Governor Kathy Hochul on Aug 29th, announced the winners of New York State’s 2024 Dairy Products Competition. Stewart’s Shops was honored with gold for the best fluid milk, chocolate milk, and flavored milk categories, with Dygert Farms Creamery earning silver in fluid milk. Additionally, Byrne Dairy took first place in the Chocolate Ice Cream category and the Open Class category for its Grasshopper Pie ice cream. Stewart’s Shops and Byrne Dairy took home gold and silver respectively for their vanilla ice creams, and Churchtown Dairy of Hudson, New York, was selected as grand champion for its Coperthwaite cheese. A full list of the 2024 Dairy Products Competition winners is available online.

“New York State is home to some of the very best dairy products in the world, and the annual Dairy Products Competition shines a spotlight on these delicious, nutritious, locally made treats,” Governor Hochul said. “I congratulate the winners of this year’s competition and thank the thousands of dairy farmers and businesses in New York who work hard day in and day out to produce the finest quality milk, ice cream, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and so much more. I encourage New Yorkers and people across the globe to enjoy these award-winning products and taste the best of New York State agriculture.”

The Dairy Products Competition celebrates New York’s dairy industry and its finest dairy producers and processors from across the state with gold or silver honors, or an Award of Excellence. This year there were 176 entries across 26 categories, including fluid milk, various types of cheeses, sour cream, yogurt, dips, cottage cheese, and for the second year ever, ice cream.

Other highlights from the competition include:

• HP Hood (Arkport, Vernon and Lafargeville plants) earned the most medals overall, with a total of 13. They received the gold in the Full Fat, Low Fat, and Non Fat Cottage Cheese categories, as well as in the Sour Cream, Dairy Dips, and Plain Yogurt categories.
• Great Lakes Cheese from Adams won gold for its “Super” Aged Cheddar and Low Moisture Mozzarella, earning a total of eight medals – ranking second highest overall in the competition.
• BelGioioso Cheese was honored with gold in the Mozzarella (non-pizza), Ricotta, Flavored Natural Cheese, and Open Class Cheese, with a total of seven medals overall.
• Agri-Mark, Inc. brought home gold for its Sharp Cheddar, Aged Cheddar, and Cold Pack/Process Cheese, in addition to several other honors for a total of six medals.
• Kraft Heinz earned all three medals in a single category, winning gold, silver, and the Award of Excellence for the Cream Cheese/Neufchatel category.

Cheese classes were evaluated by 12 expert judges, including several representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Markets, Cornell University, and Steve Funk from Nelson Jameson. This year, Valerie Catlin from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Division of Milk Control was the chief judge. Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Milk Quality Improvement Program judged the fluid milk and ice cream portions of the competition.

The winners of this year’s competition will be honored, as has been tradition, during a special awards ceremony on Dairy Day at The Great New York State Fair. A video presentation highlighting all the award-winning products of the 2024 Dairy Products Competition will be on display in the Dairy Products Building. Dairy Day takes place on, Thursday, August 29, and includes milk tasting, a milkshake contest, and more.

New York State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “New York’s dairy products are among the very best in the nation and it’s wonderful to see our homegrown companies and the dairies that supply them honored for their continued excellence. Our annual Dairy Products Competition underscores the innovation, diversity, and quality of our milk producers and dairy manufacturers. I congratulate this year’s winners and encourage consumers here at home and across the globe to sample some of our award-winning state favorites and see for themselves the very best New York has to offer.”

New York State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “The New York State Fair is proud to showcase our state’s dairy industry and provide a platform to introduce these delicious, top-quality products to the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come through our gates. Our Fair is deeply connected to its agricultural roots and there’s no better place to honor the best of the best of New York State dairy.”

State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “As our State’s #1 agricultural sector, New York dairy is the best of the best, and these awards are a testament to the hardworking dairy farmers and producers behind these tried-and-true products. Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s Dairy Products Competition, and a special shout-out to Old Chatham Creamery and Churchtown Dairy in Hudson from the 41st Senate District for taking home top honors and making us proud!”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “NYS Dairy is celebrated throughout The Great NYS Fair from the annual butter sculpture and Milk Bar, to the delicious ice cream, cheese and more. The Dairy Products Competition is another way the Fair highlights NY’s world-class dairy industry, by recognizing the best in class. I’d like to congratulate all of the awardees and thank them for everything they do to bring these valued products from farm to market.”

Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ronald P. Lynch Dean Benjamin Houlton, said, “On behalf of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of New York State’s 2024 Dairy Products Competition. Your achievements highlight the exceptional quality and innovation within our state’s dairy industry. We are proud of the role our Milk Quality Improvement Program played in judging this year’s stellar dairy products. We celebrate all participants and winners for their dedication and remarkable contributions.”

Chief Operating Officer at Stewart’s Shops Chad Kiesow said, “This recognition is humbling. It also is an opportunity to recognize the dedication of the farmers who support us and our partners who work so hard to ensure our milk and ice cream are the best they can be.”

Churchtown Dairy Head Cheesemaker Matthew Spiegler said, “Churchtown Dairy is honored by this recognition, and grateful to receive this award, knowing the quality of the products of our fellow New York cheesemakers and the tireless, dedicated work we all bring to our creameries across the state. Good cheese comes from great milk and this award is shared with the farmers at Churchtown Dairy, who endeavor every day to look after the health and wellbeing of the cows and the land on which they graze. That care and diligence expresses itself in the milk and the cheese.”

Dygert Farms Creamery Co-Owner Shannon Dygert said, “We are extremely honored and excited to receive the silver medal for our award-winning milk! This is our third year in a row since starting bottling in 2021 that we have received an award for our milk! We would like to thank our family and everyone on our team that has played a role in our award-winning milk. Our dairy is a 300-year-old dairy, one of the oldest in the country and we pride ourselves in producing a high-quality product. We are so excited that the taste and quality of our milk was awarded a silver medal amongst all the creameries in New York.”

President of Byrne Dairy Carl Byrne said, “We’re honored to be recognized by Governor Hochul and the Great New York State Fair. For 91 years Byrne has partnered with local family farms to produce the highest quality milk, creams and ice cream. We’re extremely proud of our accomplishments but most of all for our great Byrne employees and customers.”

The Dairy Industry in New York
New York State has roughly 3,000 dairy farms that produce over 15 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth-largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the state’s economy by generating nearly half of the state's total agricultural receipts and providing some of the highest economic multipliers. New York's unique and talented dairy producers and processors contribute significantly to the state's agriculture industry, economy, and the health of our communities.

About the Great New York State Fair
The Fair starts Wednesday, August 21, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Admission to The Great New York State Fair includes access to 39 national recording acts. There will be a daily 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. concert at Chevy Court (located near Gate 1), and a daily 8 p.m. concert at Suburban Park (located on the western end of the Fairgrounds, beyond the Midway).

Admission tickets, parking, and passes for The Fair’s famous Midway are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting The Great New York State Fair’s website. Admission tickets are $8 (plus fees) for adults while admission is free for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 and older. Fairgoers can also purchase a Frequent Fairgoer pass for $25 (plus fees), which provides admission to all 13-days of The Fair’s run. Parking is $12 per vehicle, plus fees.

Updated concert schedules are available on The Fair’s website at pages dedicated to Chevy Court and Suburban Park.

Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment, and is a key piece of the state’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.

The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about The Great New York State Fair online, browse photos on Flickr, and follow the fun on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.