Support Dairy’s Next Generation at Championship Cheese Auction; John Umhoefer Comments

Make plans now to join an energetic crowd of friends and colleagues and bid on the nation’s best cheeses at the exciting Novonesis Reception & Championship Cheese Auction, set for Wednesday evening, April 16 during CheeseCon in Madison, Wisconsin.

Thanks to recent funds raised at this industry-favorite event, WCMA is now investing an additional $200,000 in dairy scholarships and university innovation
in 2025.

"Our industry looks forward to the inspiring camaraderie – and fun – of the Championship Cheese Auction every year. We’re thrilled to host this energy-packed opportunity to honor the craftsmanship of dairy manufacturers and secure a strong future for the next generation of industry leaders,” said WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer in a recent press release. “Get your bidding paddle ready and join us!”

This year’s Championship Cheese Auction features gold medal cheeses from the 2025 United States Championship Cheese Contest^®. View the complete bid sheet at bit.ly/2025CheeseAuction to gear up for a friendly competition with fellow dairy processors and supplier partners to raise funds for the industry’s future.

Following a successful Auction in 2024, the WCMA Board of Directors has guided $200,000 from generous bidders to three exciting programs focused on the future:

• In December, WCMA’s five student scholarships for dairy processors’ and supplier members’ families were enhanced to $5,000 per student.
• In February, WCMA announced the formation of a new fund at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to support dairy operations, training staff, and research at the new dairy pilot plant — the Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence – and provided a seed donation of $90,000 (matched by a $90,000 investment by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin).
• In March, WCMA will announce a $100,000 seed gift dedicated to the Center for Dairy Research – the start of a new fund supporting research, equipment, graduate students and other Center goals.

This exciting new giving joins a three-decade tradition of Champion Cheese Auction support for the future of the dairy industry. Auction funds also fuel improvements in WCMA's Championship Cheese Contests; growth of WCMA’s popular training programs for dairy manufacturers and suppliers; support for the Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest; and the original donations that sparked construction of the world-class Center for Dairy Research facility in Madison, the Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center for Excellence at UW-River Falls and the South Dakota State University dairy pilot plant. Altogether, WCMA has invested $1.75 million in the industry’s future, thanks to our generous bidders.

Full registration for CheeseCon, set for April 15-17, includes access to hundreds of supplier exhibits, two full days of educational seminars led by dairy processing experts, ample networking opportunities, and celebrations of cheese industry excellence. Advance registration is open now through April 7 at CheeseCon.org. After April 7, all registrations will take place on-site.