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Sunny May days are made for grilling out, but the cherry (tomato) on top is that May is also Beef Month! We have a lot to celebrate in Wisconsin, with more than 27,000 farms and ranches with cattle that contribute to providing wholesome culinary options. Beef can be a nutrient dense part of a balanced diet. In just one 3 oz. cooked serving, you’re getting 10 essential nutrients, including protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. The nutrients found in beef provide our bodies with what we need to grow and thrive throughout all of life’s stages. Wisconsin’s beef farmers are focusing on sustainably producing a product that is healthy for the eater but also the environment it’s raised in. The Wisconsin Beef Council shares its three pillars of sustainability: social responsibility, economic viability, and environmental stewardship. Social sustainability is based on your community and organizational resilience. This could include “worker safety, animal welfare, antibiotic and technology use, and the culture and traditions of beef producers.” Practices that encourage economic success without harming the social and environmental aspects of a community fall into the economic pillar. Tactics could include “improving rural economies and livelihoods, affordability of beef to consumers, profitability of beef producers, and the value of ecosystem services.” The third pillar, environmental stewardship, involves preserving and improving our natural resources, the ecosystem’s services, and ecological health. This specifically looks at “biodiversity, carbon and water footprints, wildlife habitat, soil and rangeland health, and the ability of cattle to utilize human inedible feeds, among others.” Part of raising cattle sustainably is reducing the amount of waste created. The cattle themselves start this process by eating the plant materials left over from food for humans, like corn stalks, brewers’ grains, pea pulp, beet tops, or potato peelings, and turning that into beef. Utilizing the by-products that come from cattle also helps reduce waste that would otherwise be created by the industry. In fact, about 99% of your typical beef animal can be used in some way. Shoes, Band-Aids, conditioner, instrument strings, crayons, makeup, plant food, and more are all items we wouldn’t have without beef by-products. As Alice in Dairyland, I have greatly enjoyed working with the Wisconsin Beef Council to share recipes that use Wisconsin beef products, beef nutrition facts, and how Wisconsin beef is produced from the farm to our tables. The by-products that we receive from beef cattle are a valuable part of our everyday lives, and one of the main goals of Wisconsin’s beef producers is to sustainably raise their cattle while ensuring the success of future generations to come. Growing up in the agriculture industry, high-quality beef was a part of many meals on our kitchen table, and I enjoy continuing to learn about the many ways we can enjoy and use beef as part of a sustainable and well-balanced lifestyle. If you want to learn more about your local beef farmers, how beef fits into a healthy and sustainable life, selecting the best cut of meat for the occasion, or recipe ideas, the Wisconsin Beef Council has excellent resources and tips for all of the above at beeftips.com. Before firing up the grill for Beef Month, take the chance to “beef up” your knowledge!

There's a special magic that comes from being raised in agriculture. As the fifth generation to walk our farm, I feel it every day. Agriculture is more than a way of life—it's at the center of my heart. Like 95 percent of the dairy farms in Wisconsin, our farm is family owned. Wisconsin is home to approximately 5,600 dairy farms which make up the community that has a $45.6 billion impact on our state’s economy. It is humbling to be part of something so vital to our state. My passion for agriculture ignited when I led my first calf at the Fennimore Kiddy Fair with my grandpa at my side. From that day on, I felt the rhythm of the farm life and began learning invaluable lessons in hard work, critical thinking, and compassion from my family. Together, we worked from dawn until dusk, each of us playing a vital role in the success of our farm. We understood the importance of giving our all to everything we did and still do. However, my adventures did not end at the farm gate. I became active in 4-H and FFA, where I discovered a passion for storytelling and servant leadership, especially throughout my year as a Wisconsin FFA State Officer. All of this inspired me to find my place in agriculture, where almost 12% of Wisconsin jobs are found. This deep-rooted love led me to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where I am a fourth-year student majoring in Agricultural Marketing Communications and Agricultural Business, further sharpening my skills in storytelling and communications. Professionally, I have held marketing internships with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Compeer Financial, World Dairy Expo, Culver Franchising System, American Farm Bureau, National FFA, and Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center. Each opportunity strengthened my connection to Wisconsin agriculture and fueled my passion for promoting its vibrant diversity. From the Fennimore Kiddy Fair to now, a Top Candidate for the 77th Alice in Dairyland, agriculture remains an integral part of my life. As a farm kid, I am grateful for my experiences beyond the farm gate, which allow me to celebrate the distinct and abundant stories of Wisconsin's $104.8 billion agriculture industry and the remarkable individuals who make it all possible. There is a special magic within each of our agriculture stories—a magic that inspires and unites us all wherever we are in Wisconsin and whatever side of the farm gate we stand on.

