EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. – When the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA) announced the winners for the 2023 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest, Prairie Farms Dairy and its family of brands combined to secure 62 awards, covering 38 of the contest’s categories.

The dairy cooperative’s products won 22 first-place honors and even occupied each of the top three spots in five classes: white milk, flavored UHT milk and aseptic, sour cream based dips (both onion and southwest), and cookies and cookie dough ice creams.

The Hiland Dairy facility in Norman, Okla., received a Grade A Grand Champion Award for its 2% Milk. In total, the dairy cooperative’s brands picked up awards in classes such as fluid milk (17 awards), ice cream (12), sour cream (10), yogurt (nine), whipping cream/creamer (five), cottage cheese (four), cheese (four) and whey (one). Hiland Dairy shared that it won more awards than any other company at the contest.

"Earning recognition from the prestigious World Dairy Expo Dairy Product Contest directly reflects the hard work behind our farm-to-table commitment,” said Matt McClelland, Prairie Farms' chief executive officer and executive vice president. “With these awards, our dairy products are officially recognized as the 'best of the best,' and for that, we thank the judges.”

McClelland added: "Our dairy farmers provide high-quality milk, allowing our team members to produce award-winning dairy products, and they deserve credit for the awards. Since Prairie Farms is celebrating our 85th Anniversary in 2023, receiving this record-breaking number of 62 WDE awards is an important milestone, and I couldn't be prouder of our farmer-owners and employees."

WDPA’s national competition this year received entries from 43 states, with products in 96 classes. A complete list of top-three finishers from each class is available at the World Dairy Expo page on WDPA’s website.