Alice in Dairyland Travel Journal by Cheryl O'Brien

Welcome to my Alice in Dairyland Travel Journal! 2811 Agriculture Dr. PO Box 8911 Madison WI 53708-8911 Phone (608) 224-5127 DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov

Interviews Today: WFRV & Door Co. Daily News
Nov. 16, 2009

Today, I started my day by driving up the shore of Lake Michigan to stop at WFRV Channel 5 in Green Bay. I also traveled to Sturgeon Bay for an interview at with Bob Dohr at Door County Daily News. At both interviews, we talked about a number of the different products that carry the Something Special from Wisconsin™. When I walked into WFRV and met with Wendy Kuschel, she immediately recognized one of the items I brought with me: the tower of cake boxes from Marlene’s Premiere Desserts, LLC. Marlene Squires-Swanson just started her cake company this year and makes seven different flavors of rum and liqueur cakes in flavors like pomegranate, key lime, and double chocolate. I got to sample some of the different flavors at the Madison Food and Wine Show a couple of weeks ago, and they are amazing! These cakes would be great to serve at any meal or to give as a gift. Your friends and family will love you for it! You can even send these cakes across the country. Learn more about Marlene’s Premiere Desserts by visiting her website at www.marlenespremieredesserts.com. And don’t forget to visit www.savorwisconsin.com for all the Something Special from Wisconsin™ products. Thanks Bob and Wendy for the great interviews today!

Interview at TMJ 4
Nov. 15, 2009

I stuck around Milwaukee for another day and another interview about the many great Something Special from Wisconsin™ products. Today, I headed to Channel 4 in Milwaukee to visit with morning anchor Melissa McCrady. This was my first time working with Melissa this year. We chatted a bit off-air, and when the conversation turned to the products I brought with me, I asked if she would like to try something during the interview. Melissa was very interested in the wine jelly from Cottage Grove Kitchen. Connie Anderson makes her wine jelly at the Farm Market Kitchen in Algoma, but she calls Green Bay her home. Connie makes several flavors of wine jelly: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cherry, and Hot Stuff, a pepper wine jelly. This jelly is very versatile and can be used any time during the year to use in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or with cream cheese on a bagel, or as a glaze for ham, or a topping on ice cream. Wine jelly can also make a great gift for a birthday, in a wedding gift, or as a stocking stuff this holiday season. Cottage Grove Wine Jelly can be found in some Green Bay and Madison area stores, but you can buy them from anywhere by contacting Connie. Log on to www.savorwisconsin.com to find Cottage Grove Kitchen and the other 300 Something Special from Wisconsin™ companies to use this holiday season and anytime during the year. Thanks Melissa for the great interview, and thanks to producer Jeff Gallagher for asking me to be on your show!

Interview at WISN-TV
Nov. 14, 2009

While in college at UW-Milwaukee, I also worked behind the scenes at WISN-TV. It was a great learning experience working in the newsroom, but I have always wanted to be on camera. Today, I was. I stopped by the station to be interviewed on 12 News This Morning: Weekend Edition. I did two interviews with anchor Jason Newton. During the first interview, we talked about some of the Something Special from Wisconsin™ products that will work great at your holiday meal this year. One thing that I brought was some summer sausage from Cherokee Bison Farms near Colby. I toured Cherokee Bison Farms back in September. The Fricke family takes great pride in raising their bison naturally, grazing them on pasture, and not using and hormones. Bison meat is very lean and low in fat. You can get many different cuts of bison meat to serve at your holiday meal from Cherokee. They even have a summer sausage that also has cranberries in it! The Frickes also prepare gift boxes that you can ship anywhere in the continental U.S. When ordering, don’t forget to ask them about their Sunflower Oil. The oil can be used just like any other oil you would use for cooking. They use a cold-press technique which keeps more of the vitamins and nutrients in the oil. Visit www.cherokeebisonfarms.com to learn more and to place your order. During the second interview, we looked at some gift ideas that are Something Special from Wisconsin™. Log on to www.savorwisconsin.com to see the complete list of more than 300 Something Special from Wisconsin™ companies. Buy Wisconsin products to help support our local farmers, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture during the holiday season and all year. It was so much fun being back at the station I worked at. Thank you producers Sarah McCraw and Alicia Luce for including me in your show!

