My name is Taylor Schaefer, and I am beyond excited to embark on my journey as the 75th Alice in Dairyland. I officially began my term as the 75th Alice in Dairyland on July 5th, and cannot wait to help tell the story of Wisconsin agriculture with people just like you over the next year.
Kicking off my year as Alice, I traveled to the heart of America’s Dairyland for one of Wisconsin’s premier agricultural events: Farm Technology Days. The three-day event was an ultimate celebration of Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry, highlighting the important connection between its past and future. It was a perfect start to my year as the 75th Alice in Dairyland, as I was reminded of what makes Wisconsin’s agriculture industry so strong. From connecting with Wisconsin agribusinesses to hosting cooking demonstrations and visiting with hundreds of attendees, I was able to share my passion for agriculture with other enthusiasts and make new connections that I will remember for a lifetime.
Clark County, this year’s host county, has a strong agricultural history that dates back to the late 1800’s, and they are now known as one of the state’s top dairy producers. This year’s event not only showcased the county and state’s $45.6 billion dairy industry this year, but continued its tradition of highlighting innovation, technology, careers, and heritage that exists within Wisconsin agriculture. The event was able to give more than 40,000 attendees a look into a robotic milking system for the first time in the event’s history and showcase the county’s growing diversity in agriculture, from poultry to fruits, vegetables, greenhouses, and swine.
Throughout the week, I was able to attend field demonstrations that showcased some of the newest technologies in production agriculture, engage in interactive hands-on farm tours at Roehl Acres, and explore the countless careers in Wisconsin agriculture by talking to many of the one in nine Wisconsinites that work in agriculture. I also enjoyed meeting and interacting with youth throughout the week and seeing them grow even more excited about our state’s agriculture future through hands-on activities like making butter and ice cream.
I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue exploring Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry as I embark on my journey as the 75th Alice in Dairyland. From farm tours to classroom visits, fairs, and more, there is so much to look forward to. You can follow along my adventures at aliceindairyland.com or on social media. I’m excited to begin my journey traveling the state with my new sidekick Kernel, the flex-fuel Ford Explorer fueled by Wisconsin corn, and I cannot wait to meet you along the way!
— Taylor Schaefer is the 75th Alice in Dairyland, Wisconsin’s agriculture ambassador who works with media professionals to educate consumers about the importance of agriculture to Wisconsin’s economy and way of life. She can be reached at taylor.schaefer@wisconsin.gov.
