^{The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.}

Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were recently selected at the 2022 Ohio State Fair Cheese contest at Pearl Valley Cheese in Fresno, Ohio. The American Dairy Association Mideast, who coordinated the event, is pleased to announce that Guggisberg Cheese of Millersburg, Ohio took top honors, receiving the overall Grand Champion and Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati, Ohio took the Reserve Champion award.

Participation was at an all-time high with 60 entries from cheesemakers across the state. Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:

Swiss Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Other Swiss Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Guggisberg Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Mild Cheddar Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Snowville Creamery, Pomeroy, Ohio

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield, Ohio

Aged Cheddar Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield, Ohio

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield, Ohio

Surface Mold Ripened Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Kuhweid Creamery, Sugarcreek, Ohio

Bacteria Ripened Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Black Radish Creamery, Columbus, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Kuhweid Creamery, Sugarcreek, Ohio

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio

Fresh Unripened Class:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Bunker Hill Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati, Ohio

Open Class – Cow’s Milk:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio – Marble Colby

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio – Colby

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio – Colby

Open Class – Flavored:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio – Smoked Swiss

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno, Ohio – Pepper Jack

Third Place (White Ribbon) – Tri State Cheese, Hicksville, Ohio – Pepper Jack

Open Class – Other Milk:

First Place (Blue Ribbon) – Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine, Ohio

Second Place (Red Ribbon) – Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland, Ohio

Judges for the contest included Jeff Jirik, retired cheese product developer, Brian Schlatter, ACS CCP, CCSE, cheesemaker, James Troyer, owner of Troyer Foods, Abbe Turner, cheesemaker and Kristopher Welch, dairy plant supervisor.