On the Road - December

December always seems to fly by between holiday celebrations, school, community events, and the onset of winter, and this December was no different!

After finishing up the Something Special from Wisconsin Timeless Holiday Traditions media campaign, I shifted focus to butter while visiting media around the state. I shared tips and tricks to storing and using different types of butter, information about Wisconsin’s butter production, and recipes using butter and other dairy products. I also stopped by Professional Dairy Producer's The Dairy Signal to chat about butter, cheese, and dairy trends. Visit Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X to learn more about Wisconsin butter.

My monthly trip up to Door County was another educational and exciting visit! I participated in a wreath workshop at Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery, hosted by Lucky Stars Flowerfarm; attended the Door County Christkindlmarkt in Sister Bay; and visited the Merry-Time Festival of Trees at the Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay. Each visit to Door County while serving as Alice in Dairyland offers new opportunities to meet the amazing people and businesses who live in this part of Wisconsin. The chance to learn new things about Door County agriculture is also a rewarding experience toward preparing for the Alice in Dairyland Finals, which will take place in Door County in May.

I celebrated National Maple Syrup Day with Secretary Randy Romanski of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection by making (and eating!) some pancakes topped with Wisconsin maple syrup. Wisconsinites collected 443,000 gallons of maple sap from 920 taps across the state in 2022! I also spent a day celebrating all things flakey and buttery with Flakey Jo's Homemade Pastries, where I tried my hand at making sugar cookies and cranberry scones. I think I'll leave the baking to Mary Jo, though I'll volunteer as a taste tester any day.

Each person that serves as Alice learns so much more about Wisconsin agriculture during their year. I recently had the opportunity to learn about maritime exporting for the first time on a tour of the new Agriculture Maritime Export Facility! This facility, located on Jones Island in Milwaukee, was made possible in partnership between Port Milwaukee and The DeLong Co., Inc. This facility is one of the first to transport various agricultural commodities, such as dried distillers grains, by trucks, trains, and international vessels on the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway system. Dried distillers grains are a byproduct from ethanol used as an animal feed supplement, and the facility will also export Wisconsin soybeans, corn, and grain in the future. Thank you to the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board for the opportunity to tour this incredible facility and to learn how it will offer Wisconsin agriculture new opportunities in international markets!

These past six months have provided me with countless opportunities for growth, education, and connection, none of which would be possible without our partners, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders Association, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Midwest Jewelers Association, Wisconsin Potato Industry Board, Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Beef Council. I am so appreciative of their continued support. Some memories with each program partner were shared on the Alice social media accounts recently, if you would like to learn more about how Alice partners with each of these organizations.

If you would like to serve as Wisconsin's 77th Alice in Dairyland, applications are being accepted through January 31, 2024. Visit aliceindairyland.com/becoming-alice-in-dairyland for more information.