Few plants omit a smell as immediately identifiable as plants in the mint family. Without even knowing what mint looks like, whether it’s been walked through in the forest, collected from the garden, or harvested from the fields, it’s immediately clear what’s been stumbled upon. According to a 2018 article from the University of Wisconsin-Madison News, “Mint oil – an essential flavoring for gum, toothpaste, mouthwash and tea – is grown by a dozen Wisconsin farmers on about 3,000 acres, usually on lowland, ‘muck’ soils in the south-central part of the state.” Mint prefers rich, moist, and slightly acidic soils, with full sun or partial shade, and several varieties of mint are native to Wisconsin. The most commonly cultivated varieties are peppermint and spearmint, with Wisconsin ranking as one of the top mint oil producing states. Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom shares that “Mint is a perennial crop planted in late March and early April by taking the roots or underground runners from one field and establishing them in another.” About 60 inches of rainfall is needed each growing season for optimum growth. The plant reacts with the sunlight and produces the mint oil, stored in glands on the underside of the leaves. During harvest season in mid-July to September, the mature mint plants are cut close to the ground and left in the field to dry, similar to hay. The mint is then chopped and put into a mint tub, a specialized wagon, to bring it to the distiller to be processed into mint oil. Mint grown on that scale in Wisconsin is typically turned entirely into oil. However, wild mint found across the state or grown at home is easy to use in teas, ice cream, baked goods, and more! The mint plant sends out runners that, once they take root, can establish new plants. This means your garden or yard could soon be overrun, so it’s important to plant mint into containers. Those containers can be sunk into the ground if desired, but it should still be raised a few inches to prevent the runners from touching the ground. Seeds, divisions from established plants, or stem cuttings can all be used to establish your own patch. For best growing results, the soil should be well draining and doesn’t need to be very deep, as the roots are shallow. Watering the plant every two to three days will help ensure the best flavor possible! Mint loves full sun but can tolerate more shade and can even grow inside on a windowsill for easy meal incorporation! When you’re ready to use your mint, just clip off a few leaves or sprigs from the plant, ideally before the heat of the day sets in. If you have more mint than you can use, you can air dry the plant by hanging it upside down or by laying it across a screen until the stems and leaves are brittle. Then store them in an airtight container for use all year long! Whether wild, grown in your yard, or grown on acres across the state, Wisconsin mint is a specialty crop that helps bring some flavor to our life!

