AMPI Wins Cheese Contest
November 13, 2019
Associated Milk Producers, Inc. earned the Chairman’s Plaque, winning the overall award at the 2019 National Milk Producers Federation’s Championship Cheese Contest.
Every year NMPF hosts the annual cheese contest member cooperatives. This year 15 NMPF cooperative members submitted 237 entries, totaling 3050 pounds of cheese to be judged. This year — with high-quality American-made cheeses from our membership — the contest celebrates and promotes the REAL® Seal. AMPI’s winning Hand-Crafted Parmesan entry, crafted at its plant in Hoven, SD, earned a score of 99.20 in the Hard & Mold Ripened Cheese category. This cheese was judged the best cheese in the Championship round of this year’s contest.
AMPI’s Hoven plant specializes in making 22-pound wheels of Parmesan, Asiago and Romano.
Extra cheese from the contest and dairy products from the Dairy Bar were donated to the New Orleans Mission. The New Orleans Mission strategy is to RESCUE men and women from homelessness, abuse, human trafficking, and addiction, provide the tools and environment necessary for a sustainable RECOVERY, and later foster the successful RE-ENGAGEMENT back into society as a healthy and skilled individual, ready to lead a productive, purpose-driven life.
Winners in each of the 19 contest classes are as follows:
Mild Cheddar
First place: Tim Karr, Dairy Farmers of America, Pavilion, NY
Second place: Middlebury Team Agri-Mark, Middlebury, VT
Third place: Agri-Mark, Chateaugay, NY
Medium Cheddar
First place: Team 2, Tillamook County Creamery Association, Tillamook, OR
Second place: Team Cabot, Agri-Mark, Inc., Cabot, VT
Third place: Blair Cheese Floor, AMPI, Blair, WI
Sharp Cheddar
First place: Agri-Mark, Middlebury, VT
Second place: Cabot Team, Agri-Mark, Cabot, VT
Third place: Doug Snortheim, Foremost Farms USA, Marshfield, WI
Extra Sharp Cheddar
First place: Agri-Mark, Middlebury, VT
Second: Team 2, TCCA
Third place: Team 4, TCCA, Cape Meares
Mozzarella
First place: Jay Thomas, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Campbell, NY
Second: Heather Stalbird, Upstate Niagara Cooperative
Third place: Fran Holmes, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Campbell, NY
Provolone
First place: Mark Forester, Foremost Farms, Clayton, WI
Second: Team D, Foremost Farms, Appleton, WI. Smoked
Third place: Mike Breznak New Wilmington, PA
Mild Hard and Mold Ripened Italian
First place: AMPI, Hoven, SD. Hand Crafted Parmesan
Second: Caves of Faribault Team, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Faribault, MN. St. Pete’s Select Blue
Third place: Caves of Faribault Team, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Faribault, MN. AmaGorg
Natural
First place: Team 1, TCCA, Colby Jack
Second: Bill Stocker, Midwest Dairymen’s Company, Shullsburg, WI. Colby Jack Longhorn
Third: Tillamook Team 2, TCCA, Tillamook, Monterey Jack
Swiss
First place: Prairie Farms Dairy, Shullsburg, WI. Baby Swiss
Second place: Bruce Workman, Select Milk Producers, Inc., Monticello, WI. Sweet Swiss
Third place: Prairie Farms Dairy, Luana, IA. Swiss
Plain Processed American
First: AMPI, Portage, WI. Colored Slice-On-Slice
Second: Team Wohlt, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, New London, WI. Swiss American
Third place: AMPI, Portage, WI. Swiss Slice-On-Slice
Flavored Processed American
First place: Jorge Espinoza, Bongards’ Creameries, Norwood, MN. Peppers Slice-On-Slice
Second place: Team Wohlt, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Swiss Onion Blend
Third: AMPI, Portage, WI. Monterey Jack & American with Red Bell and Jalapeno Peppers
Hot or Spicy Flavor
First: Bruce Workman, Select Milk Producers, Inc., Monticello, WI. Habanero Havarti.
Second place: Ellsworth Creamery, Comstock, WI. Ghost Pepper Monterey Jack.
Third place: First District Association, Litchfield, MN. Cheddar with Red Peppers
Unique or Mild Flavor
First place: Bill Stocker, Midwest Dairymen’s Company, Buffalo Cheddar
Second place: Team 1, TCCA, Trask Mountain
Third: Bill Stocker, Midwest Dairymen’s, Bourbon Barrel Smoked Black Pepper Cheddar
Open Class
First place: Ann White, Upstate Niagara Co-op, Campbell, NY. Whole Milk Ricotta
Second: Justin Riesman, Upstate Niagara Co-op, Ricotone
Third place: Prairie Farms Dairy, Luana, IA. Cream Cheese
Reduced Fat
First place: Troy Kittleson, Foremost Farms, Clayton, WI
Second: Team Cabot, Agri-Mark, Cabot, VT
Cottage Cheese
First: Rory Hundly, Prairie Farms Dairy, Carbondale, IL
Second: Bison, Upstate Niagara Co-op, West Seneca, NY
Third place: Quincy Team, Prairie Farms Dairy, Quincy, IL. 4%
Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese
First place: Rory Hundly, Prairie Farms Dairy, Carbondale, IL
Second place: Prairie Farms Dairy, Quincy, IL
Third: Ryan Stetzel, Prairie Farms Dairy, Fort Wayne, IN
Flavored Cottage Cheese
First: Ryan Stetzel, Prairie Farms Dairy, Fort Wayne, IN. Garden Veggie
Second: Ryan Stetzel, Prairie Farms Dairy, Peach
Third place: Ryan Stetzel, Prairie Farms Dairy, Fort Wayne, IN. Pineapple
Natural Cheese Snack
First place: Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Ellsworth, WI. Cajun Cheddar Cheese Curds
Second place: Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Ellsworth, WI. Hickory Bacon Cheddar Cheese Curds
Third place: Cut & Wrap Team, Agri-Mark, Cabot, VT. Extra Sharp Cracker Cut
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