The following article was posted by the Dairy Innovation Hub, a partner of the Alice in Dairyland program, on October 1, 2025. The original article was written by Christine Bellport, public relations specialist at UW-Platteville. That article can be found here . With support from Wisconsin’s Dairy Innovation Hub, a groundbreaking patent will give dairy waste a second life in 3D printing   In a powerful blend of agricultural ingenuity and sustainable technology, two University

Potatoes may have originated thousands of years ago and even traveled to outer space, but here in Wisconsin, they’ve become a down-to-earth staple of home cooking. With our cool climate, quick spring warm-up, and sandy soils, Wisconsin naturally produces some of the nation’s finest spuds. So, it’s no surprise we rank third in the country for potato production, and first for states east of the Mississippi River. But beyond the fields and harvest equipment, the real story of Wi

A new year brings many fresh starts - new recipes, new routines, new friendships, and new goals. For the Alice in Dairyland program, it also brings one of our most meaningful annual traditions: the search for the next woman who will serve as Wisconsin’s official agricultural ambassador. Each January, the Alice in Dairyland program reaches its midpoint for the current “Alice” and begins to look ahead toward who will represent Wisconsin agriculture in the coming year. In the be

December is always one of my favorite months of the year. Between holiday music, being together with family, festive movies, beautiful decorative displays, and delicious food made possible by agriculture, the spirit of the season makes me incredibly cheery and hopeful. Being able to experience this December through the lens of Alice in Dairyland was a special treat and allowed me to enjoy special time spent with my extended family – Wisconsin’s agricultural community! I start

In America’s Dairyland, it’s hard not to love all things dairy! I have a deep appreciation for the cattle, the farm families that take care of them, dairy products such as cheese and butter, and dairy research. The Dairy Innovation Hub harnesses research and development at UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls campuses to keep Wisconsin’s $52.8 billion dairy community at the global forefront in producing nutritious dairy products in an economically, environmentally,

The holiday season often brings families and friends together over delicious food. Whether you enjoy a holiday ham, delicious desserts, or something in between, many of our favorites include an important Wisconsin staple – rich and creamy butter.   In November and December each year, butter sales peak as home cooks prepare their holiday recipes to share with loved ones. Retail butter sales are generally about 50% higher than average in these two months compared to the rest of

This November, I was able to put on many miles across the state of Wisconsin and even the world! Some of my travels encompassed experiences that “Alices” have participated in annually for decades, while another was one which the program has been very fortunate to embark upon in recent years. Read on to look back on a memorable November with me!   Any guesses as to which experience is stepped in tradition for “Alice?” It was the cutting of the first Christmas tree! Previous in

It was another great month celebrating Wisconsin agriculture! My October was full of dairy celebrations, countless fall visits to farms of all kinds, and educational presentations to students. This month, I enjoyed new experiences such as cranberry and ginseng harvests as well as an entire event to celebrate mashed potatoes! I started the month with an event that’s near and dear to me – World Dairy Expo (WDE)! As the premier meeting place of the global dairy industry, my time

Growing up, one of my favorite fall traditions was carving pumpkins for Halloween. This usually meant covering the kitchen table with newspapers, dusting off my handy-dandy carving tools, helping my mom scoop out the insides of the pumpkin, and creating a simple yet scary face using basic shapes. We enjoyed roasting the resulting pumpkin seeds in the oven, too. I can still smell the nutty scent of those seeds getting crisp while nestling in to watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, C

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  We’ve all heard this adage, telling us that if we eat our apples, we could avoid a trip to the doctor’s office. This always got me thinking, what’s so special about an apple, anyway? In many aspects, apples are a unique fruit. According to the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association, apples are one of the best sources of pectin, a type of fiber. Research indicates that pectin limits the cholesterol the body absorbs and may be an important li