Alice in Dairyland Travel Journal Archive

Rock County Fair: Day 1
Jul. 31, 2009

After spending time this past week on the east, north, and west points of Wisconsin, I headed south today to Janesville to the Rock County Fair. I was a 4-H member growing up, so I was excited to visit the oldest and largest 4-H fair in the nation. I started my day by meeting up with the 59th Alice in Dairyland Nicole Reese who helped me find my way around the grounds. We first stopped at the dairy show ring where I said a few words and watched a couple of the classes. Then we headed over to the Meat Animal Auction ring. Businesses from throughout the area come to the auction to buy the animals after they have been shown. The animals that usually bring the most money are the champion animals. The money goes to the exhibitors for all their hard work with their animal projects. The local businesses are always great supporters of the youth exhibitors. After seeing the champion animals being sold, I was able to walk around the fairgrounds with a couple of the Rock County 4-H Fair Royalty. They showed me all the different buildings with 4-H projects in them like photography, crops and cooking. They also told me about their role as 4-H royalty to help promote 4-H in both rural and urban areas of the county. After the walk around the park, I spent some time in the agribusiness tent. There was a huge area of corn that kids could play in like a sand box. With all the people around, I thought it was a good time to once again pull out the Taste Wisconsin display and talk to the kids and adults about all the different food products that come from Wisconsin farms. I had a great day at the fair and can’t wait to go back tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the first day of August. It’s hard for me to believe that July is already over. It’s been another great month as the 62nd Alice in Dairyland. I traveled all over the state this month, learned a lot, and made a lot of great memories. I’ve posted a few pictures in this blog, but you can see more through the Alice in Dairyland facebook page. Take a look at my July photo album at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5385&id=1846631886&l=3cf583d0fd

Final Media Campaign Visit
Jul. 30, 2009

Today, I made my final stop on my ice cream media campaign. My final interview for my first campaign was with Mark McPherson during the noon newscast at WKBT in La Crosse. We talked about the different ice cream companies in Wisconsin so consumers could find them easily in their stores. I also had fun telling the viewers that the blueberries and raspberries that I had in my display were all picked by me on my recent stops to Rush River Produce and Bayfield Apple Company. It was a great final interview to wrap up my first media campaign. In total, I conducted 11 television interviews and 10 radio interviews about ice cream. I think it was a success. And being a journalist myself, I enjoyed visiting with other journalists from around the state. Thank you all for being supporters of the Alice in Dairyland program and Wisconsin agriculture!

I can’t believe July is almost over already. That means Ice Cream Month, Beef Month, and Blueberry Month are over too. But that doesn’t mean you should stop using those products. I think you can celebrate these months and use these Wisconsin products all year long!

Raspberry Training at Bayfield Apple Company
Jul. 29, 2009

I had never been to far northern Wisconsin, but that changed today. I visited the northern tip of Wisconsin by going to Bayfield to learn about raspberries. Bayfield Apple Company has the state’s largest holding of raspberries. Before going out to the rows of raspberries, I met the owner Einar Olson. He walked me around their store to show me all of their amazing products like their cider, jams, jellies, and butters. I even tried their apple mustard. When they aren’t in apple or raspberry season, the crew at Bayfield Apple Company is making all their own products. Einar showed me the equipment they use to make all their products. They make their own cider by steaming and pressing the apples. They also steam their apples to extract apple pectin to use in their jams and jellies. Using their own apple pectin instead of commercial brands is a time consuming step, but it actually helps reduce the calories in the product as well because they are able to use the apple’s fructose, a natural sweetener. They also use raspberries in their products like their apple raspberry cider. They will use about 1,300 pounds of raspberries to get all the juice necessary for making that cider.

After walking around the shop, I was taken out to the rows and rows of raspberries. Bayfield Apple Company has about 17 acres in raspberries. The raspberries grow well there because of the micro-climate created by all the islands in nearby Lake Superior. The islands act more like a breakwater so the water can heat up in the summer and then keep the air temperature a little warmer in the winter. Even though they are so far north, Einar said they have few days below zero degrees in the winter. Raspberry season in Bayfield runs from mid July to early August. Today, they were on day 12 of the season. Each day, seasonal staff members come to the field at about 6 a.m. to go through the rows of raspberries to pick the ripe ones. The pickers pack pints of raspberries. Each pint weighs about one pound. There are 12 pints or about 12 pounds in each case. Just a couple days ago, the pickers brought in 103 cases of raspberries. That’s more that 1,200 pounds of raspberries in one day! Once the berries are brought back to the shop, they are processed by hand, going through the pints and picking out any berries that are over ripe. Those berries will get used to get raspberry juice for cider. Bayfield Apple Company wastes very little fruit as they use over 95% of everything. Customers can also come to the orchard to pick their own raspberries. I got to pick my own pint too! Raspberries that are ripe come off the cane very easily. And just like other fruits, raspberry plants need lots of care. The canes are stripped in late August and September to allow for re-growth the following year. The ground also needs the appropriate fertilizer. Raspberry plants are very reliable if taken care of properly and can last much longer than other fruit bearing plants.

Look for Bayfield Apple Company products in a store near you, or you can order directly from their website at bayfieldapple.com. Bayfield Apple Company is a Something Special from Wisconsin company. That means, they guarantee that at least 50% of the ingredients in their products are from Wisconsin or at least 50% of the production is done in Wisconsin. Buying Wisconsin grown and produced items helps support our local farmers, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture.

Media Campaign & Cherry Training
Jul. 28, 2009

Today, I was on the road to the eastern point of Wisconsin: Door County to learn about cherries. I made a stop first at WLUK in Green Bay to talk about ice cream. Rachel Manek of Good Day Wisconsin interviewed me about ice cream. It is still Ice Cream Month! I had a lot of fun this morning with their crew too. The producer asked the crew to bring in some of their favorite toppings for ice cream too. I was really happy to see that someone brought real Wisconsin maple syrup as a favorite topping too! I think I gave Rachel and co-anchor Pete Petoniak some new favorites though. They both loved the blueberry shake I made with the blueberries I picked at Rush River Produce. And they loved the ice cream floats using Sprecher Brewing Company soda.

