American Cheese Society Champion

Top Finishes for Prairie Farms Cheese at the ACS Judging and Competition

Prairie Farms Neufchatel cheese made at Luana, Iowa earns 1st Place

Edwardsville, Ill. (July 18, 2024)

The American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, one of the largest cheese judging events for American-made cheeses just concluded with Prairie Farms earning a trio of top finishes at the awards ceremony. Medals for the 41st anniversary of the competition were announced from among over 1400 cheeses competing in 120 categories and evaluated by an esteemed panel of 30 judges.

For the second year in a row, Prairie Farms' cheeses made at Luana, Iowa earned top finishes for Neufchâtel and Swiss in the Low Fat/Low Salt Cheeses and American Made/International Style categories which included:

• JR: Light/Lite and Reduced Fat Cheeses
  • 1st Place: Prairie Farms Neufchâtel
• DE: Emmental-style with Eye Formation (Swiss, Baby Swiss, Block, Wheels) - made from cow's milk
  • 2nd Place: Prairie Farms Swiss Cheese

Also, for the second year in a row, our Caves of Faribault, Minnesota cheesemakers earned a top finish in the Blue Mold Cheeses category. This time with an excellent product from their cave-aged blue cheeses collection:

• FC: Rindless Blue-veined - made form cow's milk
  • 2nd Place: AmaBlu® Cave-Aged Blue Cheese

"We are very proud of our team for their unwavering dedication in producing consistent award quality cheese," said Mike Christenson, Vice President of Sales for Prairie Farms' Cheese Division. "The esteemed ACS panel of judges believe our products represent the highest level of quality within the respective categories. I'm thankful for the Prairie Farms dairy farmer community support in providing our team with the highest quality milk."

About ACS: ACS is the leading organization supporting the understanding, appreciation, and promotion of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas. At more than 2,600 members strong, ACS provides advocacy, education, business development, and networking opportunities for cheesemakers, retailers, enthusiasts, and extended industry. ACS strives to continually raise the quality and availability of cheese in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS proudly hosts the foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition in North America. ACS is a 501(c)6 nonprofit association headquartered in Denver, CO. To learn more about ACS, please visit www.cheesesociety.org

Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful dairy cooperatives operating in the Midwest and the South. Elements of the cooperative include more than 600 farm families, 7,000 associates, 47 manufacturing plants, 100+ distribution facilities, and annual sales of over $4.69 billion. Prairie Farms is a nationally recognized leader in the dairy industry known for setting the standard for milk flavor innovations and producing award-winning milk, cheese, and cultured dairy products. With headquarters in Edwardsville, Ill., the Prairie Farms distribution footprint covers over 30 percent of the United States; products are available in grocery chains, mass merchandiser stores, club stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores, schools, foodservice outlets, and warehouse distribution centers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Darin Copeland
618-659-5191
[email protected]

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