The largest technical dairy competition in the world was held March 1-3 in Madison, Wisconsin, with representatives from 29 nations around the globe bringing their best cheeses for a panel of industry renowned judges to review. Following three days of judging, Edwardsville, Illinois-based Prairie Farms cheeses earned top spots in a trio of categories, including a “Best of Class” award and a 99.475 score in the Cottage Cheese category for its 4 percent Small Curd Cottage Cheese made in Quincy, Illinois.
The Quincy plant also earned a third-place award in the same category for its 2 percent Small Curd Cottage cheese and a fourth-place finish for Whole Milk Peach yogurt in the “Yogurt, Cow’s Milk, Flavored” category.
In the “Blue Veined Cheeses with Exterior Molding” category, Prairie Farms’ Caves of Faribault team in Faribault, Minnesota, earned third place with its Felix blue cheese. Felix earned a score of 99.145 against more than a dozen other offerings in the category.
Prairie Farms’ Shullsburg White Hill Division in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, earned a third-place award with a 98.7 score in the Baby Swiss Style category for its Prairie Farms Baby Swiss Wheel. The Baby Swiss Wheel competed against 16 other offerings in the category to earn one of the top spots.
“We’re thrilled to be acknowledged again this year, and I’m very proud of our cheesemakers and farmers,” said Matt McClelland, CEO of Prairie Farms. “All Prairie Farms’ products start the same way – with high-quality milk and cream from our local farm families. From there, our cheesemakers craft the finest cheese available, and the prestigious World Championship Cheese Awards represent a culmination of the collective efforts of our farmers and team members at the cheese facilities.”
The World Championship Cheese Contest, hosted by The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, is the largest technical cheese, butter, yogurt and dry dairy ingredient competition in the world. The contest’s 53 judges represent dozens of nations.
These awards follow a year of big wins for Prairie Farms in 2021, including 13 ribbons and a sweep of the Swiss and Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese Categories at the National Milk Producers Federation Cheese Competition in November.
Prairie Farms also won big with 47 awards and Grade A Championship for its Small Curd Cottage Cheese at the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest in August.
For more information, visit prairiefarms.com or worldchampioncheese.org.
