Alto Dairy Cooperative, Waupun, Wis., was selected as the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion and Louis Trauth Dairy, Newport, Ky., was selected as the Grade A & Ice Cream Grand Champion of the World Dairy Expo (WDE) Championship Dairy Product Contest.

This year’s contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA), received a record number of 332 entries for cheese, butter, fluid milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, sour cream, sherbet, buttermilk, sour cream dips, whipping cream, dried whey and innovative products from throughout the United States.  “We are thrilled with the positive response we received from dairy manufacturers throughout the U.S., which has resulted in an annual 50 percent increase in contest entries,” says Brad Legreid, executive director of WDPA. “Considering it’s only the fourth year for this contest, the quantity and quality of entries we received reflect a high level of interest in this contest.”

The WDE Championship Dairy Product Contest was designed to offer a number of positive benefits. Firstly, the contest is the only national judging contest of its kind in the United States to include a comprehensive variety of dairy products. This inclusive nature allows dairy manufacturers the unique opportunity to compete in a prestigious, all-dairy national contest. Entries were submitted by companies, not individuals, allowing all company employees the opportunity to support and celebrate their entry’s success.

Judging was held September 6 and 7 at the Madison Area Technical College (MATC) Culinary School and September 8 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Babcock Hall. These locations proved to be very successful venues for the contest judging. “MATC and UW were very supportive of this contest,” Legreid says. “By having the judging at the MATC Culinary School, over 70 chef-trainees are afforded the unique opportunity to closely observe and interact with the contest judges throughout the day.”

All category first-place winning entries were auctioned off Oct. 3 during the expo in Madison. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s Education Foundation, to support PDPW in its efforts to assist current and beginning producers achieve success in dairy farming.