Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Claims Three First-Place Wins at 2026 ACS Competition

WATERLOO, Wis. — Wisconsin and cheese are basically synonymous at this point, but actually sweeping a major national competition? That is a whole different ballgame. In a room filled with over 1,600 of the finest dairy entries from across the Americas, a single family-run operation from Waterloo just showed the entire industry how it is done.

At the prestigious 2026 American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese absolutely cleaned up. They walked away with three coveted first-place blue ribbons and an impressive third-place finish.

To put this in perspective, their fresh cheeses were going head-to-head with entries from more than 200 of the most celebrated creameries on this side of the Atlantic. And honestly, if you have ever tasted real, ultra-fresh farmstead cheese, this sweeping victory shouldn’t come as a massive surprise.

Let’s look at the actual winners here because fresh cheeses are notoriously difficult to master. There is no long aging process to hide off-flavors; the milk quality has to be flawless. Crave Brothers took home top honors in these highly competitive categories:

• First Place: Mascarpone (Mascarpone and Cream Cheese Class)
• First Place: Fresh Mozzarella Bocconcini (Fresh Mozzarella Under 8oz Class)
• First Place: Oaxaca Knot (Cooking Hispanic Cheese Class)
• Third Place: Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Ciliegine (Cheese Marinated in Liquid Class)

The Direct Farm-to-Vat Advantage

So, how does a single farmstead keep winning year after year? Frankly, I believe it comes down to total control over their supply chain. The Crave family farms roughly 2,500 acres of productive land in south-central Wisconsin. They grow their own soybeans, corn, and alfalfa. This isn’t just to save money—it’s to ensure their herd of Holstein cows gets the exact, highly nutritious feed they need to produce top-tier milk.

The milk doesn’t travel in tanker trucks across state lines for days. It goes directly from the milking parlor to the cheese vats on the very same property. It is about as fresh as physically possible. That rapid turnaround is what gives their Fresh Mozzarella and delicate Mascarpone that signature, clean, sweet flavor that clearly wowed the ACS judges this year.

“To be recognized with three first-place awards at one of the most respected cheese competitions is an incredible achievement for our team,” Roseanne Crave, the farm’s sales and marketing manager, said in the announcement. She added that they are especially proud of how their fresh cheese program continues to hold its own against the absolute best in the business.

Green Farming Tastes Better

There is also a massive sustainability angle here that many corporate competitors simply cannot replicate. The Crave family operates with a deeply integrated, carbon-conscious mindset. They utilize an on-site biodigester to process waste, practice strict water recovery and recycling, and implement sustainable soil management across their acreage.

It turns out that running an ethical, environmentally responsible farm and making award-winning cheese go hand-in-hand. When you take care of the land and the cows, the final product speaks for itself.

If you want to see what real Wisconsin craftsmanship tastes like, you can check out their full lineup of fresh specialties directly on the Crave Brothers website. Trust me, your next charcuterie board will thank you.