Apply to become the 63rd Alice in Dairyland!
Nov. 13, 2009

It’s hard to believe that my year as the 62nd Alice in Dairyland is almost half over. It’s even harder to believe that with my year being only half over that it’s already time to start wondering who will be the 63rd Alice in Dairyland! Earlier this week, the applications for the next Alice became available online on the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection’s website. Alice in Dairyland is a one-year contractual position with the State of Wisconsin. Each year, Alice serves as the state’s agricultural ambassador, traveling the state, speaking at over 300 events, visiting more than 100 schools, spending countless hours working with the media, and touring many different farms. The Alice in Dairyland selection process starts with the job application available online. The applications are due January 15, 2010. Once the applications are reviewed, applicants will come to the department office in Madison for a preliminary interview. From there, the applicants are narrowed down to six finalists. Those six finalists will meet for a two-day briefing in March to learn more about the job of Alice as well as what they will need to prepare for and what to expect during the Finals. The Alice in Dairyland Finals is the three-day public job interview to become Alice. During the three days, each finalist will participate in a radio interview, a television interview, an interview with the selection team, a writing exercise, an impromptu question and answer session, two days of agribusiness tours, and two speeches in front of the Finale audience of about 300 people. That may sound like a lot, and it is, but it will likely be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. You will make new friends, have fun, and learn a lot. I strongly encourage any young woman who has ever thought of becoming Alice to apply!

Applications available at this address: http://datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/business/marketing/alice/about.jsp

A TV interview and a trip to Fond du Lac
Nov. 12, 2009

I was talking about Something Special from Wisconsin™ items this morning on WISC Channel 3 in Madison. Rob Starbuck and Charlotte Deleste from the News 3 This Morning were both interested in learning about some of the great products that are made here in Wisconsin. Charlotte was really excited about one item that she tried on air: Strawbañero Jam from Hixton Blue Collar Café. Located in Hixton, the Blue Collar Café offers home-cooked meals in a friendly local environment. Since 2004, the cooks have been making all natural jam in small batches. This jam is a gourmet, spicy jam that uses family farm raised Habañero peppers. The jam was named the 2009 winner of the Fiery Food Challenge. The jam comes in four flavors: Strawbañero, Raspbañero, Bluebañero, and Orange-Pineapple Marmañero. They also have a Strawberry-Kiwi Christmas Edition Jam. I think the jam works well many different ways like to spice up a piece of toast for breakfast. And I think it would make a good snack paired with a sweeter cracker or cookie and some cream cheese. If you know someone who likes spicy foods, any of the flavors would make a great gift. The jams can be found in some local stores in the La Crosse and Eau Claire areas. And it is available for purchase at their website, www.bluecollarcage.com. You can find them on the Something Special from Wisconsin™ list at www.savorwisconsin.com too.

This afternoon, I took some time to get caught up on some work. Then I was back on the road. I headed to Fond du Lac for the city’s Area Association of Commerce Agribusiness Council Annual Meeting. When I arrived, I met Brenda Gudex, the Director of Agricultural Programs for the council. Brenda is also one of the county’s ag ambassadors; they also go into schools to teach students about agriculture. We had fun sharing some of our favorite moments from visiting the classrooms like how excited the students get when you share some of the fun facts about agriculture with them. During the program, the Agribusiness Council recognized two area teachers that go above and beyond to include agriculture in their lesson plans. I got to speak to the whole audience during the program. I talked about the impact that agriculture has on our state. As people involved in agriculture, I’m sure they already knew about how important agriculture is in our state. It was really fun though to see their faces as I said that agriculture in Wisconsin contributes $1,875 to our state’s economy every second when we break down the entire $59.16 billion ag industry. Thanks Brenda and the Agribusiness council for inviting me and for everything you do to promote agriculture!

