In General

1. Contest is open to any cheesemaker, buttermaker or manufacturer of real cheese or butter in the United States.
2. Each entry may be entered in the name of a person, team or group directly involved in making the product. A person, team or group may enter more than one class. Team or group name examples include: Cheddar Production Team; Joe Smith Cheese Crew; Morning Shift A; John Doe and Jane Smith. (Please avoid using a company name as a group or team name.)
3. A person or team may be named on more than one entry within a class if the entries are different varieties. (For example, a particular person or group at a company may be named on an Asiago entry and a Romano entry in the Open Hard Cheese Class. But different names or group names are needed to enter two entries in the Mild Cheddar Class.)
4. Contest entries must be linked on the entry form to the originating cheese or butter manufacturer. Marketers or processors that further market or process (cut or package cheese) cheese or butter may be noted in a secondary position if requested. Exception: Processors that cut and package products applicable to the Retail Packaging Class and Open Class for Shredded Cheeses may directly enter this Contest.
5. Do Not Cut Your Cheese! Entries must be in their original form as hooped. Send only fully formed cheeses to the Contest. Do not send cheese cut or trimmed from a larger cheese. Exceptions: Cheese normally cut during manufacture, such as feta in brine and Swiss blocks (prior to curing), may be entered. Manufacturers may enter 40-pound blocks cut from 640-pound blocks. Cheeses entered in the Smoked Cheese class (Class 39) may be cut. Cheeses processed for the Shredded Cheese Class may be entered. These entries should state "Cut Cheese" on the Describe Entry line of the Product Entry Form to protect entries from being disqualified.
6. Each entry must consist of at least ten pounds of product.
   New Exceptions: If each fully formed piece of cheese in an entry is 8 ounces (226 grams) or less, manufacturers may send at least two pounds per entry. (No cut cheese allowed per Rule 5!) If each fully formed piece of cheese in an entry is 1 pound (454 grams) or less, manufacturers may send four pounds per entry. Please note: winning entrants may be asked to send additional product for the official auction or sale which supports this non-profit event and student scholarships.
7. Each entry may be sent in normal company packaging.
8. The accompanying chart indicates the maximum number of entries allowed from each manufacturing site.
9. Entries with a trier hole will be disqualified. Exception: Entries in the Swiss Style Class may have one trier hole.
10. All cheese must be made from pasteurized milk, or be held at least 60 days prior to shipping.
11. Entries should have a cure normally associated with their variety.
12. Butter Entries shall be creamery butter and shall contain not less than 80 percent milkfat. Butter entries may be bulk butter (bag-in-box or tub) or print butter. Entries may be in normal company packaging.

During the Competition

13. Contest staff reserves the right to place entries into the class deemed most appropriate by the chief judge.
14. The chief judge will determine if classes have sufficient entries for competition. If a class is deemed too small, existing entries will be placed in appropriate classes.
15. Products entered in the competition become the property of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. The Association occasionally may request replacement products if award winning-cheeses or butters become unpresentable for showcase or auction. Substituted products retain all recognition due to the manufacturer.

Reimbursements

Each entry weighing in excess of 50 pounds may be reimbursed after the conclusion of the Contest at $1.25 per pound or $1.50 per pound for Swiss style cheeses. Request for reimbursement must be submitted by the Contest entrant to WCMA before May 1, 2009. (This request may be noted on the Product Entry Form .)