For the second year in a row, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese secured the top honor at the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest. Just like in 2022, the company’s Chocolate Mascarpone helped it land the title of Grand Master Cheesemaker.
The award goes to the maker of the overall top product in the contest, selected from the first-place winners in more than 40 categories. Overall, the contest at the Wisconsin State Fair features close to 500 entries.
Mascarpone received first place in the flavored soft cheese class at this year’s contest. It was one of two first-place awards for Crave Brothers, among its five latest accolades at the fair.
“To be named the Grand Master Cheesemaker for the second year in a row is an honor,” said George Crave, founder of Crave Brothers. “Our commitment to crafting sustainably made, high-quality products is unwavering, and we’re proud to be recognized as a top dairy producer in such a strong industry.”
The Waterloo, Wis., company’s focus on renewable energy includes using 100% green power, which allows it to operate as a carbon-negative business. Its practices at the farm and factory level include the use of a biodigester, water recovery and recycling.
Photo: Crave Brothers
With dairy companies competing in a variety of categories for the competition, the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest also named grand champions for other products. The 2023 grand champions are:
• Butter – Royal Guernsey Creamery’s salted butter (Columbus, Wis.)
• Yogurt – Yodelay Pineapple Swiss Yogurt (Madison, Wis.)
• Sour cream – Odyssey Sour Cream, by Klondike Cheese Co. (Monroe, Wis.)
• Milk – % Fluid White Milk, by Lamers Dairy (Appleton, Wis.)
• Custard – Banana Cream, by The Creamy Pig (Grafton, Wis.)
“Wisconsin truly is the best place in the world for dairy,” said Chad Vincent, chief executive officer for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. “And the state fair honors the finest amongst a state obsessed with making the world’s greatest cheese.”
