Stearns County Dairies Recognized For Artisan Cheese

(KNSI) – Stearns County dominated in the Artisan Cheese category at the Minnesota State Fair last week.

Winner Stickney Hill in Cold Spring and Brooten’s Redhead Creamery combined to take the top four spots in the annual contest held by the Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association, says Lucas Sjostrom.

“And so they’re plain chevre took first place. Their blueberry cheese took third place and then in between those two — nearby Brooten west of St. Cloud there, Redhead Creamery, who I’m affiliated with, took second and fourth place. So, really the St. Cloud area represented very well.”

Sjostrom says the chevre is not meant to be eaten on its own, but pairs great with crackers and wine.

Sjostrom explains how judges make their selections.

“There’s 50 points for aesthetics, that’s the taste and the smell and how it looks. And then there’s 50 points for the technicality, so something might look really cool and taste really good but if it technically doesn’t hold up to the rigors of what we want for cheese for moisture and hole size and that sort of thing, you could have points deducted.”

Sjostrom says Stearns County should do well in the open class and FFA cattle showings happening this week.

Sjostrom says that when you include fluids like milk and whey, dairy products rival corn as the state’s top agricultural output. It is a $9 billion industry in Minnesota alone.

All of the cheeses that were presented are up for auction. You can find a link here.

Sjostrom says the national competitions typically take place in the first half of the year. Many of this year’s entries at the fair will preview the offerings that Stickney Hill Dairy and Redhead Creamery sample for the rest of the country in 2023.

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