After the interview, I headed up to Door County for something that I have been looking forward to ever since I was selected as the 62nd Alice in Dairyland. I headed to Seaquist Orchards to learn all about cherries and Wisconsin’s cherry industry. Cherries are my favorite fruit, so I was so excited to spend a day surrounded by them! I met up with Dale and Kristin Seaquist at their Farm Market north of Sister Bay. Kristin showed me around their store that carries all their products that are made from cherries. My tummy rumbled at the sight of all the cherry jellies and jam, cherry turnovers and pies, and so much more. Dale also showed me a model boat in the back of the market. About 150 years ago, the Seaquist family moved to Wisconsin from Sweden and started a small apple orchard. They heard about the success of cherries in other parts of the county, so they made the what was a three day trip to Sturgeon Bay and bought 700 cherry trees at six cents per tree. When the cherries were harvested, the boat was used to take the cherries across the water to cities on the other side of the bay. Today, Seaquist Orchards is in its fifth generation of the family business. They have grown to about 1,000 acres of cherries, producing about 60% of all the cherries in Door County. Dale took me on a tour through some of the acres of mostly Montmorency cherries which are a tart cherry that is ideal for baking. Dale did show me some of the sweet cherry trees like a plot of land that contains 18 different sweet varieties they are growing as an experiment to see which ones grow best. Cherry trees can last a long time. Dale said they buy their new trees when they are about one year old and plant them. As the trees grow over the next couple of years, they do things to help the limbs of the tree grow out instead of up. It’s important to keep the tree balanced and strong for when it bears fruit. The trees won’t really be harvested until they are four or five years old. Because cherries can easily be harvested by a machine, the trees need to be able to handle the 40,000 pounds of thrust the shaker uses, so they need time to develop a strong root system. Cherry trees can last up to 25 years when they begin to deteriorate and need to be replaced. The Seaquists plant about 8,000 trees a year mostly replacing old trees. In total, they have around 100,000 cherry trees! After the cherries are shaken from the tree in less than seven seconds, they are taken to the processing plant in large metal tanks that hold 1,100 pounds of cherries. The cherries are cooled in water for four hours, then dumped into another tank to begin processing. The cherries come out of the water and on to a series of conveyor belts that shake away any remaining stems and leaves. The cherries are separated as being either large or small cherries. This is for the pitters, big machines that punch the pit right out of the cherry. The 17 pitters can pit 1,100 pounds of cherries every hour. Then the cherries go on another conveyor to be checked by people that will pick out any cherries that might be bad, maybe weren’t quite ripe. The cherries all come back together and are loaded into mostly 30 pound buckets with 5 pounds of sugar. Dale and I also talked about the health benefits of cherries. They really are “America’s Superfruit” since they are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants. After touring the processing plant, Dale took me back out to the orchard so I could actually see the cherries trees being shaken. Dale also told me that he built the first machine to circle the tree to shake off the cherries. The machines the Seaquists use two special tractors, one on each side of the tree. One has the power to shake the tree; the other has a conveyor belt that loads the cherries into the tanks. Both have large panels that direct the cherries to the belt. See the process in action for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sHQ2-x49pg

Dale also took me on a little tour of northern Door County as well. Dale and his daughter Laura took me out to Ellison Bay Bluff County Park to look out over Green Bay. It was so beautiful! Thank you to the whole Seaquist Family and everyone at Seaquist Orchards for such an amazing day!

Another Video Blog!
Jul. 27, 2009

While at Farm Technology Days, I decided to do another video blog so you can all see what I do as Alice. Here is my video blog from Day 2 at the 2009 Farm Technology Days! Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmb0jqob_qE

Blueberry Picking at Rush River Produce
Jul. 25, 2009

Over the next week, I will visit all four points of Wisconsin: north, south, east and west. Today, I visited western Wisconsin when I toured Rush River Produce near Maiden Rock. When I pulled in to the farm, Terry Cuddy directed me where to park since they were busy this morning with people coming to pick blueberries. I met with John Cuddy who took me on a walk around their farm. We started in the busiest part of the farm, the blueberry patch. The Cuddy’s grow nine acres of blueberries. They bought the farm 23 years ago, and planted some blueberry plants soon after. Blueberries plants take about six to seven years to grow to produce a good crop of berries. After about ten to twelve years, they will be mature plants that will last about forty to fifty years. The plants need a lot of care throughout the year. The ground the berries grow in need sulfur treatments; blueberries grow best in dirt that has a high acidity level. The plants are pruned in the winter months. In the spring, the Cuddy’s bring in honey bee hives so the bees can help pollinate the plants when they blossom with white flowers. Just six weeks after pollination, there will be blueberries on the bush. As the berries ripen, their acidity drops, and the sugar increases along with the weight of the berry. The darker the berry, the sweeter it will be. Rush River Produce has been operating as a u-pick farm for 17 years. The blueberry season which runs from July in to early August draws visitors to their farm from as far away as Green Bay, Milwaukee, and “almost South Dakota” as one visitor calls it. John says their farm is a great stop for “agritainment” where you pick your own berries, eat some as you go, and have a fun time. The Cuddy’s encourage berry pickers to eat some berries as they go so they know they are getting berries that they will like. They get hundreds of berry pickers each weekend during berry season. In a good year, the Cuddy’s expect their plants will produce 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of blueberries.