“I believe in the future of agriculture…” are the powerful opening words of the FFA creed. I have heard this phrase many times during my years as an FFA member and later as an FFA advisor, but I have been living these words since I was a child. I have many memories of my grandfather’s farm of registered Holstein dairy cattle in Fort Atkinson. I remember carrying around baby kittens and climbing hay bales while my mom and grandpa did chores. As I grew older, I learned how to teach a calf to lead and started exhibiting at various shows - from the dirt arena at the county fair to the colored shavings at World Dairy Expo. I still find myself volunteering at these shows, helping inspire future agriculturalists in the dairy industry. Although my family was my introduction into the agriculture industry, the 4-H, FFA, and Junior Holstein organizations allowed me to learn more about youth development and leadership. Besides showing dairy at the county fair, I also entered photography, sewing, and cultural arts projects. I participated in many leadership opportunities, including speaking contests, serving as an officer, and being a member of the dairy judging team. In 2013, I earned the Jefferson County Outstanding Holstein Girl award, and two years later, was crowned the Wisconsin Holstein Princess Attendant. These organizations gave me the opportunity to learn more about the dairy industry and grow my communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills that built my foundation for a career in agriculture. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. The type of teacher changed over time, but during career exploration in eighth grade, I decided on agriculture teacher. I had many opportunities in 4-H and FFA to teach others about showing dairy cattle, so I took that passion to college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where I majored in Agricultural Education and minored in Dairy Science. As the current Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor at Hustisford Jr./Sr. High School, I am continuously advocating for Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry. I have developed curriculum from Animal Science and Plant Science to Wisconsin Ecology and Agribusiness Leadership. In 2022, my lesson on ethanol production won the Natural Resources category of the “Ideas Unlimited” contest at the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators conference. Within every lesson is a connection to careers in agriculture. It is my hope that every student who steps foot into my classroom is aware that approximately one in every 10 jobs in our state is related to agriculture. From leading a calf to leading a classroom, I am thankful for every experience I’ve had so far in the agriculture industry. “I believe in the future of agriculture…” wherever it may take me.

My journey in agriculture has led me to pursue every opportunity and embrace every open door, from species to specialty crops. Growing up in Oconomowoc, far from a farm, I felt disconnected from my food and the Wisconsin farmers who work hard to produce it. It wasn't until I joined my high school's FFA chapter that I got my first taste of Wisconsin agriculture, quite literally, when I milked a cow for the first time. Six years later, I've continued to seize every chance to learn more about Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry. My newfound love for agriculture led me to college, initially at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Dairy and Equine Science with dreams of becoming a large animal veterinarian. However, when the pandemic shook up the world, I had to rethink my plans. As they say, when one door closes, another opens, leading me to the Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduation from FISC in March of 2021, I decided to continue my bachelor's degree at UW-Madison, where I will be graduating in May with a degree in Life Sciences Communication. The summer before I started at UW-Madison, I had the incredible opportunity to work for the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board, caring for and milking the demonstration herd and educating fairgoers about our state’s impressive $45.6 billion dairy industry in Dairy Lane. It was through this opportunity that I met Alice in Dairyland for the first time, witnessing how she connects with consumers and shares the impact of our $104.8 billion agriculture industry. This experience ignited my passion for agricultural education and advocacy. During my time at UW-Madison, I've been fortunate to participate in various agricultural opportunities, including internships with Farm and Industry Short Course and the Professional Dairy Producers. I have also been involved in my campus community through student organizations like the Babcock House Student Cooperative, the Wisconsin Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association, Science Communication Club, and the Polo Club. Now, as a 77th Alice in Dairyland top candidate, I'm thrilled to have the chance to bridge the gap between producers and consumers, encouraging others like me to embrace every opportunity available. Thank you, Wisconsin farmers and agriculturalists, for taking me under your wing and providing countless opportunities for growth in the field of agriculture.

