By Katie Spring, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
In July, cheesemakers from across America gathered in Buffalo, NY for the annual American Cheese Society (ACS) Conference. Celebrating and uplifting American made cheese, the ACS Conference offered cheese tastings, workshops, and area tours. It also hosted the annual ACS Competition Awards Ceremony.
The competition, “a technical and aesthetic evaluation of American-made cheeses,” recognizes the finest American cheeses and cultured dairy products. Hundreds of cheesemakers across the United States and Canada submit thousands of entries each year. ACS awards recognize technical and aesthetic excellence and are highly valued in the industry. They’re known to open doors to new markets and help cheesemakers expand their reach and sales.
This year, 16 Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center grantees won awards. Vermont cheesemakers took home a total of 34 individual ribbons.
Vermont winners include:
- Blue Ledge Farm*
- Cabot Creamery*
- Cellars at Jasper Hill*
- Grafton Village Cheese*
- Green Mountain Blue Cheese
- Jasper Hill Farm*
- Maplebrook Farm*
- Sage Farm Goat Dairy
- Spring Brook Farm Cheese
- Vermont Creamery*
*NE-DBIC grantees.
Congratulations to all for the recognition and honor of winning at ACS! See a full list of NE-DBIC grantees who won ACS awards at nedairyinnovation.com/nedbic-grantees-acs-awards/