Rush River Produce is also home to some other unique berries like currants and gooseberries. John showed me the black, red, and white currant plants. He let me try all three kinds of them. I think I like the white currants best, but they were all really good. He also showed me to the gooseberry plants which are pick-at-your-own-risk kind of plants. Gooseberry bushes have thorns. But John reached right in there and grabbed one of the red variety of gooseberries for me to try. It was really sweet. The Cuddy’s also grow a variety of other produce like sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and pumpkins which are available for purchases while supplies last. John said they are also experimenting with some other plants. A few years ago, they were part of an experiment to grow lingonberries. But Wisconsin’s weather was a bit too warm, so the experiment wasn’t too successful. John said they are now experimenting with some bush cherry plants that will hopefully provide a tart cherry that is good for making pies. They also have two chestnuts trees and some hazelnuts trees.

After learning all about the farm, it was my turn to pick some blueberries, and of course to eat some as I picked as John told me to. I had so much fun picking blueberries to take home. I can’t wait to make some blueberry muffins or pancakes! Thank you John and Terry for letting me visit your farm on such a busy day!

Washington County Fair
Jul. 24, 2009

After spending a few hours in the office, I was off to the Washington County Fair. Upon arrival, I met up with Judy Kasten who had a very busy afternoon planned for me at the fair. We made a quick stop at AgAdventureland, a fabulous education display to learn about some of the different agriculture industries in Wisconsin. As a “Farmer for a Day,” you travel through the display picking up your products like apples, wool, and milk to take to the farmers market. After you put all your items up for sale, you get your payment, some string cheese. The display is full of interesting information for both kids and adults. For example, by the apple orchard, there is a sign that tells you that there are 300 different kinds of apples grown in Wisconsin. After a quick tour of AgAdventureland, I was off to tour the fairgrounds. This tour was in a wagon pulled by horses. It was really neat to see all the grounds that way! While on the tour, we drove by the booth where WTKM was broadcasting live and waived to Scott Lopas who asked that I come over for an interview after the ride. Scott had just interviewed me a couple days ago at Farm Technology Days, but I was happy to talk to him again. This time, we talked about how important the fairs are to the exhibitors who worked so hard on their projects, and for the visitors to learn more about the importance of agriculture. After the interview, I headed back to AgAdventureland to set-up my Taste Wisconsin display. There wasn’t a set time to do the whole presentation, so I made it in to a game for the kids who came to visit me. I had them pull one of the 20 discs from a bag. I would give them the clues, and if they got it right, they could stick the disc on the appropriate spot on the board. And I would give them a Taste Wisconsin poster or postcard. It was fun for the kids, and fun for me too not knowing which disc they were going to pick. After spending some time doing that, Judy and I spent a few minutes walking through the dairy and beef barns and also through the hall where many of the arts and crafts projects were displayed. Growing up, I took lots of different projects to the fair too. Then it was back outside for the sheep sheering demonstration. It was so neat to see the eight pounds of wool being clipped from the sheep, and it took less than five minutes. The demonstration drew a big crowd too. And everyone could feel the wool after it had been cut away. To finish off my day, Judy took me to visit Mr. & Mrs. Yogerst who taught me how to be a master archer… Well, maybe not a master, but I came really close to hitting a bull’s-eye! It was really fun to work with some of the 4-H members who had been doing archery for years and participate in their demonstration. Thank you to Judy and everyone at the Washington County Fair for such a fun-filled afternoon!

Farm Technology Days: Day 3
Jul. 23, 2009

My morning started again at a Madison television station. Today, I stopped by WISC to again talk about our delicious Wisconsin ice cream. Charlotte Deleste and Rob Starbuck both interviewed me about the Wisconsin ice cream and toppings. Meteorologist Karin Swanson joined us when we started making root beer floats using the root beer from Sprecher Brewing Company of Glendale. Sprecher Root Beer even has Wisconsin honey in it! Karin really enjoyed the float that she made. You can watch the interview at http://www.channel3000.com/localvideo/index.html and click on the link on the right that says “Alice in Dairyland Talks about Celebrating Ice Cream Month.”

After the interview, I went back to Farm Technology Days in Dodge County for the final day of the amazing event. It was another busy morning with my Taste Wisconsin presentation (the Wisconsin Honey Queen Amy Roden sat in on the presentation today), speech in the Family Living Tent, and some time doing some introductions for other performers. I also spent some time roaming Tent City visiting with companies, attendees, and Alice in Dairyland partners like the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board. I had a lot of fun seeing all the displays, talking with people, and passing out my WMMB “Taste Wisconsin” postcards! I got them right before Farm Tech Days, so I’ve been passing them out all three days. I also have posters that I gave out to people who participated in my Taste Wisconsin presentation. I can’t wait to hand out more at the next event I go to!

I think Farm Technology Days were a huge success! Even though there was rain at times all three days, I think the turnout was incredible. I can’t wait to see the final attendance numbers to see how many people came out to the Crave’s farm to learn about Wisconsin’s $51.5 billion agriculture industry. Mark your calendars for 2010 Farm Technology Days July 20-22 in Pierce County!

Farm Technology Days: Day 2
Jul. 22, 2009

Before heading back out to the Crave Brothers Farm for Day 2 of Farm Technology Days, I stopped by WMTV in Madison to talk about ice cream. I met Sarah Carlson and Christine Bellport, the morning show anchors. Sarah was very excited to talk about our Wisconsin ice cream so she could find them easier in the stores. And, she was happy to hear about the benefits of buying local. Buying Wisconsin products, like Wisconsin ice cream, supports our local farmer, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture.

There was some overnight and early morning rain that left the grounds at Crave Brothers Farm a little damp and muddy. They decided to hold off opening Day 2 until 11 a.m., but that didn’t stop visitors from coming out and walking around the grounds. And it didn’t stop me from doing my Taste Wisconsin presentation at 10 a.m. There was a great audience including the Wisconsin Cranberry Queen Rachel Reeck and the Wisconsin Cranberry Princesses Chelsie Popp and Lauren Patterson. After that, I spent some time again in the media area talking about why events like Farm Technology Days are so important. I was back at the Family Living Tent early in the afternoon giving a speech and helping to introduce the Crave Family to the audience. I introduced the Dodge County Fairest of the Fair Amanda Graff and Wisconsin Fairest of the Fair Melissa Ploeckelmann. They each talked about the importance of the county and state fairs.

