The ICF Annual Conference closed Tuesday evening in Madison, and by Wednesday morning most members were somewhere on the road home, comparing notes about which sessions ran long and which entries surprised the judges. A recap, for everyone who couldn't make the trip and everyone who was there for one day but not three.
Competition results first, since that's what most inboxes are asking about. This year's Soft-Ripened category was the tightest of the day — the top two entries were separated by less than a point, and judges told us afterward it came down to rind development more than paste texture, with the winning wheel showing the kind of even bloom that only comes from a cave that's been dialed in for months, not days. In Aged Cheddar, a clothbound entry from a smaller farmstead operation took the category, which drew genuine applause on the floor; several members remarked that it's been a few years since a first-time competitor placed that high in a category this competitive. Full results by category are posted on the member portal.
The new judging observation sessions were a hit
We previewed the added judging-observation sessions before the conference, and they filled every block on day two. Members told us watching an accredited judge talk through what they're actually tasting for — not just a score, but the reasoning behind it — changed how they'll enter next year. A few said they walked away rethinking a category they'd normally skip, having seen up close what separates a good wheel from a winning one. If you're partway through Competition Judge Accreditation, this is worth planning around for next year even if you can't make the rest of the conference.
The reworked floor layout also held up. Separating the competition room from general vendor traffic meant judges could work without a crowd, and members who wanted to watch could do so without competing for space. We heard almost no complaints about the new arrangement, which is its own kind of success for a floor plan.
Who made the trip
It's easy to forget how far some members travel for three days in Wisconsin. One of our members from a Jura affineur's operation makes this trip most years despite the distance, and told us this year's flight connections were the smoothest he's had in a while — small consolation for the jet lag, but he said it either way. A member running a sheep dairy in Tasmania also made the trip this year, her first time attending in person after several years as a member; she said seeing the competition entries up close, rather than just reading results online months later, was worth the trip on its own.
For members weighing whether international travel is worth it for a future conference: the Membership & Outreach Committee heard consistently this week that the value isn't just the floor or the sessions, it's the hallway conversations that don't happen over video. If you've been on the fence, ask a member who's made the trip before you decide.
On the trade side, a purchasing solicitation posted this month for institutional cheese, butter, and milk delivery running October through December is worth a look for any wholesale members weighing whether to bid — the Membership & Outreach table fielded several questions about it between competition rounds. We'll have a longer look at the competition categories and a full sponsor list in next month's newsletter. For now: congratulations to this year's winners, and thank you to the volunteers who ran intake, judging, and the info table for three straight days.
The International Cheese Federation (ICF) and More Cheese are entirely fictional. This post is demonstration content created for MemberJunction. All people, organizations, events, courses, certifications, figures, and quotations in it are invented, and nothing here represents a real association, a real business, a real person, or real professional advice.