When you grow up on a farm and work in the agriculture industry, it’s easy to forget how lucky you are. Most people grow up without understanding where their food comes from or how much work it took to get it from field to plate. Most never create a bond with a kind, gentle creature like a cow or feel the ups and downs of a show day at a county fair. Most will never judge a tractor by its color or say the phrase “Nothing runs like a Deere”. Lucky for me, I am not most people. From a young age At age 15, my dad began working on the farm I call home. Throughout my life, he shared his drive and passion for the agriculture industry with me and my four siblings. From riding in the tractor during planting and driving him back and forth on our Gator in the fall to traveling to our local butcher with steers and meeting seed salesman and other consultants, he exposed me to every aspect of the agricultural industry. Lucky for me, my father willingly shared his love for farming with me. Lasting memories My mom likes to claim she used to change my diaper and let me nap in the straw bed behind our cows at the Waukesha County Fair. I watched my siblings break heifers and steers from our herd and compete in the show ring. I aspired to be grown up and do the same. From my early years in 4-H Cloverbuds to the age of 19, I did just that. On the county and state level, I showed beef and dairy cattle. Lucky for me, I got to make some of my happiest memories alongside my younger sister in the show ring. Deep-seated roots I was always labeled the “farm kid” in school, so when it came time to pick a college, I looked for the chance to leave my small town and move to the big city. My love of writing and storytelling led me to study professional journalism and photography at the University of Minnesota. My plan? Leave my agricultural roots behind. But the thing about roots is that they are not easy to remove. Within a few months, I found myself actively participating in the Gopher Dairy Club, a club I had been reluctant to join. The next year, I joined the Beta Chapter of Clovia, a sorority based in agriculture, and served as the editorial intern for Hay and Forage Grower magazine. That same year, I served as the 2019 Fairest of the Fair for the Waukesha County Fair. Within two years, I was right back in a world I had pledged myself to leave. I learned that the agriculture industry is more than a place where you grow up or get a job. My brother once told me, “It runs through our veins.” Lucky for me, agriculture is in my blood. Finding my place While studying journalism and interning with Hay and Forage Grower, my love for writing about agriculture grew. Today, I find myself part of the almost 12% of Wisconsinites working in agriculture. I am a public relations manager for Filament, now broadhead, a marketing agency powering brands that influence how we eat, move, and live. It took a little time, but I found my place in agriculture. I learn about and promote brands and companies that impact Wisconsin’s diverse $104.8 billion agriculture industry. I work with companies like Firestone Ag, which helps row and specialty crop growers plant their fields; and VAS, which helps dairy farmers take control of their data. Each day, my work makes a difference. As a 77th Alice in Dairyland top candidate, I have a new opportunity to tell stories about and promote Wisconsin’s agricultural industry. Oh, how lucky I am.

As the weather begins to warm up, so does the Alice in Dairyland program! March began a busy time of year for us, with many exciting events, campaigns, and announcements. Read on to see some of the highlights from last month. The Alice in Dairyland team started off the month in beautiful Door County for the announcement of the 77th Alice in Dairyland Top Candidates! This year's Top Candidates are: - Cierra Essock, Fox Lake, WI - Halei Heinzel, Oconomowoc, WI - Katrina Hoesly, Denmark, WI - Michaela King, Big Bend, WI - Kiley Pagel, Kewaunee, WI - Lauren Siemers, Kiel, WI Follow along on our social media channels throughout April to learn more about each candidate as we get closer to the 77th Alice in Dairyland finals, to be held May 4, 2024 in Door County. Learn more about the event and purchase your tickets at www.aliceindairyland.com/finale-information. After the March 1 press briefing, the Top Candidates and I traveled to two local businesses in Door County: Door County Coffee and Door Peninsula Winery! Door County Coffee, a small, family-owned business, has been in business for 30 years, employing 65 people and producing more than 100 varieties of coffee. For 45 years, Door Peninsula Winery has been producing award-winning wine and ciders. They have more than 70 flavors, including cherry wine, to honor Door County’s famous cherries! After returning from the press briefing, I jumped right into an exciting artisan cheese bracket to help determine which cheese type is Wisconsin’s favorite. The public voted on their favorites via social media, and we polled visitors while sampling cheese varieties at various HyVee locations. We started with eight delicious cheese types and by the end of the month, cheese curds was selected as the big winner! Alongside the bracket challenge, I visited media across the state, celebrating the WIAA tournament basketball season with ice cold chocolate milk, a great recovery drink after a tough game. Business tours and group presentations are always such a fun part of my travels. I stopped by Something Special from Wisconsin member DnA Vintners while I was in La Crosse to learn more about their winery. Owners Diana and Arvid offer cranberry wines made with cranberries from Habelman Brothers Cranberries in west central Wisconsin. Some of their most popular and award-winning flavors include Frost Watch Orange, Chocolate Paradise, and CranRazzy. During my visit, I learned about a new flavor, called “Ope!” which is a blend of currant, cranberry raisin, and cherry wine. A recent visit to Vines and Rushes Winery in Ripon helped me learn more about Wisconsin’s viticulture, or winegrowing, industry. Vines and Rushes, owned by Ryan Prellwitz and his family, produces five acres of grapes that are cold hardy for Wisconsin winters. The varieties of grapes grown include Marquette, St. Pepin, and Petite Pearl. The wine production process takes place at the winery, and Vines and Rushes sells their wine all over Wisconsin and the country! With a focus on supporting and supplying local, the winery also produces its own micro-greens and lettuce for pizza and salads using a hydroponic system. The Agriculture Business and Marketing Society at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls hosted me for their meeting this month. I visited with students and shared more about my experiences in agricultural marketing, and how they have applied to my role as Alice in Dairyland. There were many great questions about how Alice in Dairyland impacts Wisconsin agriculture. On the other side of the state, I celebrated National Ag Day with Northcentral Technical College (NTC) at their Wisconsin Technical College System Ag Day Celebration! This event, hosted at the NTC Agriculture Center of Excellence, included hearing from industry experts on the state of agriculture and agriculture education in Wisconsin, student panelists sharing about their experiences at NTC, a tour of the Agriculture Center of Excellence, and learning from industry panelists about topics like technology in agriculture and consumer trends. March is also the start of Maple Month here in Wisconsin, and I had several opportunities to celebrate the sweet stuff! I recently attended the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association (WMSPA) First Tree Tapping hosted by Glenna Farms in Amery, WI. Our dedicated maple syrup producers, combined with our climate, geography, and abundance of Sugar Maple trees, helps Wisconsin to rank fourth in the nation for maple syrup production! It was an honor to join the Glenna family, WMSPA members, and maple enthusiasts for the First Tree Tapping while sharing more about my experiences with Wisconsin’s maple syrup industry. Everything I learned there came in handy when I served as a judge in the maple syrup tasting contest at the Maple Syrup Family Day in Richfield! I also joined in the celebration of STEM Week at the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Manitowoc. When it comes to opportunities in agriculture, there are over 300 different career pathways, all of which involve aspects of science, technology, engineering, or math. To highlight some of the food products that Wisconsin agriculture is known for, we completed a homemade butter making activity where attendees learned about the science of how to beat heavy whipping cream into butter. One final highlight of the month was the Women's History Month feature I shared on social media, each celebrating the impact of the Alice in Dairyland program on women in agriculture and in the state of Wisconsin. Check back through my old posts on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to learn more. Thank you for following along, showing your support, and cheering me on along the way! I hope to see you at the 77th Alice in Dairyland finals next month!

Hello, Wisconsin! My name is Kiley Pagel. I am a fourth-generation dairy farmer from Kewaunee County. My family farm is Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, and growing up around agriculture my entire life has allowed me to grow within the industry and find my love and passion for it. I am a current senior at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay pursuing a degree in business administration to help further my knowledge on the business side for my hopes to one day have the ability to help run our dairy. I have had different marketing and financial internships that have led me to my current position at the Pagel Family Businesses as a marketing advisor, allowing me the opportunity learn from the business every day. Growing up, I was raised on our heifer facility in Coleman, Wisconsin, an opportunity unlike any other. There, I learned lessons that not everyone would have the ability to. At the age of six, I learned to drive a tractor, handle cattle, and the value of hard work and dedication. A short time after we began at the farm, I was given a jersey steer calf to care for, and I named him Rosco. Rosco was my daily responsibility, soon becoming one of my best friends, and teaching me what it meant to care for another living being. With the help of my parents, Rosco, and my grandfather, my passion for agriculture grew, and that passion would soon turn into the education of the industry. In 2015, my grandfather, John T. Pagel, started a summer school program for 12-year-old students at the local Kewaunee School District, allowing students to learn about the many different jobs in the agriculture industry. You could always see the joy and passion in his eyes when teaching about the industry he loved most. With my grandfather as my inspiration, I took over the program in 2021 and started growing it. Today, the program can host up to 50 students and is now offered to all Kewaunee County schools. Along with my team, we have been able to support the next generation in their education of the industry, teaching about more than 50 careers in the industry in just over five days! As a 77th Alice in Dairyland top candidate, it is my mission to continue supporting the education and the passion within this industry. As my grandfather always said, I am “living the dream."