Yesterday, I spent a lot of time in some of the tents. In the nice weather today, I wanted to see more of the grounds, including the farm. Tyler Franklin, State FFA Vice President, was our tour guide, and I learned so much about the Crave’s farm. The farm rests on more than 1,700 acres of land, the majority of it tillable land for raising corn, soybeans and alfalfa to use for feed for their nearly 2,000 head of milk cows and youngstock. The cows are kept in very comfortable, open air barns with lots of fresh air and soft bedding. In total, all the cows are fed about 90 tons of food per day. The dairy cows are milked in a milking parlor three times per day. Each day, 10,000 gallons of milk come from the Crave cows. The milk the cows produce today will be tomorrow’s cheese. The milk is pumped from the barn through a pipeline under the road to the farmstead cheese factory. The Craves make a line of delicious fresh mozzarella cheese as well as rope cheese, soft mascarpone cheese, and Les Freres (French for “the brothers”). Five days a week, the cheese factory is in operation filling 18,000 packages of cheese each day. And those packages come in a variety of sizes. The tour also took us by the power plant for the farm, the manure digesters. The digesters convert the manure waste into electricity that powers the farm, the cheese plant, and more than 500 homes. The digesters capture the methane gas for electricity. After the gas is harvested, there is still a liquid and a solid by-product. The liquid is used by the Craves as a fertilizer for their fields. The solid is EnerGro, a product used for organic potting mixes. The Craves have an excellent manure management program that nearly eliminates runoff into local waterways. The digestion process also creates a lot of heat which is captured and used to heat the offices on the farm, the shop, and the hot water. Thank you Crave Family for opening up your farm to thousands of people to learn about the innovations farmers are making every day!

Farm Technology Days: Day 1
Jul. 21, 2009

I had a great time at the first day of Farm Technology Days! Like the Alice in Dairyland Finals, Farm Technology Days rotates around the state to a different county each year. This year, Farm Tech Days are being held in Dodge County at Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo. They have a 1,100 cow milking operation, a farmstead cheese plant, and an anaerobic digester that harvests methane gas from the cows’ waste and converts it to energy to power their farm, cheese plant, and 550 homes in the area. I’ll tell you more about the farm in the next couple of days. I didn’t get to see much of it because I was kept so busy elsewhere on the grounds.

I arrived there early this morning for the Opening Ceremonies. I made a few remarks along with the Secretary of the Dept. of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection Rod Nilsestuen, the Crave Family, local politicians, and many others to welcome everyone to this amazing event. Farm Technology Days is a great way for people from all over the state to see a working farm and all the innovations and advances being made in the business of agriculture. Just like any other business, agriculture needs to keep modernizing and being innovative to remain profitable and competitive. After the opening ceremonies, I went over to the Youth Tent to do my Taste Wisconsin presentation. There were a lot of young kids who stopped by to help me teach everyone about the different food that comes from Wisconsin farms. I would list off some clues about an item, and when the kid got it right, I had them come up to the board to stick the disc of that item on the proper place on the board. For example, the first clue is more than 13,000 farms in Wisconsin have animals that produce this beverage. After just that first clue, everyone was raising their hand to say milk. So, the first person I saw raise their hand would come to the stage and stick the disc with a jug of milk on it on one of the cows on the board because milk comes from cows. And, after each child got an item right, I would also give them my poster! I was so excited that I got my WMMB posters and postcards yesterday so I could start handing them out at Farm Tech Days. After the presentation, I met with a number of media outlets from the area for interviews. Then it was back on stage in the Family Living Tent to give a little speech about the dairy industry since we were on a dairy farm. Throughout the afternoon, I also helped introduce other speakers and performers on stage in the Family Living Tent. I did manage some time to go down to the Wisconsin Cattleman’s Association Beef Tent where farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson was speaking. I first met Orion during the Alice finals this past May when he came up for the milking contest against 61st Alice in Dairyland Ashley Huibregtse.

I think Day One of this year’s Farm Technology Days was a big success even with some afternoon rain. I can’t wait to get back out there for days two and three!

Media Campaign
Jul. 20, 2009

I was back on the ice cream media campaign trail today with two good, fun interviews. I started the morning back in Wausau, this time at WAOW. I met the whole Wake Up Wisconsin team of Natalie Sparacio, Jeannie Prescott, and meteorologist Justin Loew. I had just finished setting up my display in the studio when a segment they have each Monday morning called Wisconsin Dairy News aired; it’s a segment sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. It’s great to see local media helping report the good news in Wisconsin agriculture. That segment was a great lead in to the interview that Natalie conducted with me. We talked about using Wisconsin’s state fruit to top a sundae. Urban Best of Wisconsin Rapids makes a really nice sweet cranberry topping that I think is a great compliment to a dish of ice cream. They also have a sweet cranberry syrup and dried cranberries that are great on the ice cream too. After my interview at WAOW, I started heading south toward Madison, but I made a stop in Plover to visit Mark Skibba and Ben Butler at WYTE radio. I met Ben last month at the Dairy & Berry Breakfast in Wisconsin Rapids. So, we talked about cranberries and ice cream there too.

After the interview, I finished my trip down I-39 to Madison. I spent a lot of time in the Tahoe this past week, so it was nice to have some extra time to catch up on a few things, and to prepare for a very exciting next three days. Farm Technology Days start tomorrow at Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo. I hope to see you all there!

