Prairie Farms Earns Awards at American Cheese Society Competition; Mike Christensen Details

Prairie Farms took home not one, not two, but three awards from the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition. This year's competition featured cheeses from nearly 200 companies, with over 1,400 entries competing in 120 categories and tested by an esteemed panel of 30 judges, and two Prairie Farms cheese plants were among the top winners.

“We are honored to be a part of the ACS community and humbled in receiving awards from such an accomplished peer group,” said Mike Christensen, Vice President of Sales for Prairie Farms’ Cheese Division. “None of which would be possible without our farmers continually providing the highest quality milk, allowing our cheesemakers to consistently produce high-quality cheeses. We are so proud of our teams for their continued dedication to crafting award-winning cheeses.”

Awards for the 40^th anniversary of the competition were announced on July 19, at the Annual American Cheese Society Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, noted the release. After the votes were tallied, Prairie Farms' Luana Cheese Plant in Luana, Iowa, came away with a pair of winners for ACS judges in the LowFat/Low Salt Cheeses and American Made/International Style categories which included:

• JR: Light/Lite and Reduced Fat Cheeses—Prairie Farms Neufchatel - 1^st place
• DE: Emmental-Style with Eye Formation (Swiss, Baby Swiss, Block, Wheels) – made from cow’s milk—Prairie Farms Swiss Cheese - 3^rd Place

In the Blue Mold Cheeses Category, the Caves of Faribault plant in Faribault, Minnesota, received a bronze finish with:

• FC: Rindless Blue-Veined – made from cow’s milk—AmaGorg^® Gorgonzola Cheese - 3^rd Place

Congratulations on the impressive wins!