When you envision a road, you likely picture neatly paved highways or traffic lights. Perhaps there's a pothole or two along the way, a traffic jam, or a patch of ice in our long Wisconsin winters. However, when I reflect on a road, my mind wanders to the dirt and gravel paths that wind through my family's six-generation dairy farm in Newton, Wisconsin. Along these paths, I discovered the beauty of farm life; honed essential life skills such as time management, responsibility, compassion, and communication; and created memories while working alongside my family. These paths served as the backdrop for countless summer hours spent teaching young calves to lead - wearing out my rubber boots and learning the value of perseverance. Over time, these paths became bustling with activity as we hosted various events like local dairy judging practices, the Wisconsin Holstein Picnic, and even a National Holstein Convention tour. Walking from barn to barn, I rehearsed speeches for 4-H and FFA while my brothers tested my knowledge for various agricultural skills contests. By age 13, I was ready to depart those rustic roads to travel across the state, country, and eventually internationally to compete in agricultural contests such as dairy judging, quiz bowl, speaking contests, and skill-a-thons. Later, I hit the road again as the 2019 Wisconsin Holstein Princess, traveling thousands of miles to champion our state's $45.6 billion dairy industry. During this time, I had the privilege of engaging with diverse groups, whether at daycare centers, breakfast on the farm events, or assisted living facilities. These opportunities allowed me to discover diversity in agriculture, from cheese factories in my hometown to sheep farms in Scotland. Everywhere I went, I created connections and cultivated a desire to learn more, broadening my horizons. After graduating high school in 2020, it was time to take the road less traveled. I moved to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to pursue a degree in Marketing. Overnight, the urban rhythm of city streets replaced more familiar sounds like the feed truck delivering nutrients to our cows and the hum of our parlor whirring to life. I took comfort in sharing my story and plans to pursue a career in agricultural marketing with anyone who would listen. To my surprise, many of my peers were curious to learn more about my upbringing on one of Wisconsin's many family-owned dairy farms. I shared photos of my cows and barn cats from back home and took pride in this new way of advocating for agriculture. I applied to be Wisconsin's 77th Alice in Dairyland because I want to create a roadmap of connection for our state's producers, processors, and consumers. From those humble dirt and gravel paths to promoting Wisconsin's $104.8 billion agriculture industry with Tassie, Alice’s ethanol-powered vehicle, I am ready to cross paths and create new ones to continue Alice in Dairyland's 77-year history as Wisconsin's designated agricultural ambassador.