Village of Potter Sesquicentennial Celebration
Jul. 19, 2009

This morning was the first morning this week that I didn’t start my day with an interview. Today, I traveled to the village of Potter in Calumet County for their Sesquicentennial Celebration. The village of Potter is rich in agricultural history. 150 years ago, Captain Orrin R. Potter, a Civil War veteran, founded the village. He opened a sawmill, a feed store, and a cheese factory in the area. I was happy to learn about that agricultural history along with descendants of Orrin Potter. Months ago when the committee began planning for the event, they decided to try to find the descendants of Orrin Potter. Some of them had heard of Potter, Wisconsin, but had no idea that it had a connection to their family. Some came from as far away as the state of Oregon to be there. I really enjoyed meeting some of the family and telling them about Alice in Dairyland. It was great to see such pride the village residents had for their town. I spoke to the audience along with Congressman Petri who brought a flag that had been flown over the United States capital to present to the residents of the village. Thank you to Gary Lemke for organizing my visit to Potter for the celebration!

Media Campaign & Waukesha Co. Fair
Jul. 18, 2009

I look forward to every day getting to live my dream as Alice. But I had been looking forward to today all week because I got to spend some time in the city I call my second home: Milwaukee. I spent four years in Milwaukee going to college at UW-Milwaukee, and then another year after graduating to work at one of the local television stations. I love the farm life, but I love the city life too. This morning, I started my day with an interview with Wisconsin’s Weekend Morning News at WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee talking again about ice cream. Since I was in Milwaukee, it was the perfect time to talk about a local product. Sprecher Brewing Company is located just north of Milwaukee in Glendale. They have a delicious line of gourmet sodas that go great with a scoop of ice cream for a tasty ice cream float. And Sprecher uses Wisconsin products in their soda too! My favorite Sprecher soda is a perfect example of that. Sprecher Ravin’ Red uses Wisconsin cranberry and cherries juices in the soda as well as Wisconsin honey and ginseng. Sprecher can be found at a number at more than 2,000 locations in the metro-Milwaukee area alone. After chatting with the crew at WTMJ Radio, I headed to the television station that I used to work at for an interview on WISN 12 News This Morning. It was so great to see some of the people that I used to work with, and I had so much fun being on set and being interviewed by weekend morning anchor Jason Newton. It was such a fun way to start my day in southeastern Wisconsin.

At noon, I arrived at the Waukesha County Fair. I met the newly crowned Waukesha County Fairest of the Fair Rachel Hardekopf. She was just named the Fairest on July 15, the first day of the fair. I also met Amy Hackbarth, one of the fair directors. Amy took me around to many of the different areas of the fair. We started in their educational display about agriculture. I visited with people walking through the exhibit. They had a bunch of different displays like a mini chicken coop with fun facts about Wisconsin’s poultry industry. Did you know that chickens in Wisconsin produce enough eggs in one year that every resident in Wisconsin can eat one egg every other day? That’s more than 1.3 billion eggs each year! Amy and I took a little tour of the poultry barn at the fair too. We met with Carol and Ethan Honeyager. Carol was a superintendent of the poultry area, and her son Ethan was an exhibitor of poultry. They taught us all about how birds are cared for, shown and judged at the fair. I even got to hold a Polish chicken. I thought it was a pretty neat looking bird too with the mop of white feathers on its head. Amy and I also visited the dairy show ring while the cows were being shown. I felt right at home there since I showed dairy animals for years at my home county’s fair. We also made a stop by the horse ring. They were just about finished, but Amy was able to teach me about proper hand placement when riding horses. Amy and I also walked through the 4-H Forum building where there were hundreds of 4-H exhibits like photography, flowers, clothes, and other projects. We stopped to watch Rachel and her 4-H club perform; they were clogging. There are so many great activities for 4-H’ers to be involved in. Learn more at http://4h.uwex.edu/. I had such a great day. Thank you to the producers who scheduled my interview this morning! And thank you to Amy for showing me all around your great fair!

Media Campaign & FDL Co. Holstein Futurity
Jul. 17, 2009

Today was my very first trip to Door County ever. I was so excited because Door County is home to my favorite fruit: cherries. But, because of the cool spring we had, the cherries aren’t quite ready for harvest, so I’m going to have to take another trip up when they are ready. Today’s visit to the county was on my media campaign around the state about ice cream. I first met with Bob Dohr with Door County Daily News and then with Eddy Allen at WDOR. At both interviews, I talked about all the fresh berries that are grown in Wisconsin, like the 10 million pounds of cherries that grow in Door County each year. Since the fresh cherries aren’t ready to top your sundaes, be sure to try some dried cherries or even cherry syrups to top your ice cream. Check out savorwisconsin.com for a listing of all the different companies like Country Ovens of Forestville and their line of Cherry De-Lite products.

After my morning in Sturgeon Bay, I headed down the road to Fond du Lac for their county fair and the Fond du Lac County Holstein Futurity. The futurity is a special dairy show where the exhibitor enters the animal when they are just a calf, but don’t show them until they are 2 years old. The purpose is to stimulate interest in exhibiting and breeding high quality dairy cattle. Another reason why it is special is because the exhibitors don’t wear classic show whites; they wear formal attire. It was an amazing event with an amazing turnout of cattle, exhibitors, and spectators. This was the largest futurity in Fond du Lac County history with 31 great quality 2 year old entries. All the exhibitors were dressed wonderfully. The seats filled up quickly, and there were lots of people standing around the show ring to watch. I was so excited to be a part of tonight’s show as it was the first futurity I have ever been to. It was such a great show, and it was great to see the enthusiasm of all the exhibitors. Congrats to the winners, all the exhibitors, and the organizers for such a great show! I can’t wait until the Holstein Futurity at the Wisconsin State Fair on Saturday, August 15 at 7 p.m. in the Coliseum.

