SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced the winners of the 2026 Dairy Products Competition on Friday. Several farms, creameries and other businesses from the Capital Region brought home top honors from the statewide contest.
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The 2026 Dairy Products Competition took place at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. According to state officials, this year’s contest received 187 entries over 26 categories.
“The Dairy Products Competition, announced at the Great New York State Fair, gives us an opportunity to shine a light on the quality of our world-class dairy producers, from yogurts and ice cream to artisan cheeses and everything in between,” said New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.
Several dairy experts from Cornell University and the Department of Agriculture judged the competition. This year’s Capital Region winners hailed from Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington Counties. Take a look below for a full list:
Capital Region winners
Argyle Cheese Factory, based in Argyle
- Silver in Class 13 – Flavored Natural Cheese for their Quark Herb & Garlic Cheese Spread
- Silver in Class 14 – Open Class Cheese for their Dill & Chive Cheese Curd
- Gold in Class 20 – Dairy Dips for their Maple Mustard Dip
- Silver in Class 21 – Plain Yogurt for their Plain Greek Yogurt
- Gold in Class 22 – Flavored Yogurt for their Maple Greek Yogurt (featuring a perfect score of 100)
Ardith Mae Farmstead, based in Stuyvesant
- Gold, silver and award of excellence in Class 15 – Goat/Sheep Class for their Mini Mammuth, Silhouette and Fresh Chevre Plain flavors, respectively
Dygert Farms Creamery, based in Palatine Bridge
- Gold in Class 23 – Fluid Milk (Best Chocolate Milk)
Four Fat Fowl, based in Stephentown
- Gold in Class 16 – Farmstead/Artisan Cow’s Milk Soft Cheese for their St. Stephen flavor
King Brothers Dairy, based in Schuylerville
- Silver in Class 25 – Chocolate Ice Cream
- Silver in Class 26 – Open Class Ice Cream for their PB OMG! flavor
Stewart’s Shops, dairy plant based in Greenfield
- Silver in Class 19 – Buttermilk for their Cultured Fat Free Buttermilk
- Gold in Class 23 – Fluid Milk (Overall)
- Gold in Class 26 – Open Class Ice Cream for their Mint Cookie Crumble flavor
“These award winners represent the very best of New York dairy and the commitment to quality that drives the industry forward,” said Benjamin Houlton, dean at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences…