen
- Dave Potter, Dairy Connection
Contest judging will take place at the Madison College Culinary Arts Department on Aug. 17-19, 2021, WDPA said. Cheese and butter products will be judged on August 17; Grade A entries on August 18; and ice cream and whey products on August 19.
For more information about the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest, visit www.wdpa.net, or contact WDPA at info@wdpa.net or 608-836-3336.