Media Campaign & Finals Meeting
Jul. 16, 2009

This morning started with another early morning interview on a local morning newscast; this morning, I went to WJFW in Rhinelander. I have always loved morning newscasts. When I was younger, I would start everyday with a bowl of cereal, a glass of milk, and a local morning newscast. So, I love being a part of them now. And just because it’s the morning doesn’t mean we can’t talk about ice cream. Even though I was all the way up in Rhinelander, I thought it was still a good time to talk about Babcock Hall Ice Cream available on UW-Madison’s campus or even through the website www.wisconsinmade.com so it can be delivered to your door. You can watch the interview at http://titancast.titantv.com/p/wjfw/v/National-Ice-Cream-Month/1ACA1BOY.aspx. After that great interview with Kristyn Allen for the morning show at WJFW, I headed over to Eau Claire for an interview for WEAU’s noon show. I was interviewed by Salina Heller who I met when I was in Eau Claire for the Breakfast in the Valley. The interview at WEAU marked my first noon show interview. I had two great interviews today!

After the busy first half of my day, it was back on the road to Madison, and then to Janesville for a meeting with the committee planning the 63rd Alice in Dairyland Finals. With how fast my year is going, I know that the end will be here before I know it. The committee in Rock County is working really hard to prepare for the finals being held there May 20-22, 2010. Also during the meeting, we talked about some of the things I might be doing at the Rock County Fair when I’m there July 31 and August 1.

Media Campaign & an Ice Cream Social
Jul. 15, 2009

After speaking at Women’s Connection last night, I hit the road for La Crosse to be ready for my scheduled interview with WQOW. Before that, I did a phone interview with WEKZ in Monroe. In just a couple short minutes, I talked about ice cream and talked about all the different things that I’ve done in the first month and a half as Alice. It was a quick interview, but a good one. Then, I met Amy DuPont who is the morning anchor and interviewed me about ice cream. Sassy Cow Creamery, a new Something Special from Wisconsin company, just opened in 2008 near Columbus. They sell their ice cream at their store on Bristol Road and in some Madison area stores. As a Something Special from Wisconsin company, Sassy Cow Creamery is guaranteeing that at least 50% of their product has ingredients from or at least 50% of their products are produced in Wisconsin. When you buy all Wisconsin products like those with the SSfW logo, you are helping to support Wisconsin farmers, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture.

After that interview, I headed to Sparta to meet with the Moo Crew of Cow 97. Before doing my first live in-studio interview, I was interviewed by COW 97’s ag reporter Brian Winnekins. Brian asked me about my background in agriculture since this was my first interview with him. We also talked about the great event of Farm Technology Days happening July 21-23 at Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo. I’m looking forward to being there all three days.

And to celebrate ice cream, I visited Beans & Cream in Sun Prairie for an ice cream social. Beans & Cream sells a lot of local foods whether they are in the sandwiches or wraps they sell, the milk they use in coffee, and the ice cream they sell including Sassy Cow Creamery ice cream. They had a great special for the night, a Strawberry Cow: Sassy Cow vanilla ice cream, strawberries from a local farm, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. One of the employees even drew a picture of a Strawberry Cow; I thought it was so cute, I had to take a picture of it! It was great visiting with the people who were coming in to get some yummy ice cream.

After the ice cream social, I got in the Flex Fuel Tahoe and took my first trip to Rhinelander so I could be there for the morning show interview the next day.

Media Campaign & Women’s Connection
Jul. 14, 2009

I started bright and early today for an interview at WQOW in Eau Claire as I make my way around the state celebrating ice cream month. I was interviewed by Amie Winters about all the delicious ice cream like Schoep’s Ice Cream. Schoep’s has been making ice cream near Madison since 1928 when E.J. Schoephoester started making ice cream in the back of his grocery store. In 1940, P.B. Thomsen, a well-known butter maker from Windsor, Wisconsin, bought into the company and began wholesaling ice cream in 2-1/2 gallon containers. Currently, there are six Thomsen’s that work at Schoep’s, and they encourage multiple family members from other families to work there too. Schoep’s says they make 12 million gallons a year!

After my interview with Amie, I hit the road for the La Crosse area to meet with Chris Collins of the La Crosse Radio Group. Chris recorded an interview with me to play the next day on various stations in their group. This was my first in-studio radio interview. Even though it was radio, I still brought the display with me of the ice cream containers and the ways to make ice cream extra special this month.

Then I made the trip back to the Madison area for an event near Lodi. I met with the ladies of Women’s Connection, a Christian women’s outreach group. They meet every month, and this month, their theme was all about Wisconsin. The head table was decorated with the violets, maple leaves, and Wisconsin Badger apparel. There were quizzes on the table about Wisconsin’s history like what city is home to the most Alice in Dairylands. The answer: Burlington, where the 62nd Alice in Dairyland Finals were held this past May. To help the ladies learn even more about Wisconsin, I talked with the ladies about all the great food that Wisconsin produces using the Taste Wisconsin board. Many of the ladies were familiar with the different products, but they all said they learned something new. It was a very fun night.

Media Campaign
Jul. 13, 2009

Ever since I was young, I knew that there were two things I always wanted to do. One: to be Alice in Dairyland. Two: to be a television news reporter/anchor. I studied journalism in college and worked for nearly two years at WISN-TV in Milwaukee. So, I have been looking forward to visiting the local television stations during the media campaign. Today, I had my first television interview for my first campaign. I was up before the sun to make sure I had everything ready to go for my morning interview at WSAW in Wausau. When I arrived, I met the morning show team of Bao Vang and Jeff Thelen. Bao showed me to the table outside the building where I could set up for the interview. Heather Poltrock conducted the interview; we talked about some of the different ice cream companies like Cedar Crest ice cream. Cedar Crest Specialties began in 1976 when four brothers bought an ice cream distribution company in Milwaukee. The company has come a long way since then and now produces a variety of ice cream treats. You can learn more about Cedar Crest by visiting their website at www.cedarcresticecream.com. Seeing the container of Cedar Crest ice cream must really have been tempting anchor Jeff Thelen. He snuck out from the studio and ran off with the container of Cedar Crest ice cream during the live interview! Don’t believe me? See for yourself: http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/476864/alice_in_dairyland_on_morning_show.html?cat=64

