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Brian Crave named State Fair Grand Master Cheesemaker

Brian Crave from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo has won the Grand Master Cheesemaker title at the Wisconsin State Fair with his winning entry of Chocolate Mascarpone.

Crave’s Chocolate Mascarpone was also named Best in Class for flavored soft cheese at the United States Cheese Championships this past February, where he also had a fresh Mozzarella place in the top three.

Dairy manufacturers, supporters and enthusiasts gathered at the Saz’s Hospitality Pavilion at Wisconsin State Fair Park on Thursday evening, August 10 for the Blue Ribbon Dairy Products Auction and the announcement of the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair Grand Master Cheesemaker.

In addition to announcing the Grand Master Cheesemaker, the grand champion dairy products were also announced at the event. Here are the 2023 winners:

• Grand Champion Butter: Royal Guernsey Creamery salted butter, made by Royal Guernsey Creamery of Columbus.

• Grand Champion Sour Cream: Odyssey Sour Cream, made by Klondike Cheese Co of Monroe.

• Grand Champion Yogurt: Yodelay Pineapple Swiss Yogurt, made by Yodelay Yogurt of Madison.

• Grand Champion Milk: 2% Fluid White Milk made by Lamers Dairy of Appleton.

• Grand Champion Custard: Banana Cream made by The Creamy Pig of Grafton. 

Each blue ribbon entry from the dairy products contest sold during the auction, which raised $50,155 for student scholarships and dairy promotion at the state fair. 

Leading off the auction was two pounds of Crave Brothers Chocolate Mascarpone, which sold for $1,600 to Rock River Laboratory.

Auction results, provided by the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board

LOT 10 2 LBS. 

GRAND MASTER CHEESEMAKER

CLASS 11 – FLAVORED SOFT CHEESE – Chocolate Mascarpone

Made by Brian Crave

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Waterloo

Buyer: Rock River Laboratory

Price/lb.: $800

Total Price: $1,600

LOT 1   42 LBS.

CLASS 3 – COLBY, MONTEREY JACK – Associated Milk Producers Inc.

Made by Shawn Sadler

Associated Milk Producers Inc., Jim Falls

Buyer: Nelson Jameson

Price/lb.: $45

Total Price: $1,890

LOT 2   10 LBS.

CLASS 8 – BLUE-VEINED CHEESE – Cheddar with Sporadic Blue Veins

Made by Team Roelli Cheese

Roelli Cheese Co, Shullsburg

Buyer: CHR Hansen

Price/lb.: $175

Total Price: $1,750

LOT 3 12 LBS.

CLASS 18 – REDUCED FAT OR LITE CHEESE – Odyssey Reduced Fat Feta

Made by Steve Webster

Klondike Cheese Co, Monroe

Buyer: Wisconsin Aging and Grading Cheese

Price/lb.: $40

Total Price: $480

LOT 4   6 LBS.

CLASS 43 – FLAVORED SOUR CREAM – French Onion Dip

Made by Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby

Buyer: Saz’s

Price/lb.: $200

Total Price: $1,200

LOT 5   12 LBS.

CLASS 16 – COLD PACK CHEESE, CHEESE FOOD – Spicy Beer Cold Pack Cheese

Made by Team Pine River

Pine River Prepack, Newton

Buyer: Wisconsin Aging and Grading Cheese

Price/lb.: $225

Total Price: $2,700

LOT 6   6 LBS.

CLASS 24 – FLAVORED GOAT MILK CHEESE – Pumpkin Goat Cheese

CLASS 25 – NATURAL GOAT MILK CHEESE – LaClare Original Goat Cheese

Made by Robert Garves

Mosaic Meadows, Kaukauna

Buyer: Ron’s Wisconsin Cheese

Price/lb.: $225

Total Price: $1,350

LOT 7   5 LBS.

GRAND CHAMPION YOGURT

CLASS 39 – FLAVORED YOGURT – Pineapple Swiss Yogurt

Made by Yodelay Yogurt, Middleton

Buyer: DRC Wisconsin Executive Advisors, David Carpenter

Price/lb.: $100

Total Price: $500

LOT 8   36 LBS.

