Photos: The 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon
The three-day biennial event that started Tuesday features 2,414 entries from 31 states.
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.
The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest kicked off Tuesday in Ashwaubenon but there is worry about growth in the industry due to frozen federal grants.
Wisconsin dairy producers swept the top three spots in 12 of the 59 categories judged on Tuesday and had 23 first place finishes.Â
The top 20 out of 2,414 entries at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest will be announced Thursday with the overall winner revealed at 2 p.m.
The grand champion cheese was decided Thursday by 1/100th of a point at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon.
The release of previously promised funds means 88 dairy producers in the Midwest can move forward with expansion plans.Â