Iowa County Farmers Appreciation Day
Jul. 12, 2009

Today, I was invited to the Iowa County at their Farmers Appreciation Day. Even though I grew up about an hour from Dodgeville, I had never heard of the event. There were so many different things going on there. When I got there, I first noticed the tractor pull as I made my way to the pavilion where there was a hog roast, pie sale, and live music. I addressed the crowd while talking about the impact farmers in Iowa County and all across Wisconsin are making. And I got to say a big thank you to all the farmers who contribute to Wisconsin’s $51.5 billion agriculture industry. I also got the say thank you to the farmers who won conservation awards as I helped present those awards. It was really great to hear how the farmers in Iowa County are really helping to conserve their land and resources through various means like saving and reusing water. After the program, I walked around more outside to see the different exhibits like the Ag Tent and petting zoo. Not only did everyone get to see a couple young calves, they also got to see a two older dairy animals because there were two yearling heifers in the petting zoo too so everyone could see how quickly they grow. Thank you to the Iowa County Farmers Appreciation Day Committee for inviting me, and again, THANK YOU farmers!

After spending the afternoon in Dodgeville, I hit the road for my first media campaign. I headed to Wausau to get ready for my first television interview of the campaign the next morning.

From Plymouth to Monticello
Jul. 11, 2009

What a gorgeous day it was today! I started my day under clear blue skies in downtown Plymouth for Mill Street Fest. Marlene Kammann and the Sheboygan County Dairy Promoters invited me to attend and help out at their display. I talked with lots of people about Wisconsin’s dairy industry, helped kids milk Addie the cow, and quizzed people of all ages about the dairy industry and dairy products. After spending some time that morning at the display, I headed over to the family stage to deliver my first Taste Wisconsin presentation. Taste Wisconsin is a display and game developed by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. The board is the picture of a FANTASTIC farm that highlights many of the different agricultural industries in Wisconsin. It also becomes a game because I read off clues about an industry, and the audience has to guess what industry it is. There are some tough ones in there; I think I stumped the crowd twice even after all the clues were read. I will use the board a lot more during the school year when I visit more than 100 schools to help educate the kids on all the products that come from Wisconsin farms. There is so much great information in the clues and some interesting facts too that I think the board is good for any age group! After we completed the 20 different topics of the display, Marlene, Sheboygan County Fairest of the Fair Laura Rortvedt and I went to be judges for the Cheese Capital Cook-off along with a local food critic and two representatives from Sartori Foods. We judged the entries from five different restaurants in Plymouth. It was amazing to see what the chefs came with while using Sartori cheese. Everything tasted so good! The one we picked that was the best tasting, the best looking, and had the most creative use of cheese was the entry of a mini cheese chicken calzone and a mini cheese basket with a fresh salad in it from Chef Lisa Taft at Antoinette’s in Plymouth. After the contest, I had the honor of announcing the winner to the audience enjoying music from the local orchestra. After that, I was back at the Sheboygan County Dairy Promoters display for a little while before hitting the road for the second event of the day.

I traveled from Plymouth to Monitcello for their town’s festival as well. I again invited attendees to Taste Wisconsin when I spoke at Zwingli United Church of Christ. I brought the board with me for this event too because we were going to be talking about Wisconsin’s culture. I think that we carry a lot of our culture in the food we eat. And here in Wisconsin, we have such great diversity in the products grown or made here, that food culture is a big part of our life. I could tell that agriculture was a big part of the lives of the people who visited the church for my presentation. Many of them enjoyed a lot of the great Wisconsin cheese that is made in Green County. And they take pride in having the only cheese factory that makes limburger cheese right in their backyard. Green County has deep roots in the dairy industry, and they proudly promote it. While at the church, I got to meet many of the dairy ambassadors in Green County, the Green County Dairy Queen and Princess, as well as the Dairy Queens from the various communities in the county. These young women are all great ambassadors for the dairy industry, and hopefully some future Alice in Dairylands!

Busy Day!
Jul. 10, 2009

I started my day with another radio interview about ice cream. This time, it was with Ron Fruit at WRCO in Richland Center. I really enjoyed my interview with Ron; we talked for nearly 30 minutes! We talked about my upbringing in agriculture, as well as the agricultural history on both sides of my family. My mom grew up on a farm near Richland Center. We also spent quite a bit of time talking about ice cream. Ron really enjoyed the story of how we came to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month. The tradition started in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan designated the month because ice cream is a fun and nutritious food enjoyed by most people across the U.S. President Reagan asked for all citizens to observe the month with “appropriate ceremonies and activities” like a delicious dish of ice cream. I don’t think there is any better treat on a hot July day than a dish of Wisconsin ice cream.

After my interview, I was on the road to learn about strawberries at Porter’s Patch near Navarino. Although strawberry season had just finished, I sure learned a lot about the fruit that Wisconsin ranks 8th in the nation in producing. Porter’s Patch has been growing strawberries for 23 years now, although it has been owned by the Porter family since 1913. In 1986, Allen Porter planted strawberries on just half an acre of land. Today, Troy Porter owns the farm and grows about four and a half acres of strawberries as well as raspberries, pumpkins, and a whole list of vegetables. Troy walked me around his farm to show me the various plants and teach me about strawberries. The life cycle of a strawberry plant is typically four years. During their first year, the plants don’t produce any fruit; they are growing their root system. For the next three years, the plants can each bear about a quart and a half of berries. After their final season, the plants are plowed under. Troy told me that crop rotation for strawberries is very important. After a field has been plowed under, he won’t plant strawberries again there for several years, so advanced planning is crucial to ensure that he has enough strawberries for his customers. Caring for strawberries is hard work. Troy said that when temperatures get near freezing, it’s very important to protect the plants. The protection is a mist of water that freezes around the plant to protect it from getting any colder because the plant sap has a lower freezing point. Troy told me that at nights when the temperature is getting near those first fall or late spring frosts, he is up several times during the night to check the temperature in the fields to see if the mist is needed. I never knew it was so much work to care for strawberries. Troy currently grows two varieties of strawberries: Jewel and Honeoye. Troy also has a test plot with six more varieties to see if another variety might be added to his farm. He will look at how they grow and ask his customers which they like best. Porter’s Patch is a u-pick farm, so they are very busy in the spring with customers coming to pick their own berries. Troy also told me about some future he plans he has for his farm to make it active all year. Because Troy has expanded his pumpkin crop, that will also be open for picking this fall. He is also looking to add some fun family activities. Be sure to visit their website at porterspatch.com.