CLASS 22 – OPEN CLASS FOR SEMI-SOFT CHEESE – Golden 2-4 months, American Original

CLASS 13 – SMOKED CHEESE – Smoked Gouda

Made by Marieke Gouda Team

Holland’s Family Cheese, dba Marieke Goda, Thorp

Buyer: Nasonville Dairy Weber’s Farm Store

Price/lb.: $95

Total Price: $3,420

LOT 9   4 LBS.

GRAND CHAMPION MILK

CLASS 47 – 2% FLUID MILK – WHITE – 2% Fluid White Milk

Made by Lamer’s Dairy, Appleton

Buyer: Novak Cheese

Price/lb.: $150

Total Price: $600

LOT 11 18 LBS.

CLASS 9 – FETA – Feta

Made by Nathan Forseth

Agropur, Weyauwega

Buyer: Dairy Products Marketing

Price/lb.: $100

Total Price: $1,800

LOT 12 50 LBS.

CLASS 17 – PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE – Organic White American Cheese 

Made by Team Revela Foods

CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley, LaFarge

Buyer: Ivarson

Price/lb.: $20

Total Price: $1,000

LOT 13 40 LBS.

CLASS 1 – MILD CHEDDAR – Old World Cheddar

CLASS 14 – FLAVORED HARD CHEESE – Garlic and Herb BellaVitano

Both made by Team Sartori

Sartori Cheese, Plymouth

Buyer: We Energies

Price/lb.: $95

Total Price: $3,800

LOT 14 10 LBS.

CLASS 35 – UNSALTED BUTTER – Unsalted Butter 

Made by CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley, LaFarge

          Buyer: Gibbsville Implement

          Price/lb.: $65

         Total Price: $650

LOT 15 4 LBS.

CLASS 31 – SHREDDED CHEESE – Shredded Parm

Made by Great Lakes Cheese, Plymouth

Buyer: Ivarson

Price/lb.: $325

Total Price: $1,300

LOT 16 2 LBS.

CLASS 7 – STRING CHEESE  – Mozzarella Cheese Whips

Made by Ben Shibler

Ron’s Wisconsin Cheese, Luxemburg

Buyer: Berenz Packaging

Price/lb.: $400

Total Price: $800

LOT 17   4 LBS.

CLASS 26 – LATIN AMERICA CHEESE – Oaxaca

Made by George Crave

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Waterloo

Buyer: DR Tech

Price/lb.: $500

Total Price: $2,000

LOT 18 10 LBS.

CLASS 5 – BRICK, MUENSTER – Buholzer Brothers Brick

Made by Ty Saglam

Klondike Cheese Co, Monroe

Buyer: Nelson Jameson

Price/lb.: $125

Total Price: $1,250

LOT 19 2 LBS.

CLASS 41 – DRINKABLE CULTURED PRODUCTS – Low Fat Mango Kefir

Made by Weber’s Farm Store, Marshfield

Buyer: CHR Hansen

Price/lb.: $200

Total Price: $400

LOT 20    16 LBS.

CLASS 21 – FLAVORED HAVARTI – Dill Havarti

CLASS 29 – UNFLAVORED CHEESE CURDS – White Curd

CLASS 30 – FLAVORED CHEESE CURDS – Tomato Bacon Ranch Curd

Made by Steve Stettler

Decatur Dairy, Brodhead

Buyer: Nelson Jameson

Price/lb.: $125

Total Price: $2,000

LOT 21    1 GAL

CLASS 51 – UNFLAVORED CUSTARD – Sweet Cream Frozen Custard

Made by Dairyland Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Milwaukee

Buyer: We Energies

Price/lb.: $300

Total Price: $300

LOT 22    10 LBS.

CLASS 4- SWISS STYLE – Prairie Farms Baby Swiss Wheel

Made by Mark Grossen

Prairie Farms, Shullsburg

Buyer: CHR Hansen

Price/lb.: $55

Total Price: $550

LOT 23    12 LBS.

CLASS 27 – SHEEP AND MIXED MILK CHEESE  – Breezy Blue

Made by Team Kingston Cheese

Kingston Cheese Cooperative, Cambria

Buyer: Nasonville Dairy Weber’s Farm Store

Price/lb.: $75

Total Price: $900

LOT 24    9 LBS.

