FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Haley Elkins, 802-451-8564, haley@vtcheese.com
VERMONT CHEESEMAKERS BRING HOME RECORD-BREAKING 54 RIBBONS AT THE 43rd ANNUAL AMERICAN CHEESE SOCIETY COMPETITION
Winners Announced on July 8 in Louisville, Kentucky
The 2026 ACS competition saw 15 Vermont cheesemakers awarded 54 ribbons, including 1st Place Best in Show for Jasper Hill in Greensboro, VT, with every Vermont maker who entered winning
Waterbury Center, VT (July 8, 2026)
The Vermont Cheese Council (VCC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cheesemaking community of Vermont and the Vermont cheese brand, announced that Vermont Cheesemakers took home 54 total awards across 15 Vermont cheesemakers and producers.
The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leading organization supporting the understanding, appreciation, and promotion of farmstead, artisan, and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS hosts North America’s foremost annual cheese-based educational conference, and world-renowned cheese judging and competition. This year’s event was held in Louisville, KY. The conference alternates each year between coasts and the middle of the country.
15 Vermont cheesemakers submitted cheeses for judging at the prestigious competition this year, due in part to the VCC’s program for ACS entry fee reimbursement. The VCC reimburses Vermont cheesemakers for competition entry fees up to a certain amount to support their efforts in showcasing their cheese in a competitive setting, as well as to build support for this important competition. All competitors are given judging notes for their products which are helpful in evaluating the cheeses and in some cases, improving the quality of production of cheeses. The VCC finds this aspect of the competition an invaluable educational tool for its members.
“We are beaming with Vermont pride at these well-deserved recognitions from the American Cheese Society,” said Vermont Cheese Council Executive Director Haley Elkins. “Vermont cheese continues to lead on the national stage through the creative inspiration and hard-working dedication of cheesemakers and dairy farmers. We are heartened to see that the rest of America believes in Vermont cheesemakers as much as we do, and are honored to share them with the world.”
The state of Vermont, celebrated for its focus on family agriculture, small farms, and Vermont-made products, including cheese, boasts more cheese companies per capita than any other state in the nation. There are currently 40 members of the Vermont Cheese Council making over 150+ varieties of cheese. Cheesemakers range in size from producers for local farmers markets to producers selling in regional, national and international markets. Vermont remains the heart of the region’s dairy industry, home to nearly half of all farms in New England. Vermont cheese creates $542,242 of economic output per job, and each Vermont dairy cow provides $8,676 in economic activity to the state annually.
A spreadsheet of winning Vermont cheeses can be found here, as well as the list below:
Winning cheeses from Vermont:
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Winnimere, 1st Place BEST IN SHOW
Boston Post Dairy (Enosburg Falls) – Eleven Brothers, 1st Place
Boston Post Dairy (Enosburg Falls) – Gisele, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot 10% Plain Greek Yogurt, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Colby Jack, 1st Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Creme Fraiche, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Fiery Jack Shreds, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Garlic Herb Cheddar, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Gouda, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Habanero Cheddar, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Mild Cheddar, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Muenster Cheese, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Pepper Jack Cracker Cuts, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Salted Butter, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Sharp Cheddar Shreds, 3rd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Smoky Bacon Cheddar, 2nd Place
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Unsalted 83BF Euro Style Butter, 1st Place
Fat Sheep Farm (Hartland) – Manchiko, 2nd Place
Grafton Village Cheese Company (Grafton) – Grafton Bear Hill, 1st Place
Grafton Village Cheese Company (Grafton) – Grafton Shepsog, 3rd Place
Grafton Village Cheese Company (Grafton) – Grafton Storyteller, 2nd Place
Green Mountain Blue Cheese (Highgate Center) – Boucher Blue, 3rd Place
Green Mountain Blue Cheese (Highgate Center) – Madison Blue, 1st Place
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Alpha Tolman, 3rd Place
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Moses Sleeper, 1st Place
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Willoughby, 1st Place
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Winnimere, 1st Place BEST IN SHOW
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) – Winnimere, 1st Place
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) for Murray’s Cheese – Greensward, 2nd Place
Jasper Hill Farms (Greensboro) and Cabot Creamery Cooperative (Waitsfield) – Cabot Clothbound Black Label, 1st Place
Maplebrook Farm + Ploughgate Creamery (North Bennington) – Cultured Maple Butter, 1st Place
Maplebrook Farm + Ploughgate Creamery (North Bennington) – Feta, 1st Place
Maplebrook Farm + Ploughgate Creamery (North Bennington) – Mozzarella, 1st Place
Plymouth Cheese (Plymouth) – Plymouth Cheddar, 3rd Place
Sage Farm Goat Dairy (Stowe) – Morse Camembert, 2nd Place
Shelburne Farms (Shelburne) – Shelburne Farms 2 Year Cheddar, 2nd Place
Spring Brook Farm Cheese (Reading) – Reading, 1st Place
Spring Brook Farm Cheese (Reading) – Tarentaise Reserve, 3rd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – Bijou, 3rd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – Lightly Salted Cultured Butter, 3rd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – Maple Chipotle Goat Cheese, 3rd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – Sea Salt Crystals Cultured Butter, 1st Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – St. Albans, 2nd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) – Unsalted Cultured Butter, 2nd Place
Vermont Creamery (Websterville) for Wegmans Food Market- Sweet 16, 2nd Place
Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company (Windsor) – Farmstead Brie, 3rd Place
Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company (Windsor) – Maple Bacon Cheddar, 1st Place
Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company (Windsor) – Smoked Brie, 3rd Place
von Trapp Farmstead (Waitsfield) – Oma, 2nd Place
von Trapp Farmstead (Waitsfield) – Opa!, 2nd Place
von Trapp Farmstead (Waitsfield) – Mad River Blue, 1st Place
von Trapp Farmstead (Waitsfield) – Mt. Alice, 3rd Place
von Trapp Farmstead for Murray’s Cheese – Savage, 2nd Place
Woodlawn Creamery (Pawlet) – Emerson, 3rd Place
Woodlawn Creamery (Pawlet) – Rupert, 3rd Place
Photo Pack with Photo IDs and Credits Here
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