Real California Cow’s Milk Cheeses Win 31 Awards at American Cheese Society Meeting in Buffalo, New York

Real California Cow’s Milk Cheeses Win 31 Awards at American Cheese Society Meeting in Buffalo, New York

Real California Cow’s Milk Cheeses Win 31 Awards at American Cheese Society Meeting in Buffalo, New York

PR Newswire

TRACY, Calif., July 12, 2024

California Cheese and Dairy Producers Win 53 Total Cheeses at Annual Celebration of North American Producers

TRACY, Calif., July 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cow’s milk cheeses and dairy processors using the Real California Milk label won 31 awards at the 2024 annual cheese competition hosted by the American Cheese Society (ACS) in Buffalo, New York.

The American Cheese Society recognizes the best cheeses and dairy products made in the Americas. A total of 1,596 cheeses and fermented dairy products were entered into the competition. Cheeses made from California cow’s milk performed well this year among the 142 organizations representing North America.

California cheesemakers won a total of 53 awards, including 31 for California cow’s milk cheeses: 8 first place, 11 second place and 12 third place in this year’s judging. Highlights of these wins include:

• Central Valley Cheese/Karoun, Turlock – 6 awards, 1st place each for smoked cheese and honey yogurt; 2nd each for Labne, whole milk yogurt and Thirumala yogurt; and 3rd for marinated string cheese.
• Marquez Brothers International, San Jose – 5 awards, 1st place each for the mango drinking yogurt and the guava drinking yogurt; 2nd room for strawberry drinkable yogurt; and 3rd Place each strawberry and banana drinking yogurt and the piña colada drinking yogurt.
• Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Pt. Reyes – 4 awards, 1st room for Toma truffle; 2nd room for the Brie with Truffles; and 3rd place each for Bay Blue and Fennel Blue.
• French Marin Cheese, Petaluma – 3 prizes, 2nd place each for Camembert and Breakfast; 3rd Make way for the Little Truffle.
• Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, Willows – 3 awards, 1st room for Gina Marie cream cheese; 3rd each place for organic unsalted butter and plain yogurt.
• Fiscalini Farm, Modesto – 2 prizes, 2nd place each for Old World Cheddar and Truffle Cheddar.
• Rumiano Cheese Company, Crescent City – 2 awards, 2nd place for Dry Jack; 3rd place for original organic ghee.
• Belfiore Cheese Company, Berkeley – 1st prize, 3rdrd place for farmhouse cheese.
• Bellwether Farmers, Petaluma – 1 prize, 1st Make way for Crème Fraîche.
• Cheese Chunks, Riverbank – 1 prize, 3rd Make way for wood-smoked mozzarella pearls.
• Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma – 1st prize, 2ndnd place for the cart wheel.
• Fermes Joseph, Atwater – 1 prize, 1st room for Monterey Jack.
• Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Nicasio – 1st prize, 3rdrd location for Halleck Creek.

In total, 13 California cow’s milk cheese and dairy companies won awards for their products made with California milk from more than 1,100 family-owned dairy farms in the state that use some of the most sustainable dairy practices in the world. Sierra Nevada Cheese Company and Bellwether Farms also received awards, four and one respectively, for their non-cow’s milk cheeses that do not carry the Real California Milk label.

California cheesemakers that don’t produce cow’s milk did well, with Laura Chenel taking home seven awards, Cypress Grove and Shooting Star Creamery each taking home three, and Central Coast Creamery and Pennyroyal Farm each taking home two.

California is the second largest cheese-producing state in the country, producing more than 2.4 billion pounds of cheese. Real California cheese and dairy products are available at retailers throughout the United States, Mexico and Asia. For more information, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com. For more information on the ACS competition winners and the ACS conference, visit cheesesociety.org.

About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an agency of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farming families who are leading sustainable dairy farming practices in the country. With a goal of feeding the world with the goodness of real California milk, CMAB’s programs aim to increase demand for sustainable California dairy products in the state, across the United States and around the world. Connect with CMAB at RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, TwitterInstagram and Pinterest.

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SOURCE California Milk Advisory Board