Prairie Farms celebrates NMPF dairy product contest awards

PHOENIX — The annual National Milk Producers Federation Dairy Product Judging Contest recently wrapped up and it was a successful year for Prairie Farms Dairy.

With an impressive 18 ribbons, including sweeps in four categories, Prairie Farms won more awards than any other company competing in the contest.

The awards ceremony was held during the 2024 Joint Annual Meeting of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, NMPF and United Dairy Industry Association, which took place Oct. 20-23 in Phoenix.

“Whether it’s cave-aged or cottage cheese, it is hard for me to grasp the significance of the behind-the-scenes work it takes to produce our extensive portfolio of products. Our dairy farmers and cheese makers always prioritize quality, and I was incredibly proud to accept the NMPF awards on their behalf,” said Matt McClelland, CEO and executive vice president of Prairie Farms Dairy.

“Recognition from the NMPF Dairy Product Judging Contest always opens up new opportunities for us, and I hear over and over again, ‘Prairie Farms is the company we want to do business with.’ I’m grateful to our existing and potential B2B partners for understanding the value of supporting a farmer-owned company.”

This year, 11 NMPF co-ops competed for 83 awards in 26 categories. Prairie Farms came out on top, receiving 22% of the awards, including sweeps in four categories: Hard and Mold Ripened Italian, Swiss, Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese, and Flavored Yogurt.

• Hard and Mold Ripened Italian Cheese: first place — AmaGorg, of Faribault, Minnesota; second place — Pasteurized Blue Cheese, of Mindoro, Wisconsin; and third place — St. Pete’s Select Blue Cheese, of Faribault, Minnesota.

• Swiss Cheese: first place — 44° North Rinded Swiss, of Faribault, Minnesota; second place — Baby Swiss, of Luana, Iowa; and third place — Swiss, of Luana, Iowa.

• Reduced Fat Cottage Cheese: first place — 2% Cottage Cheese, of Chandler, Oklahoma; second place — 1% Cottage Cheese, of Wichita, Kansas; and third place — 2% Small Curd Cottage Cheese, of Kansas City, Missouri.

• Flavored Yogurt: first place — Blueberry, of Wichita, Kansas; second place — Black Cherry, of Wichita, Kansas; and third place — 1% Peach, of Quincy, Illinois.

• Open Class: first place — Cream Cheese, of Luana, Iowa; and third place — Neufchatel, of Luana, Iowa.

• Cottage Cheese: first place — 4% Small Curd, of Wichita, Kansas; and third place — 4% Small Curd, of Quincy, Illinois.

• Natural Cheese Snack: second place — Mixed Cheddar Curds, of Shullsburg, Wisconsin.

• Yogurt — Greek Plain: second place — Plain, of Wichita, Kansas.

In the NMPF Communications Contest, the Prairie Farms marketing team was named Communicator of the Year, the contest’s top award for work that exemplifies outstanding achievement.

The team received nine additional awards in various categories, including writing, photography and videography.