Prairie Farms’ Cheese Divisions Caves of Faribault and Luana Cream Cheese took home five awards, including best-of-class at the prestigious 35th Annual American Cheese Society’s Conference & Competition in Pittsburgh.
The gold medal win came in the Rindless Blue -Veined - made from cow's milk category with the AmaGorg® Gorgonzola cheese. Caves of Faribault earned a second place finish in the Open Category- Smoked Cheeses – made from cow’s milk category with the Smoke AmaBlu® Blue Cheese. Luana earned a second place finish in the Mascarpone and Cream Cheese – made from cow’s milk category with the cream cheese 3# loaf.
Caves of Faribault also earned third place finishes in the Dutch- style (Gouda, Edam) - all milks category and Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients – made from cow’s milk category with the Jeffs’ Select® Gouda and Summertime Blues – Blues and Brews® cheeses.
“We’re extremely proud of our products and the wins we were able to put together at this year’s show,” said Chris Hoeger, President – Cheese Division, Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. “It takes a dedicated team with a labour of love to craft artisan cheeses that stand out against so many skilled cheesemakers from around the world.”
Artisan cheeses are experiencing significant popularity and growth thanks to demand from consumers with a more sophisticated palate. That led to an explosion of entries at the 2018 ACS competition that featured over 1900 cheeses and cultured dairy products from 259 companies represented by 35 U.S. States, Canada, Mexico, Columbia and Brazil.
Caves of Faribault has competed at ACS since 2001 – winning a variety of awards over the years. In 2016, Jeffs’ Select® Gouda took first place in the American-Made/International Style (Dutch Style – All Milks) category. Other recent wins by Caves of Faribault cheeses include a first-place finish at the 2018 Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association Awards with Jeffs’ Select® Gouda and Blue Ribbons at the 2017 Illinois State Fair with Jeffs’Select® and St. Pete’s Select.®
For 80 years, consumers have come to rely on the consistent quality of Prairie Farms’ dairy products and cheeses. To view a full list of Caves of Faribault cheeses, please visit: faribaultdairy.com.
Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful dairy cooperatives in the Midwest, with over 900 farm families, 5700 employees, 44 manufacturing plants, over 100 distribution facilities and annual sales of over $3 billion. Prairie Farms is a nationally recognized leader in the dairy industry and is known for setting the standard for milk flavor innovations and producing award-winning milk, cheese, and cultured dairy products. With headquarters in Edwardsville, Ill., the Prairie Farms distribution footprint covers over 30 percent of the United States; products are available in grocery chains, mass merchandiser stores, club stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores, schools, food service outlets and warehouse distribution centers. Prairie Farms charitable giving program, Our Caps, Your Cause, supports a variety of non-profit organizations. Prairiefarms.com
