It is a wonderful thing to contribute to the future of our industry; it is even better to do so amid the exuberant fervor of an auction! I imagine a generous gathering in every sense of the word as dairy processors, marketers, and suppliers tapped into a competition of a different kind: raising funds to support emerging dairy professionals.
Such was the atmosphere for the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association’s (WCMA) event in the name of Mike Dean and Cheese Industry Supplier Student Scholarships. At the 2024 Novonesis Championship Cheese Auction at CheeseExpo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the crowd raised an incredible $423,480—shattering the previous record by more than $80,000.
“The auction showcases the dairy processing industry’s tremendous support for the next generation—and 2024 was another resounding success. We’re deeply grateful to all of our bidders for their enthusiastic participation!” said John Umhoefer, WCMA Executive Director, in a press release.
This year’s auction featured a total of 93 gold medal cheeses, butters, and yogurts from the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest, organized into 42 lots.
Among the winning bidders WCMA thanked for their generous support were Milk Specialties Global, Masters Gallery Foods, Emmi Roth, TC Transcontinental Packaging, Great Lakes Cheese, Pine River Pre-Pack,ProActive Solutions USA, G & R Foods, Dairy Connection, Wisconsin Aging & Grading Cheese, and many more.
The funds support industry training programs offered by the WCMA, as well as the World and U.S. Championship Cheese Contests and university dairy training centers, according to the team. It is an act auction dollars have supported for over 25 years, helping ensure a crucial aspect of the future of the industry.
Funds raised have helped support a number of aspects, including:
Of course, there is the way all this collectively improves and grows the World and U.S. Championship Cheese Contests and the Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest year after year. Collectively, the WCMA has invested more than $1.3 million in the next generation of the dairy processing industry.
Congratulations to all on this amazing achievement!