CLASS 28 – GOUDA & EDAM – Roth Aged Gouda

Made by Emmi Roth

Emmi Roth, Fitchburg

Buyer: Master’s Gallery Foods

Price/lb.: $325

Total Price: $2,925

LOT 25    10 LBS.

CLASS 32 – CRUMBLED CHEESE – Crumbled Feta 

Made by Rachel Pantzlaff

Agropur, Weyauwega

Buyer: Alpma USA

Price/lb.: $175

Total Price: $1,750

LOT 26 10 LBS.

GRAND CHAMPION SOUR CREAM – Odyssey Sour Cream

CLASS 37 – FLAVORED HIGH PROTEIN YOGURT – Odyssey Peach Greek Yogurt

CLASS 38 – UNFLAVORED HIGH PROTEIN YOGURT – Odyssey Greek Yogurt

CLASS 40 – OPEN CLASS UNFLAVORED YOGURT – Odyssey Whole Fat Yogurt

CLASS 44 – UNFLAVORED SOUR CREAM – Odyssey Sour Cream CLASS 45 – LOW FAT SOUR CREAM- Odyssey Reduced Fat Greek French Onion Dip

All made by Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe

Buyer: Dairyland Packaging

Price/lb.: $35

Total Price: $350

LOT 27 10 LBS.

CLASS 20 – HAVARTI – Havarti

Made by Matt Henze

Decatur Dairy, Brodhead

Buyer: CHR Hansen

Price/lb.: $150

Total Price: $1,500 

LOT 28 12 LBS.

CLASS 10 – FLAVORED PEPPER CHEESE – Sweet Heat Feta

Made by Matt Erdley

Klondike Cheese Co, Monroe

Buyer: Novak Cheese

Price/lb.: $50

Total Price: $600

LOT 29 1 GAL

GRAND CHAMPION CUSTARD

CLASS 50 – FLAVORED CUSTARD – Banana Cream 

Made by The Creamy Pig, Grafton

Buyer: DRC Wisconsin Executive Advisors, David Carpenter

Price/lb.: $700

Total Price: $700

LOT 30 10 LBS.

CLASS 15 – SMEAR RIPENED CHEESE – Pleasant Ridge Reserve

Made by Uplands Cheese

Uplands Cheese, Dodgeville

Buyer: Dairy Connection

Price/lb.: $15

Total Price: $150

LOT 31 12 LBS.

CLASS 6 – MOZZARELLA – LM Whole Milk Mozzarella 

Made by Jeremy Robinsin

Agropur, Weyauwega

Buyer: Dairy Products Marketing

Price/lb.: $70

Total Price: $840

LOT 32 10 LBS.

GRAND CHAMPION BUTTER

CLASS 34 – SALTED BUTTER – Salted Butter

Made by Royal Guernsey Creamery, Columbus

Buyer: Saz’s Hospitality Group

Price/lb.: $60

Total Price: $600

LOT 33 30 LBS.

CLASS 12 – FLAVORED SEMI-SOFT CHEESE – Artisan Smoky Pepper Fontina

CLASS 19 – OPEN CLASS FOR SOFT & SPREADABLE CHEESE – Cello Mascarpone

CLASS 23 – OPEN CLASS FOR HARD CHEESE – Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan

All made by Lake Country Dairy

Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese, Turtle Lake

Buyer: DR Tech

Price/lb.: $140

Total Price: $4,200

LOT 34 4 LBS.

CLASS 48 – FLUID –  CHOCOLATE A2 Whole Chocolate Milk 

Made by Two Guernsey Girls Creamery, Freedom

Buyer: State Fair Park Board

Price/lb.: $250

Total Price: $1,000

LOT 35 22 LBS.

CLASS 2 – AGED CHEDDAR – Deer Creek The Imperial Buck 

Made by Henning’s Cheese for The Artisan Cheese Exchange

The Artisan Cheese Exchange, Sheboygan

Buyer: Ivarson

Price/lb.: $150

Total Price: $3,300