Guest Columns

Perspective:
Product Evaluation

The evolving landscape of artisan dairy products in the Americas

Stephanie Clark

Stephanie Clark is manager of academic engagement at the American Dairy Products Institute, Elmhurst, Illinois. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

For a decade-and-a-half, I have had the privilege of serving as technical advisor for the American Cheese
Society (ACS) Judging & Competition (J&C), after being invited into the role by Bill Wendorf of the Center for Dairy Research. During that time, I have seen the American artisan dairy industry evolve in remarkable ways. While the ACS J&C has modernized its judging and feedback systems, the most striking transformation has been in the breadth, technical quality and sophistication of the products being entered.

Since 2011, approximately 21,000 butter, cultured products and cheeses have been evaluated through the ACS J&C, representing milk from cows, goats, sheep and buffalo and produced by operations ranging from small farmstead creameries to large cooperatives across the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

Because all entries are evaluated anonymously and judged by paired technical and aesthetic judges, the ACS competition offers a unique snapshot of the evolving specialty dairy landscape. Although my perspective is broad, the trends described here are drawn primarily from the past five competitions, where several observations help illustrate where American artisan cheese is today — and where it may be heading.

The “American Originals” category illustrates the evolution particularly well. While it includes traditional cheeses originating in the Americas (e.g., Brick, Colby and Jack), the open sub-category recognizes cheeses that are truly novel in formulation and manufacture. Entries must demonstrate at least three characteristics that distinguish them from established cheese varieties. Although these cheeses represent only about 2% of competition entries, they have averaged an impressive 92.9/100 over the past five years (above the competition average), demonstrating that innovation and quality often go hand in hand. The high quality of entries in this category also demonstrates that artisan cheesemakers are no longer focused solely on reproducing traditional European varieties — they are creating distinctive cheeses that stand on their own.

While most entries have been produced in the United States, Canada entries have doubled — from 3% in 2022-2023 to 7% in 2026. When considering success rate (awards received per total entries), since 2022, 25% to 30% of U.S. entries have won awards. Since 2022, the proportion of Canadian entries receiving awards has increased from about one-quarter to over one-third. Furthermore, Best of Show awards have gone north of the U.S. border twice along with two Best of Show runner-up honors.

Among individual producers, Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farm has demonstrated particularly remarkable consistency at the highest level of competition. This year, for the second time since 2022, Jasper Hill Farm earned Best of Show. This year it was awarded the honor for Winnemere, a raw milk, soft-ripened cheese wrapped in spruce bark. Its Raclette-style cheese, Whitney, earned Best of Show in 2022. Jasper Hill Farm also earned Runner-up Best of Show honors in 2025 with Withersbrook. Since 2006, Jasper Hill Farm has earned five ACS Judging & Competition Best of Show awards. While no single producer defines the direction of the industry, Jasper Hill Farm’s repeated success illustrates how thoughtful innovation, combined with sustained technical and aesthetic excellence, continues to be recognized even as competition grows.

Overall product quality has also improved measurably over the past five years. The percentage of products scoring 90 points or higher increased substantially beginning in 2024, while the proportion scoring below 90 declined by roughly one-third (see Table 1 above). These shifts indicate that improvements are occurring across the competition rather than only among award winners.

The improvement in scores is particularly noteworthy because judging standards have not become easier over time. Entries continue to be evaluated anonymously by paired technical and aesthetic judges using the same rigorous scoring philosophy. The rising scores therefore reflect improvements in product quality rather than changes in judging expectations.

Having observed approximately 21,000 entries over the past 15 years, I remain encouraged by the trajectory of artisan dairy products in the Americas. Although cheesemakers continue to face economic and operational challenges, innovation is flourishing, technical quality continues to improve and excellence is emerging from every corner of the continent. The recent success of Canadian cheesemakers and the sustained excellence of Jasper Hill Farm are not isolated stories — they reflect an artisan cheese community throughout the Americas that continues to raise the bar for everyone.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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