Wisconsin once again dominated at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest but when it came to one the state's signature products, it wasn't even close.
A stop at Cedar Grove Cheese Co. in Plain can let visitors watch cheesemakers make Colby cheese. The company, founded in 1878, is known for its organic cheese and cheese curds, which took top honors at this year's U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
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A round of flavored soft goat's milk cheese is readied for judging Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
Jim Mueller, center, chief judge of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, holds the 2023 champion, Europa, made by Arethusa Family Farms in Bantam, Connecticut. At left, assistant chief judge Tim Czmowski hold first runner-up Vintage Cupola American Original Cheese made by Door Artisan Cheese in Egg Harbor for Red Barn Family Farms in Appleton. At right is Randy Swensen, the contest's director of logistics, with the second runner-up, a medium cheddar by Associated Milk Producers in Blair.
Photos: The 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon
Steve Stettler inspects a freshly cut block of Swiss cheese Tuesday. Stettler is among the dairy producers in Wisconsin and beyond who have had federal grants earmarked for expansion frozen by the Trump administration. Stettler recently completed a $6 million expansion of his Decatur Dairy near Brodhead, but had been approved for a $100,000 grant that would have assisted in the purchase of cheesemaking equipment.
Longtime Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Gary Grossen examines blocks and wheels of Swiss cheese as the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest begins Tuesday in Ashwaubenon.
Wheels of cheese with natural rind are assembled to be judged Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon.
Among the 2,414 entries in the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is powdered skim milk, a product that Wisconsin dairy producers ship in bulk to Mexico. The powder is used in baking and other food processes but can also be added to water for drinking, which is how Pratishtha Verma, from the Center for Dairy Research at UW-Madison, and Lloyd Metzger from Bruce, South Dakota, judged an entry.
Suresh Sutariya, of Kansas City, Kansas, uses his fingers to feel the texture of a mild cheddar Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon.
Samples were abundant Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon.
A crowd gathers Tuesday at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon for a demonstration that explains the judging process.
Jill Allen, left, of Tillamook, Ore., and Laura Laehn, of Plymouth, inspect a wheel of garlic and herb BellaVitano during Tuesday's opening round of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon. The three-day contest features 2,414 entries from 31 states.
Ben Smith, a judge from Modesto, Calif., samples a handful of shredded mozzarella during Tuesday's opening of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.Â
Cheese at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest can come in all forms, including in snack-stick, like these Colby Kack entries.
A round of flavored soft goat's milk cheese is readied for judging Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