School Visits: Seneca and Boscobel
Nov. 11, 2009

I had one more school to visit today in Crawford County, and then one in Grant County. I started my day at Seneca Elementary School. Then I finished my day with a group of about 60 students in Boscobel. The kids were all really excited again today to have Alice visit their class. I think the teachers were excited too. At the end of the presentation, I let both the teachers and students know that their classroom gets to keep the Taste Wisconsin board to help them learn more about Wisconsin the whole year. The dairy farm families and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board make this possible. Each student also gets a worksheet to take home to show their parents everything they learned about Wisconsin. And they are always so excited to get their treat. Yesterday, I gave you some clues about this great dairy product. If you said cheese, you are right! The kids all get a piece of cheese after the presentation. Today, I was handing out a Wisconsin original – Colby cheese!

School Visits: Crawford County
Nov. 10, 2009

I was back in the classroom today teaching 4th graders about Wisconsin agriculture. This time, I was in some very familiar places: schools in Crawford County. I grew up on my family’s dairy farm near Eastman in Crawford County, so I certainly didn’t need the GPS in the Flex Fuel Tahoe to help me find my way around. I started the morning by driving up to North Crawford Elementary School. After that, I went to Bluff View Intermediate School in Prairie du Chien. Bluff View Intermediate School is where I went for 8th grade, so it was neat to be back there. Then I finished my day at the elementary school for the Wauzeka-Steuben School District in Wauzeka. With each of the classes, I used the Taste Wisconsin display to help teach them about a variety of things that make up Wisconsin’s $59.16 billion agriculture industry. Everyone was so excited all day long to learn about everything, and to get a great treat at the end of the lesson. That treat is your clue for the day. Of all the milk produced in Wisconsin, about 90% of it goes into the production of this dairy product. Wisconsin makes more of this product than any other state in the US and more than most countries in the world. Do you know what it is? I’ll tell you tomorrow!

Something Special from Wisconsin™
Nov. 09, 2009

Today is the first day of a two month long campaign: the Something Special from Wisconsin™ Holiday Campaign. This campaign showcases items from the more than 300 companies using the red Something Special from Wisconsin™ logo. These companies guarantee that at least 50% of the ingredients are from Wisconsin or at least 50% of the production of the products is done here in Wisconsin. When you see that label, you know you are getting a quality Wisconsin item that is also unique. Throughout the next two months, I will travel across the state working with the media to promote these items as things to use during the holiday season like at a holiday meal or party, for decorating, and for gift giving. These products aren’t just good for the holidays though; they are great to use everyday! And when buying products from Wisconsin, like these Something Special from Wisconsin™ products, you are helping support our local farmers, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture.

To kick-off the campaign, I drove to Onalaska to visit with Chris Collins, the afternoon radio personality on CC 106.3. We recorded a couple of interviews – one about some of the Something Special from Wisconsin™ products and another to catch him up on everything that I’ve been doing as Alice since I last talked with him in July. After that interview, I drove south along the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien. I stopped by WPRE/WQPC to visit with News Director Norb Aschom. Norb also did two interviews with me. We talked about some more of the Something Special from Wisconsin™ products, and we talked about what I’d been up to the last month on the job. Both Chris and Norb are great supporters of the Alice in Dairyland program. Thank you both for the great interviews!

Throughout the next two months, I will also tell you more about the products from the Something Special from Wisconsin™ Holiday Campaign. Today, I want to tell you about Coulee View Family Farms. Dean and Kim Zimmerman own the farm near Wauzeka that pasture raises chicken, turkey, geese, pigs, and sheep. The poultry is processed on-site while the other livestock is processed at a local locker. The Zimmerman’s like to practice natural animal raising, allowing the animals to have plenty of space and fresh air. Coulee View Family Farms is also part a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. Zimmerman’s have scheduled processing dates, so if you want to learn about ordering, you’ll want to contact them to learn more. You can visit their website at www.couleeviewfarm.com. And don’t forget to visit www.savorwisconsin.com for a complete list of all the Something Special from Wisconsin™ products.

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Contact the Alice In Dairyland Program at:
2811 Agriculture Dr. PO Box 8911
Madison WI 53708-8911
Phone (608) 224-5127