Cheese Competition

The American Dairy Goat Association welcomes your participation in the Goat Milk Products Competition, which will be held at the ADGA Annual Convention. The competition is open to both Commercial and Amateur Cheese and Confection makers. A cheesemaker is commercial if they have been legally selling products for at least six months at the time of entry.

If you have questions regarding the Goat Milk Products Competition, please contact Products Committee Chair Caroline Lawson at tlcgoats@gmail.com.

Participate in the Cheese Competition

Entry Form

Judges

Technical Judge: Ben Mathers
Aesthetic Judge: To Be Announced

Prizes

Our Commercial Cheese Best in Show winner will receive a rosette and a $250 gift card, and our Commercial Cheese Reserve Best in Show winner will receive a rosette and a $150 gift card.

Our Amateur Cheese Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show Winners will each receive a rosette.

Rules & Classes

Entries must follow best practices for safe cheese production.

General Rules:

  • A cheese or other edible product may be entered in only one class.  If in doubt about which class your product should be entered in, enter in the class your product most closely resembles.
  • Please enter each cheese or product separately.
  • Amateur products will not be served at the Products’ Reception.
  • A cheese maker is considered commercial if they have been legally selling their products for a minimum of six months at the time of entry.
  • Minimum scores are required to earn awards. 
    • Cheeses and other edible products do not compete “against” each other for awards within their categories.  Standards of excellence apply to all entries. 
    • Assuming minimum scores are met, the three highest scores in each category will place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.  However, it is possible that awards are not earned within a category if no entry achieves a minimum number of points. 
    • Ties are allowed only for 2nd and 3rd place finishers.  No ties for 1st place (half-point scoring is allowed to help reduce the number of ties).
  • Gift baskets are also auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the ADGA Youth Convention; amateur gift baskets are not accepted.
2026 Cheese Competition Class Entry CategoriesDownload

Additional Information

  • A cheese/product may be entered in only one class, and each product should be entered separately.
  • Commercial products will be served at the Products’ Reception on Thursday, October 15. The winning Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show products will be auctioned off at the reception.
  • The Best in Show winning product will receive a rosette and a prize of $250, and the Reserve Best in Show will receive a rosette and a prize of $150.
  • Please send promotional material or placards in the shipping container(s), along with your product entries.
  • For commercial soft cheeses/yogurt/kefir/butter/confections/frozen products – please send three packages of soft cheese or product in the form in which it is sold (for example: logs, pyramids, jars, or other types of containers). One will be for judging, and the other two will be for the Products Reception.
  • For commercial hard cheese, please send uncut, unplugged blocks or wheels with a minimum weight of 2 lbs.
  • Entry fees for the commercial division will be waived if producers provide a minimum of 2 lbs of product (combined) over and above what is required for judging.
  • A cheesemaker is commercial if they have been legally selling products for at least six months at the time of entry.

Amateur entries:  Only one product per entry is required.  Products must be made with pasteurized milk. Entries must follow best practices for safe cheese production. A cheese/product may be entered in only one class, and each product should be entered separately.

  1. Sanitation and Hygiene
    • Wash your hands thoroughly before and during cheese making.
    • Wear clean clothing and avoid working when ill.
    • Sanitize all equipment before and after use (1 tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water).
    • Ensure the work area is clean, well-ventilated, and free from contaminants.
  2. Milk Handling
    • Use high-quality milk from healthy animals.
    • Keep milk refrigerated at or below 40°F (4°C) until use.
    • If using raw milk, ensure it is from a trusted source.
    • Pasteurize milk (heat to 161°F for 15 seconds, then cool to below 40°F).
  3. Temperature Control
    • Monitor and maintain recommended temperatures during cheese making.
    • Age cheese in a controlled environment (50°F to 55°F with 80% to 90% humidity).
  4. Cultures and Ingredients
    • Use food-safe starter cultures from reputable suppliers.
    • Store and use rennet, salt, and additives as per manufacturer instructions.
    • Avoid using expired ingredients.
  5. Aging and Storage
    • Age cheese on sanitized surfaces.
    • Regularly check for signs of spoilage (off odors, slimy textures, mold).
    • Wrap aged cheese in breathable material (e.g., cheese paper).
    • Store cheese in a refrigerator after aging.
  6. Documentation and Traceability
    • Keep detailed records of each cheese batch (date, ingredients, milk source, temperatures).
    • Clearly label all cheeses (production dates, milk type, storage instructions).
  7. Handling and Serving
    • Use clean utensils and cutting boards when serving cheese.
    • Refrigerate leftover cheese promptly.
  8. Final Compliance Checklist
    • Before submitting your cheese for competition, ensure:
    • The equipment was sanitized.
    • Hygiene practices were followed.
    • The milk source was trusted and healthy.
    • Proper pasteurization or raw milk handling procedures were followed.
    • Temperatures were controlled throughout the process.
    • Food-safe cultures and additives were used.
    • The cheese was aged in a clean, controlled environment.
    • Records of the cheese-making process were kept.
    • The cheese was labeled with essential information.

Entry Deadline

Entry forms must be received by October 3, 2026. 

Competition entries must be onsite by 3 PM, October 11, 2026.  Arrangements must be made with the Products Committee Chair (Caroline Lawson) for hand delivery.  Those shipping to the hotel must prominently mark packages, “ADGA Goat Milk Products Competition/ATTN:  Caroline Lawson,” and send to:

Convention Registration Desk, Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46219.  Packages must be sent at entrants’ expense.  Each package sent to the hotel must include the name of the Group (ADGA Convention, Attn: Products, the date of the Event (October 12, 2026), and the number of items contained in the package. Packages must include a packing slip containing the number of packages shipped and the number of items in each box.  Please include your unique name of the products and any relevant information about the make and flavoring on the entry form, especially when you have more than one entry in a category.