This specialty crop was believed to bring physical strength in ancient Rome, so it was fed to racehorses, wrestlers, and workers. Hung from the rafters, it is said to prevent bad luck. And it was also thought to improve appetite, kidney function, and blood pressure, plus help relieve sunburn and throat pain. Can you guess which specialty crop I’m writing about today? The Herb Society of America shares all of those facts about the humble chive! The University of Wisconsin-Madison goes on to share that chives are native to Europe, Asia, and potentially North America, though they’re not certain if they’re truly native or just naturalized. For more than 3,000 years, the Chinese have used chives medicinally and in their cooking, helping bring some more flavor to their dishes. Today, the use of chives is primarily culinary, but they can also be used in landscaping, with their foliage and flowers providing texture and a nice pop of color when in season. Chives can be started with seeds or by dividing existing plants, and they will return year after year as a perennial. It’s helpful to remove the foliage before the spring to give the new growth a clean start on the season. The plant goes blooms in mid-spring and the flowers are a big attractant for pollinators, especially bees. Chives self-seed an area after pollination occurs, but removing the flowers after they fade, called deadheading, can reduce that. Chives prefer full sun, are drought tolerant, and have low nutrient requirements. They do have a shallow root system, though, so care must be taken when weeding the area so as to not accidentally pull up the chive plant. Once the leaves have reached about six inches long, chives can be harvested at any time during the harvest season. Cutting a handful of leaves as they are needed from a selection of the plant allow a continued harvest. If the entire clump is cut, it will take several weeks to be ready for another cutting. Using scissors or a knife, just cut the selected leaves about two inches from the soil. You can use the chives right away, store them in your fridge, freeze them, or dry them, though they are at peak flavor and condition when used shortly after harvest. Chives are often cut into smaller pieces and then included in recipes or used as a topping. The light onion flavor of the chive goes great with eggs, potatoes, breads, butters, sauces, and even Wisconsin cheeses! Whether growing your own chives, buying them from a grocery store, or finding them at your local farmers market, they are the perfect addition to many recipes. As the old saying goes, “The chef whose potato salad lacks chives is a chef who himself lacks soul.”

Dark damp conditions full of decaying plant material – sounds like the perfect place, right? Well, maybe not for you, but it’s just what your favorite mushrooms need! In general, a mushroom is neither a fruit nor a vegetable, but rather the fleshy, spore-bearing body of a fungus, typically produced above ground. There are dozens of edible mushrooms that grow wild in Wisconsin but cultivating mushrooms is becoming more and more popular. According to the USDA, the United States produced more than 650 million pounds of mushrooms in the 2022-2023 growing year, with Pennsylvania growing more than half of that! The agaricus, or button, mushroom is the most common mushroom grown and is what most consumers probably think about when buying mushrooms at the grocery store. Other mushrooms, like Shiitake and Oyster, are classified under “specialty mushrooms” and are the mushrooms behind the boom in popularity. In 2022-2023, growers of specialty mushrooms saw an increase of nearly 37% in the value of sales when compared to 2020-2021 data. Like many other types of farming, mushroom farming doesn’t need to be done on a large scale to have a positive impact on you and your family. With the increase in mushroom growing popularity, there are countless resources and tools available to help anyone try out mushroom farming. One of the best things about growing mushrooms is being able to utilize otherwise unused space like a shed, under a tree, or even on a tabletop! According to mushroomag.com, mushrooms can be grown indoors with high humidity and temperatures between 55 and 75° Fahrenheit. Oyster mushrooms grow the best indoors and typically grow in a medium like sawdust. It is important that any indoor growing has good ventilation, as mushroom spores can spread indoors and cause irritation. Cultivation isn’t limited to indoors though, and many types of mushrooms thrive outside on hardwood logs. Find a shady spot that is protected from rain and wind, as well as from direct sunlight and drying winds. You’ll want to keep the logs moist, but not soaked. Other mushrooms may grow well in mulch, like the wine cap mushroom. For more information on getting started growing your own mushrooms, the Wisconsin Mycology Society (wisconsinmycologicalsociety.org) has resources on deciding which mushrooms to grow with supplies you may already have at home. If growing your own mushrooms isn’t for you, you can explore countless varieties of mushrooms from farmers across Wisconsin. You can visit the Something Special from Wisconsin™ program at somethingspecialwi.com or visit your local farmer’s market to find a mushroom producer near you!

