U.S. Championship Cheese Contest Reveals Elite Judging Team for 2025
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), host of the 2025 United States Championship Cheese Contest®, has unveiled the distinguished panel of dairy industry experts who will assess this year's entries. Scheduled for March 4-6 at the Resch Expo in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the event will showcase the finest dairy products from across the nation.
This year's judging team features 38 elite cheese graders, buyers, and dairy science professionals from 15 states. Representatives include Jill Allen from Tillamook in Oregon, Valerie Arechiga of Glanbia Nutritionals in Idaho, and Marc Bates from Bates Consulting in Oregon, among many others.
The judging process will be overseen by the leadership team known as the “Red Hats,” led by Chief Judge Jim Mueller from Mueller Consulting. Other key figures include Tim Czmowski from ISG Engineering and Stan Dietsche from Oshkosh Cold Storage.
Since its inception in 1981, the biennial U.S. Championship Cheese Contest has stood as the premier national competition for cheese and dairy products. This year, the preliminary judging rounds will welcome public attendance, and the event will culminate in a live reveal of the 2025 U.S. Champion Cheese.
