Our award-winning sheep’s milk cheeses are made using milk from our grass-based, Animal Welfare Approved® dairy at Green Dirt Farm in northwest Missouri.
We don’t chase awards at Green Dirt Farm, but we know they matter. They tell us we’re on the right track, help more people discover what American sheep’s milk cheese can be, and prove that our values actually translate to flavor. When respected judges recognize our cheese, it confirms that the way we farm, care for our animals, and make cheese isn’t just idealistic—it works.
Over the past several years, we’ve won awards from the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and most recently, the World Cheese Awards. It’s a combination that shows we’re doing something right—both in how we make cheese and why we make it.
American Cheese Society: National Recognition for Prairie Tomme & Dirt Lover
One of the defining moments in Green Dirt Farm’s history came in 2023, when Prairie Tomme earned Third Place in Best in Show at the American Cheese Society Conference & Competition—selected from more than 1,400 American artisanal cheeses.
Best in Show includes every kind of cheese—cow, goat, sheep, any style—so this was huge for us. A sheep’s milk cheese from a small Missouri farm, competing against everyone? We were thrilled. Read our blog about Prairie Tomme here.
Prairie Tomme comes entirely from our grass-fed sheep here at the farm. What makes us especially proud is that it’s certified Animal Welfare Approved®—the highest standard for humane animal care in the country.
We’re just as proud of Dirt Lover, which has won First Place in the American Originals category every year since 2022. That category is all about cheeses that taste like where they’re from. Dirt Lover’s earthy, complex flavor comes straight from our pastures—the way we rotate the sheep, the health of our soil, the time we give it to age. It’s proof that American cheese can have terroir, too. Read more about Dirt Lover here.
Good Food Awards: Honoring the Purpose Behind the Cheese
In 2025, Dirt Lover received a “Best of 15 Years” Good Food Award, honoring the most impactful products across the awards’ entire history. This recognition means a great deal to us because it affirms not just flavor but also a long-term commitment to humane animal care, regenerative agriculture, and building a resilient local food system.
The Good Food Awards recognize food that is not only delicious, but also produced with transparency, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility—values that sit at the heart of Green Dirt Farm.
World Cheese Awards 2025: Stepping onto the Global Stage
In 2025, we entered the World Cheese Awards for the first time. We wanted to see how we stacked up against the best in the world—and to get American sheep’s milk cheese into that conversation.
We were honored to receive three medals:
- Silver Medal – Prairie Tomme
- Bronze Medal – Dirt Lover
- Bronze Medal – Mount Bethel Blue, our new blue cheese and its first-ever award
Like Prairie Tomme, Mount Bethel Blue is made entirely from our grass-fed sheep and is also certified Animal Welfare Approved®. For us, taking care of our animals and making great cheese aren’t separate things—they go hand in hand.
This first medal for Mount Bethel Blue is just the start. We think this cheese has serious potential, and we’re excited to keep refining it—and hopefully racking up more awards—in 2026 and beyond. Read more about the Animal Welfare Approved certification here.
Why Green Dirt Farm Enters Cheese Competitions
We participate in cheese competitions to:
- Challenge ourselves against the best American and international cheesemakers
- Receive expert feedback that helps us improve year after year
- Elevate American sheep’s milk cheese, still a rare and distinctive category
- Share the story of regenerative farming, animal welfare, and purpose-driven food
Every award represents the hard work of our entire team—from pasture management to cheesemaking to aging—and, of course, our sheep.
Award-Winning Cheese, From the Ground Up
We’re grateful to the judges, our fellow cheesemakers, and especially to our customers who care about where their food comes from. These awards push us to keep getting better, to stay curious, and to never compromise on how we farm or make cheese.
From our pastures in Missouri to tables everywhere, we’re proud to show what happens when you start with great milk, farm with intention, and refuse to cut corners.
