MONROE - With a shout of the auctioneer and corresponding "yeps" from helpers, the Green County Fair Cheese Auction started with the muenster lot and jumped through different categories until everything from Latin American types to brick varieties were sold for a record-setting total.
The auction is hosted by the Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association. Executive Director Gail Zeitler said it has been taking place for nearly three decades.
"Our cheesemakers are very supportive, they come and walk their cheese down the aisle and it always helps to make for better bids," Zeitler said.
Numbers rang off as large blocks were displayed at the front of the tent by Green County Dairy Queens. The auction made a total of $61,132.50, an increase of roughly $12,000 from 2016's record-breaking total, according to a press release from the Foreign Type Cheesemakers.
The Green County Fair Cheese Contest Grand Champion, a pepper quesadilla cheese by Tom Dahmen of Chula Vista Cheese, earned a score of 99.50. It sold with the highest total of $2,940 for 12 pounds. Faith Engineering, Inc. purchased one six-pound block for $250 per pound, and R Mueller Service and Equipment of Monroe purchased the other block for $240 per pound.
The highest bid overall of $500 came from Quest Industrial for three pounds of Odyssey Mediterranean Feta from Ron Buholzer of Klondike Cheese for a total of $1,500.
World Cheese Champion of 2016, the Emmi Roth Kase Grand Cru Surchoix, sold in 4.5-pound wedges. Two went for $140 per pound, $630 total, one to Sulbana Inc. and the other to Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern. Wisconsin Bank & Trust picked one up for $90 per pound, or $405 total for a wedge. The final was sold for $110 per pound, or $495 total. The Surchoix placed second in the county fair competition with a score of 99.60. The first place 20-pound Emmi Roth Grand Cru Reserve sold for $1,900 total.
"We have wonderful support from our customers," Zeitler said. "They come every year, they support the auction; they couldn't be more generous. It's a good day all the way around for us."
The Maple Leaf Cheesemaking Team with Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op of Monroe won the smoked category with a smoked gouda that scored 99.50. The cheese was auctioned off in four wedges, each weighing three pounds. Two were awarded to Precision Drive Control and Sugar River Bank for $190 per pound, or $570 each in total. Regez Supply and County KK Tire Service each took one for $200 per pound, which equated to $600 total.
A 10-pound smoked Mediterranean havarti with herbs that took second from Matt Henze of Decatur Dairy, Inc. was sold for $60 per pound, or $600 total. The same type of cheese made by Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy, a third-place piece, was sold for $150 per pound to Klitzke Tank & Trailer of Albany, a total of $1,500 for the 10-pound block.
Stettler commented on the quality of all of the participating cheeses from the contest and thanked the committee as well at the judges for their work before the auction began.
"Any cheese you may try today would probably win in any other cheese contest throughout the state," he said.
Auction proceeds are placed in a special fund to go to dairy or cheese-related industry promotion, send 4-H kids to the state fair, Campion Fund, cheese fundraiser and Cheese Days, among others, Zeitler said. With the proceeds from 2016, the association used almost $14,000 to allocate $500 each to area FFA chapters in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
TC Construction and R Mueller Service purchased the No. 1 muenster cheese from Matt Henze of Decatur Dairy, Inc. Each six-pound block went for $175 per pound, a total of $2,100 for 12 pounds.
Ben Workman of Edelweiss Creamery saw his 10-pound havarti sell for $135 per pound, $1,350 total. Tim Pehl's two-pound Oaxaca balls were first in the Latin American style category and sold for $160 per pound, $320 total. In all, Workman's cheese brought in $1,560. Dave Gietzel of Edelweiss Creamery took first in the flavored natural category with a 10-pound dill havarti, which sold for $110 per pound, $1,110 total.
A 12-pound romano by Gary Grossen of UW Babcock Hall Dairy won the open category. It sold in two six-pound blocks, one for $65 per pound and the other for $60 per pound, a total of $750 for the entry. Grossen also won in the colby, Monterey jack, edam, gouda category with a 12-pound gouda, which sold for $30 per pound, $360 total. Mike Nelson of Chalet Cheese Co-op sold his winning 40-pound baby Swiss block from the Swiss-style category for a total of $4,100. Buholzer also won the brick category with a 10-pound block that sold for $2,000 total.