February may be a short month, but I sure made the most of it! My first event of the month was the Wisconsin Corn and Soy Expo and their annual Porkapalooza event. I enjoyed visiting with attendees, sharing a few remarks about Wisconsin agriculture, and assisting with the auction to benefit youth in the pork and agriculture industries. The Brown County Taste of Wisconsin event sure was a delicious and heartwarming one to attend, too! All of the vendors in attendance prepared delicious food and drink options raised and produced right here in Wisconsin, and I loved hearing the stories behind their businesses. The products offered certainly support the local community in Brown County and beyond, contributing to the strength of Wisconsin agriculture while supporting our state’s farmers and processors. Create Waunakee hosted the inaugural “A Ball of Creativity” event in February. All proceeds from the event, the first and only of its kind in the Waunakee area, will benefit local artists. There are so many different kinds of art, including singing, dancing, drawing, painting, woodworking, live theater, photography, videography, sculpting, and writing, among others. But there is also an art in agriculture, too, such as how we raise our animals, cultivate the land, take care of our natural resources, and produce the highest-quality products. I enjoyed sharing more about Wisconsin’s agriculture industry and how agriculture is an art all its own. For Valentine’s Day, I celebrated with a homemade charcuterie board and visits to media outlets around the state to promote a handful of Something Special from Wisconsin™ members’ products. This mini campaign, cleverly titled “Something Special for Your Special Someone,” was a great way to share Wisconsin goodies to gift to the ones you love. February 15 was also a special day, as it was Wisconsin Day! This day is a time to celebrate the cheese, cranberries, green beans, ginseng, potatoes, pumpkins, Christmas trees, and hundreds of other plants, animals, and products that are raised and made here in Wisconsin. National FFA Week was also cause for celebration, providing a good excuse for me to take a trip down Memory Lane while sharing the impact the National FFA Organization has on our future farmers, scientists, processors, or consumers. I was able to celebrate FFA Week, the Alice in Dairyland Finals, and agriculture in person with a handful of Door County students too. All throughout the month, I was visiting schools to share information about Wisconsin agriculture. I visited 10 different classrooms all throughout the state, and while they were all unique and enjoyable, one of them was extra special to me. I had a full circle moment when visiting Zion Lutheran School at Wayside. This is the school where my grandpa, grandma, dad, aunts, and uncles all attended grade school or taught at, and I loved the chance to visit current students and share more about Wisconsin agriculture. During all of my school visits, students learn about everything from the Farm to School program and butter making to specialty crops and agricultural careers! Not all youth education takes place in a classroom, however, and a recent Girl Scout lesson was the perfect example of that. “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner: Beef & Beyond,” was a lesson co-created by the Wisconsin Beef Council. The lesson focused on careers in the meat industry, shopping for various cuts of meat, preparing and cooking with beef, and the nutrition benefits of beef consumption. We also had our final installment of the Badgerland Girl Scouts lessons through the program “Adventures in the Milky Whey!” this month as well. This lesson was held at Sassy Cow Creamery in Columbus, where Girl Scouts learned about entrepreneurship and practiced their math skills through building their own ice cream shop. We also made sure to enjoy some delicious ice cream during our time together! While serving this year as the 76th Alice in Dairyland, I have had so much fun meeting Girl Scouts in the Madison area and sharing more about Wisconsin’s dairy and beef industries with these bright and excited young ladies! On my final day of the month, the Alice in Dairyland team headed up to Door County to prepare for the announcement of the 77th Alice in Dairyland Top Candidates! We stopped by WDOR Radio and Door County Daily News to share more about the upcoming 77th Alice in Dairyland Finals and to recap the adventures I have had in Door County over the last several months. Other excursions on this visit included lunch at the Door County Sandbox, a new restaurant in Sturgeon Bay that opened this past December; and Henschel’s Maple Syrup and Country View Farms Maple Syrup to tap my first tree of the season! Be sure to view the announcement of the 77th Alice in Dairyland Top Candidates and follow along for the rest of their journey at aliceindairyland.com and on my social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.