EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. – Between its Prairie Farms Dairy branded products and dairy goods produced by other brands within its family, Prairie Farms won 44 awards overall at the 2022 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest.

Its products swept – securing first, second and third places – in four categories. Plus, its Chandler, Okla., plant produced Hiland Dairy’s French Onion dip, which took home the title of grade A grand champion.

Prairie Farms and family companies won all three medals in four categories: regular cottage cheese, lowfat and no fat cottage cheese, blueberry yogurt and open class pasteurized milk. Belfonte took second place in both the lowfat cottage cheese and blueberry yogurt categories. Hiland Dairy won first in blueberry yogurt and second in open pasteurized milk. All the other medal-winning products in those categories were under the Prairie Farms label.

Overall, the Illinois-based company and its extended family of products picked up awards in fluid milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream dip, whipping cream/half and half, sour cream and ice cream categories.

Rebecca Leinenbach, vice president of marketing and communications for Prairie Farms, said the company was honored to earn the awards.

“They validate our commitment to our farmer-owners to turn their high-quality milk into the finest dairy products available,” Leinenbach said. “Our success as this year’s WDE top winning company demonstrates the strength of our farm-to-table network and the hard work of our farm families and team members. Once again, their effort delivered significant contest results, and we couldn’t be more proud.”

Judging for this year’s contest took place from Aug. 23-25 at MATC Culinary Arts School in Madison, Wis. Organizers for the event said there was a record number of total entries (1,560).

This first, second and third place winners in each category can be found online at the WDPA website. 

Edwardsville, Ill.-based Prairie Farms distributes dairy goods to more than 30% of the US, with products available in grocery chains, mass merchandiser stores, club stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores, schools, foodservice outlets and warehouse distribution centers.