Wisconsin put nine cheeses into the final top 20, but for the second time in as many competitions, the top prize has gone to a cheese company in Connecticut.
Arethusa Europa, an aged Gouda made by Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut, was named the top cheese Thursday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon. The Farm at Doe Run in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, was first runner-up with its Gouda/alpine hybrid while second runner-up went to Lake Country Dairy-Schuman Cheese in Turtle Lake for its Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan.
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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.
Samples were abundant Tuesday at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest 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.
