Minnesota Cheeses Shine at Prestigious American Cheese Society Competition

Photo byShepherd's Way Farms | Facebook

Four Local Varieties Secure Top Honors

In a testament to the quality of Minnesota's dairy industry, four cheeses produced in the state have claimed top prizes at the recent American Cheese Society Judging and Competition.

This event, one of the largest for American-made cheeses, featured over 1,400 entries competing across 120 categories.

Shepherd's Way Farms Dominates Sheep's Milk Categories

Burr Oak Claims First Place

Shepherd's Way Farms, located about an hour south of Minneapolis, saw its Burr Oak cheese take first place in the "Farmstead Category — Aged 60 days or more — made from sheep's milk" sub-category.

This marks an improvement from last year's third-place finish in the same category.

Sogn Secures Second Place

Another Shepherd's Way Farms creation, Sogn, earned second place in the "Sheep's Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 Days" category.

This sheep's milk cheese also showed improvement from its third-place finish in a similar category last year.

Caves of Faribault Continues Blue Cheese Legacy

Prairie Farms' AmaBlu® Cave-Aged Blue Cheese, produced at the Caves of Faribault, secured second place in the "Rindless Blue-veined — made from cow's milk" sub-category.

This follows their 2023 success when their AmaGorg blue cheese placed third in the same category.

CannonBelles Cheese Brings the Heat

CannonBelles Cheese, based in Cannon Falls, saw their Grim Reaper Cheddar take second place in the "Cheddar with hot pepper (capsaicin) / spicy flavor added (intended hot) — all milks" sub-category within the Flavored Cheeses, Butter, and Cultured Dairy category.

A Celebration of Artisanal Cheesemaking

These awards not only highlight the exceptional quality of Minnesota-made cheeses but also showcase the dedication and skill of local cheesemakers.

As Shepherd's Way Farms expressed on their Facebook page, the competition provided an opportunity for learning, connecting, and celebrating all things cheese.

The success of these Minnesota cheeses at such a prestigious competition underscores the state's growing reputation in the artisanal cheese industry and promises exciting developments for cheese enthusiasts and consumers alike. The full list of winners can be found here.