The auction is hosted by the Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association. Executive Director Gail Zeitler said it has been taking place for nearly three decades.
"Our cheesemakers are very supportive, they come and walk their cheese down the aisle and it always helps to make for better bids," Zeitler said.
Numbers rang off as large blocks were displayed at the front of the tent by Green County Dairy Queens. The auction made a total of $61,132.50, an increase of roughly $12,000 from 2016's record-breaking total, according to a press release from the Foreign Type Cheesemakers.
The Green County Fair Cheese Contest Grand Champion, a pepper quesadilla cheese by Tom Dahmen of Chula Vista Cheese, earned a score of 99.50. It sold with the highest total of $2,940 for 12 pounds. Faith Engineering, Inc. purchased one six-pound block for $250 per pound, and R Mueller Service and Equipment of Monroe purchased the other block for $240 per pound.
The highest bid overall of $500 came from Quest Industrial for three pounds of Odyssey Mediterranean Feta from Ron Buholzer of Klondike Cheese for a total of $1,500.
World Cheese Champion of 2016, the Emmi Roth Kase Grand Cru Surchoix, sold in 4.5-pound wedges. Two went for $140 per pound, $630 total, one to Sulbana Inc. and the other to Baumgartner's Cheese Store and Tavern. Wisconsin Bank & Trust picked one up for $90 per pound, or $405 total for a wedge. The final was sold for $110 per pound, or $495 total. The Surchoix placed second in the county fair competition with a score of 99.60. The first place 20-pound Emmi Roth Grand Cru Reserve sold for $1,900 total.
"We have wonderful support from our customers," Zeitler said. "They come every year, they support the auction; they couldn't be more generous. It's a good day all the way around for us."
The Maple Leaf Cheesemaking Team with Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op of Monroe won the smoked category with a smoked gouda that scored 99.50. The cheese was auctioned off in four wedges, each weighing three pounds. Two were awarded to Precision Drive Control and Sugar River Bank for $190 per pound, or $570 each in total. Regez Supply and County KK Tire Service each took one for $200 per pound, which equated to $600 total.
A 10-pound smoked Mediterranean havarti with herbs that took second from Matt Henze of Decatur Dairy, Inc. was sold for $60 per pound, or $600 total. The same type of cheese made by Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy, a third-place piece, was sold for $150 per pound to Klitzke Tank & Trailer of Albany, a total of $1,500 for the 10-pound block.
Stettler commented on the quality of all of the participating cheeses from the contest and thanked the committee as well at the judges for their work before the auction began.
"Any cheese you may try today would probably win in any other cheese contest throughout the state," he said.
Auction proceeds are placed in a special fund to go to dairy or cheese-related industry promotion, send 4-H kids to the state fair, Campion Fund, cheese fundraiser and Cheese Days, among others, Zeitler said. With the proceeds from 2016, the association used almost $14,000 to allocate $500 each to area FFA chapters in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
TC Construction and R Mueller Service purchased the No. 1 muenster cheese from Matt Henze of Decatur Dairy, Inc. Each six-pound block went for $175 per pound, a total of $2,100 for 12 pounds.
Ben Workman of Edelweiss Creamery saw his 10-pound havarti sell for $135 per pound, $1,350 total. Tim Pehl's two-pound Oaxaca balls were first in the Latin American style category and sold for $160 per pound, $320 total. In all, Workman's cheese brought in $1,560. Dave Gietzel of Edelweiss Creamery took first in the flavored natural category with a 10-pound dill havarti, which sold for $110 per pound, $1,110 total.
A 12-pound romano by Gary Grossen of UW Babcock Hall Dairy won the open category. It sold in two six-pound blocks, one for $65 per pound and the other for $60 per pound, a total of $750 for the entry. Grossen also won in the colby, Monterey jack, edam, gouda category with a 12-pound gouda, which sold for $30 per pound, $360 total. Mike Nelson of Chalet Cheese Co-op sold his winning 40-pound baby Swiss block from the Swiss-style category for a total of $4,100. Buholzer also won the brick category with a 10-pound block that sold for $2,000 total.