GREEN BAY (WKOW/WXOW) — Eighteen dairy manufacturers from western Wisconsin are among the entries in this year’s U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
From cheese and butter to yogurt and dry dairy, there were over 2,249 total products submitted for judging.
WCMA’s Kirsten Strohmenger said the contest is a great way for consumers to know “true quality and value” by the golden Contest seal on a winning product while it’s on store shelves.
The contest will be at the Resch Expo on February 21 and 22. The Champion announcement is not open to the public but will be streamed live at USChampionCheese.org and on Facebook at 2 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, February 23.
The following businesses are set to compete among dairy processors from 35 states:
- Associated Milk Producers Inc. of Blair and Jim Falls, Wisconsin
- Burnett Dairy Cooperative of Grantsburg and Wilson, Wisconsin
- CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley of Chaseburg and La Farge, Wisconsin
- Eau Galle Cheese of Durand, Wisconsin
- Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery of Ellsworth and Menomonie, Wisconsin
- Foremost Farms USA of Sparta, Wisconsin
- Gilman Cheese Corporation of Gilman, Wisconsin
- Hastings Creamery of Comstock, Wisconsin
- Hidden Springs Creamery, LLC of Westby, Wisconsin
- LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy, Inc. of Stanley, Wisconsin
- Lynn Dairy, Inc. of Granton, Wisconsin
- Marieke Gouda of Thorp, Wisconsin
- Nasonville Dairy, Inc. of Curtiss and Marshfield, Wisconsin
- Nordic Creamery of Westby, Wisconsin
- Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. of Mindoro, Wisconsin
- Saputo of Almena, Wisconsin
- Schuman Cheese – Lake Country Dairy of Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
- Westby Cooperative Creamery of Westby, Wisconsin
According to the organizers, the preliminary rounds of judging are open to the public to watch on Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Attendance is free, and samples will be available.
