For the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the three entries with the highest scores in each competing class of cheese. Skilled technical judges from across the nation evaluate the attributes of every cheese entered in each category, including its flavor, body, texture, salt, color, finish, and packaging. With 100 points being the highest possible score, judges deduct points for defects. Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella won Best of Class/First Place with 99.30 points for its Fresh Mozzarella Medallians and Best of Class/First Place with 98 points for its Part Skim One-Pound Mozzarella Ball. In addition, Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella Ciliegine (cherry size balls) won Second Place with 99.25 points.

Crave Brothers Oaxaca and Crave Brothers White Cheddar Cheese Curds also took Second Place Awards. Oaxaca is a traditional style of cheese prized for its excellent melting properties. It is ideal for sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, dips and a variety of baked recipes. Crave Brothers White Cheddar Cheese Curds are a fresh snack cheese with a mild, salty flavor that complements ciders, beer and fruit juices. They can also be added to bowls of chili. Crave Brothers Cheddar Cheese Curds are available in White Cheddar, Yellow Cheddar and Jalapeño Cheddar varieties.

Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella is a handcrafted artisan cheese, offering a fresh, milky flavor that enhances meats, vegetables, casseroles and pizzas. Fresh Mozzarella is available in a wide variety of forms that make it easy to add to everything from salads and appetizers to pasta and sandwiches. Choose from the newest introduction—Crave Brothers One-Pound Sliced Fresh Mozzarella Logs— or Fresh Mozzarella Medallions, one-pound logs, one-pound balls and eight-ounce balls. In addition, small Fresh Mozzarella balls come in four sizes, ranging from pearl size to egg size, and Marinated Fresh Mozzarella—ciliegine size.

Several factors set Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese apart. Licensed cheese maker George Crave oversees the making of all the Crave Brothers handcrafted artisan cheeses, made with milk from the family’s own dairy herd. Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is sustainably produced in the family’s farmstead cheese-making facility that practices water conservation, recycling, and uses 100 percent green power. Their anaerobic biodigester produces enough electricity to power the Crave Brothers Farm, the farmstead cheese-making plant, and over 300 homes in their community.

For recipes featuring Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella, visit the website at www.cravecheese.com . You also will find product information about the award-winning line of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, and videos highlighting the Crave Brothers green story.

The Crave family farms 2,500 acres of productive land in south-central Wisconsin, growing soybeans, corn and alfalfa to use as nutritious feed for their Holstein cows. From the biodigester to water recovery and recycling, sustainability is top-of-mind on the farm. The Crave Brothers Farm LLC and Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC use 100% green power and are carbon-negative businesses. Their anaerobic biodigester produces more electricity than they need, enough to power the dairy farm, the farmstead cheese-making plant, and over 300 homes in their community.

Every pound of cheese made by George Crave, a licensed cheese maker, is made with milk from the family’s herd. Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese produces Fresh Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Part-skim Mozzarella, Oaxaca, Farmer’s Rope String Cheese, and Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds in white, yellow and jalapeño varieties.