Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) proudly announced today the direction of $90,000 to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UW-RF) to establish a fund investing in dairy operations, training, and research and development initiatives at the university’s Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence. The donation comes from funds generated by WCMA’s annual Championship Cheese Auction, where members of industry bid on best-in-class cheeses in a shared effort to support the future of dairy processing.
The new Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence Fund aims to enable the UW-RF Dairy Pilot Plant to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students; increase the number and frequency of dairy education and training seminars; and connect dairy processors with production, training, and research opportunities at the plant.
WCMA’s donation is the latest in the Association’s tradition of investing Championship Cheese Auction funds back into the dairy processing industry through education and development. Altogether, WCMA has invested more than $1.78 million in direct cash investment in industry education, dairy research and students. The next Championship Cheese Auction will take place Wednesday, April 16 at CheeseCon 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. More details about the event are available at CheeseCon.org.