Wisconsin cheesemakers won 84 total awards at World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Competition, which took place on Aug. 25.

"Thanks to this state's great dairy heritage, and more than 180 years of cheesemaking, Wisconsin continually achieves high honors for dairy products showcasing traditional methods mixed with new innovations," said Suzanne Fanning, chief marketing officer for Wisconsin Cheese and senior vice president of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Key wins at the 2022 World Dairy Expo Dairy Product Competition include:

  • Cheese and Butter Grand Champion goes to Cello Mascarpone created by Lake Country Dairy Schuman Cheese of Turtle Lake, Wisconsin.
  • Wisconsin cheese and dairy companies win nearly 30% of all awards with 29 first place awards, 29 second place awards and 25 third place awards.
  • Four Wisconsin cheese and dairy companies: Foremost Farms USA, Lake Country Dairy Schuman Cheese, Kemps LLC, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co: won six or more awards, eight companies won four or more awards, and 32 companies won one or more award.

First place Wisconsin Cheese winners include Alpinage Cheese LLC with washed rind, semi-hard alpine style raclette; Crave Brothers Farmstead with cheddar curds and marinated fresh mozzarella; Foremost Farms with smoked Provolone and salted butter; Kingston Creamery with smoked blue; LaClare Creamery with Chandoka; Lactalis with Feta; Lake Country Dairy Schuman Cheese with Cello Artisan Copper Kettle parmesan wheel, Cello smoky pepper fontina and Cello mascarpone; Land O Lakes with sharp cheddar; Masters Gallery Foods with shredded parmesan; Pine River Pre Pack with Swiss and Almond Cold Pack; Prairie Farms Dairy: White Hill Cheese with baby Swiss wheel; Ron's Wisconsin Cheese with mozzarella string; Saxon Creamery with Snowfields. 

This year's contest received a record number 1,560 entries for cheese, butter, fluid milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, sour cream, sherbet, cultured milk, sour cream dips, whipping cream, whey and other products from dairy processors throughout North America. On Oct. 4, the contest's auction will be held at World Dairy Expo in Madison, at which time all category first-place winners will be auctioned off with a portion of proceeds going to scholarships for students pursuing the dairy industry.