ASHWAUBENON — There are blocks of cheddar, wheels of Gouda and spreads made from goat and sheep milk.
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.
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Anna Landmark, founder of Landmark Creamery, has plans to triple the space she needs for aging cheese in her Paoli facility, but a $60,000 federal grant she was counting on has been frozen by the Trump administration. Landmark is seen here in one of her four cheese caves that holds 10-pound wheels of, at right, Pecora Nocciola, a firm, nutty sheep milk cheese; Gouda, made with a mix of cow and sheep milk; and Sweet Annie, orange rounds of Gouda made of sheep milk.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
