"On the Road with Alice" in November

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 individuals who have served as Alice have helped decorate community Christmas trees or even packed them up and carried them around the state to teach Wisconsinites about local Christmas trees.

Since the partnership began in 1969, the Christmas tree cutting ceremony has often served as a place to showcase a mink garment courtesy of the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders Association (KMMBA), paying homage to Wisconsin’s top-ranking position in mink pelt production. Additionally, in recent years, the host county of the upcoming Alice in Dairyland finals selects the location of the Christmas tree cutting and unveils it at a community event. This year, I had the chance to visit Newby’s Evergreen Farm right outside of Wausau in Marathon County! A bonus was that media partners and nearly 100 4^th graders from nearby DC Everest Elementary Schools joined the ceremony to learn more about Wisconsin Christmas tree production.

The other experience in November allowed the Alice in Dairyland program to go international and promote Wisconsin agriculture abroad in new markets! I was incredibly lucky to join the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin and celebrate the uniqueness of Wisconsin ginseng at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Food and Hospitality China (FHC) Trade Show from November 4-14 in Shanghai. While there, I was also able to connect with representatives from other Wisconsin agricultural products as well, such as cheese, prepared meats, and cranberries!

Our Wisconsin delegation started by attending the CIIE, the world’s first national-level, import-themed expo. This was the eighth year of this international event, which boasts an impressive attendance record each year of nearly 800,000 guests, visitors, and exhibitors over four days. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with various global audiences on how this unique specialty crop is raised in Wisconsin and how that care throughout growing and processing contributes to such a high-quality product. In addition to the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin being represented, other Wisconsin ginseng organizations featured at this world-class event included Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises and Marathon Ginseng.

The next large event our team attended was the 28^th Food and Hospitality China Exhibition (FHC)! This show brings together food service and hospitality companies to make connections over delicious food products. The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin and I were lucky to join an entire lineup of Wisconsin companies in the USA Pavilion, including Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, see our state fruit on display in the Ocean Spray Cranberries booth, and interact with Johnsonville Sausage to see how their products are used in Asian markets. The feature of the event was, of course, Wisconsin ginseng, and we visited with distributors like Cai Zhi Lin, who has ginseng products in Sam’s Club locations across China. Wisconsin ginseng was also highlighted as part of the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition, where young chefs from across Asia come to compete for top honors while using premium ingredients.

The reasons for Alice in Dairyland traveling overseas in recent years for Wisconsin ginseng are numerous, and these experiences are valuable in helping to inspire the next generation of consumers. Ginseng was discovered over 5,000 years ago in China and since then, trade relationships have grown across Europe and into North America. Additionally, ginseng is a root consumed primarily in Asian countries, and during my travels, I learned about many new and unique ways to enjoy this product, including as fresh ginseng, boiled and dried ginseng, agricultural products, dietary and health supplements, and more. With Wisconsin being the top producer of ginseng in the United States, growing over 95% of cultivated ginseng in the country, opportunities like these help grow awareness and understanding of Wisconsin ginseng for all consumers.

Upon my return stateside, I jumped right into the Something Special from Wisconsin™ (SSfW) holiday campaign, an annual event in which Alice travels the state to visit with local media outlets, sharing products and companies featured in the SSfW program. SSfW is a trademarked marketing program, which provides members with a red and yellow logo that is a quick, reliable way to identify genuine Wisconsin products. To participate, companies must certify that at least 50% of a product's ingredients, production, or processing is located or completed in Wisconsin.

Member businesses participating in the 2025 “Savor the Season” campaign include Ambrosia Flame Candles, Author Corey Geiger, Black Earth Creek Candle Company, Burn Pit BBQ, Carr Valley Cheese Company, Inc., Charlie's Caramels, Cracknola, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC, Dairy Diaries LLC, Dairyland Ginseng, Ewe and Me Wool Company, LLC, Fazio's Chocolate, It's Poppin', Jam Session Honey and Preserves, Kelly's Pot Pies & More, Mister Burns, Mock and Co., Moose Lake Mustard, Oak Creek Hemp Company, Olympia Granola, Palo Popcorn, Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc., Prairie Junction Co., Casa Ranieri Calzones, Signature Spice Fusions, LLC, Silver Spring Foods, Two Guernsey Girls Creamery LLC, Ultimate Confections Chocolates, Widmer's Cheese Cellars, Inc., and Ziegler Winery LLC.

As I traveled across the state, I was able to take in many other wonderful experiences along the way! Our program partner, the Dairy Innovation Hub, hosted its sixth annual Dairy Summit at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus. The Summit brings together stakeholders in the dairy industry to learn about and discuss the Hub’s cutting-edge dairy research, from sustainability and food safety to animal care and economic impact. In a public-friendly format, I truly enjoyed learning more about the over 260 initiatives that are being powered by this statewide investment. I also visited the other corner of the state to promote Wisconsin potatoes at a local grocery retailer! Thank you to the Pick N’ Save in Oak Creek for welcoming the program to share more about the nutritional benefits of Wisconsin potatoes while handing out a tasty sample for customers to enjoy as they were shopping. There are many ways to spend our grocery dollar when buying products, so I hope that you consider Wisconsin products as part of your purchasing decision so that you can support local farmers and businesses!

November is a month that celebrates gratitude and I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the 78th Alice in Dairyland and the DATCP team behind that, the friends and family that encourage me from wherever they are; all of our program 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, Dairy Innovation Hub, and the Wisconsin Beef Council; the media outlets that help me share more about Wisconsin’s $116.3 billion agriculture industry; and all of you, the programs biggest supporters year after year – we couldn’t do it without you all!