There is a renaissance of cheese making in Ontario and Canada these days.
One of the judges in last weeks Canadian Cheese Grand Prix in Montreal says the 100 mile diet is helping raise peoples awareness of locally produced products using 100 per cent Canadian milk.
Gurth Pretty says people visiting local farmers markets want to know where the cheese has come from and who has made it and that has resulted in a mini boom for fromage.
He says that was evident at the Cheese Grand Prix where no newer than 172 cheeses from 41 different cheese makers were entered in the competition.
There were 16 different categories and there were 8 winners from Quebec, three from Alberta , two from Ontario and Nova Scotia and one from PEI.
Pretty says after two days of tasting dozens of cheeses, the jurors all agreed that Kenogami a washed rind cheese with a creamy butter flavour was the champion.
He says this is a perfect example how a small producer was able to defeat the larger cheese manufacturers.
Pretty says the Lehmann family in Lac Saint Jean make the cheese from milk from their own herd of cattle on their own farm.
The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix is held every two years by the Dairy Farmers of Canada to recognize the best in Canadian cheese making.