After spending the early part of my afternoon walking around strawberry fields, I drove the Flex Fuel Tahoe to a place with a lot of cars. I was invited to the Iola Old Car Show for their Cheese & Wine Reception. When I arrived at the car show, I was given a tour around the 300 acres of the grounds from Mitch Swenson, the public relations and marketing director for the show. During the four day show, there is a car swap where people can buy various car parts and about 2,500 old cars on display. And thousands, more than 100,000 people will visit the grounds during the show, driving through some beautiful Wisconsin scenery to get to Iola as well. After the tour, Mitch took me to the Wine & Cheese Reception. I had a great time chatting with so many different people there. Some were from out of state and never heard of Alice in Dairyland. Others had met several past Alices. It was fun talking to everyone and handing out some wine & cheese pairing guides.

Thank you to Ron, Troy, and Mitch for everything today. I had so much fun! And I didn’t let a flat tire stop me! Well, maybe it stopped me for about 45 minutes...

Ice Cream Campaign Kick-off
Jul. 09, 2009

Each year, Alice in Dairyland spends a lot of time working with the local media across the state to help promote different Wisconsin products and encourage viewers/listeners to buy those Wisconsin products. Buying Wisconsin grown and produced products supports Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, communities, economies, and Wisconsin agriculture. Today, I started my first media campaign with a radio interview over the phone with Bob Schmidt at WIZM radio in La Crosse. One thing that Bob and I talked about was where the first ice cream sundae was created. There is some controversy in this story because there are a couple other cities around the U.S. that also make the claim to be the home of the ice cream sundae. The Wisconsin Historical Society recognizes the city of Two Rivers as the home of the sundae. In 1881, a business man from Illinois was in Two Rivers and went to Ed Berners’ soda shop. The man asked Ed for a dish of ice cream with some of the chocolate sauce that was used for the chocolate sodas. Ed was not thrilled about the idea, but he gave the customer what was asked for and charged a nickel. The creation was a hit, but was only sold on Sundays.

As I travel around Wisconsin during this media campaign, I will share something different with you from every interview, either a fun fact about Wisconsin ice cream or some ideas about different products to use with ice cream. Happy Ice Cream Month!

Babcock Hall Tour
Jul. 08, 2009

Today, I toured the dairy plant at Babcock Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. I remember touring it when I was younger. But since our group was so big then, we had to view the plant from the gallery up above. But today, it was just Nicole Bruenig and me, so plant manager Bill Klein took us right on the plant floor. I was interested in learning more about ice cream production since I have my ice cream media campaign coming up, but I learned so much about their entire plant.

Babcock Hall is a working dairy plant that was built in 1951. They bring in milk from the UW-Madison Farm as well as other local farms to meet their needs for production. They bottle milk, make butter, ice cream, and cheese. Not only that, but they also have some small 50 gallon vats that they use to for research and experiments for various companies.

Bill showed us everything in the plant. When the milk truck arrives to unload their milk, they first sample it to ensure it is free of any contaminants. The milk is processed to get it to the proper milk fat they want for what they are making or bottling. It is also pasteurized and homogenized. Babcock Hall bottles milk in whole, 2%, 1%, skim, chocolate, and strawberry varieties that is available for all students on campus. They also make about 15 different varieties of cheese to sell in their store, and they only make cheese 3 days a week. Some of their cheeses take a lot more preparation and aging, so they have to be careful not to make more than they can handle. Bill showed us the plants aging room which is nearly full. Some cheeses will only be in there for a couple weeks. Others will age for about a year.

One thing that doesn’t stay in storage very long is their ice cream. Bill said the ice cream they were making today will likely be consumed within 2 weeks. Ice cream starts off as milk. Then it is mixed with cream, sugar and any flavorings as it cools to about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooled mixture travels into another machine that cools it to a chilly 21 degrees Fahrenheit. While it’s being cooled, the ice cream is continuously churned or cut. Milk is 87% water, and when it freezes, the water separates from the cream. If the water separates from the cream in ice cream, the water can refreeze as larger ice crystals which can give the ice cream a grainy texture. This constant churning while the mixture cools is thoroughly blending all the ingredients so the ice cream stays smooth and flavorful throughout. Air is also whipped into the mixture in a process called overrun to define how much body is in the ice cream. Premium ice creams will have a lower overrun and be thicker than regular ice creams. While the mixture is still in a semi-liquid form, any other ingredients like candies or a ribbon of caramel are added before the mixture is pumped into its respective container and then thoroughly frozen at -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

I had a great time learning more about Wisconsin’s dairy industry at Babcock Hall. And I’ll be sharing a lot more information about ice cream the rest of this month as I embark on my first media campaign. I will travel all over Wisconsin and work with the local media to tell people about Wisconsin ice cream as well as way to make it extra special by using other Wisconsin products. Be on the look out for me on your local television stations and be on the listen out for me on your local radio stations! And I’ll post all about the interviews here.

Meat Processing Training
Jul. 07, 2009

I was really excited to celebrate Beef Month here in Wisconsin by learning about how beef is processed. Today, I learned about more than just beef; I learned about the whole meat processing industry. I traveled with Livestock and Meat Specialist Jeff Swenson to Brandon, Wisconsin, to meet with Alan and Janet Feucht, the owners and operators of Brandon Meats and Sausage, Inc. The Feucht’s have owned their shop since 1985. Brandon Meats started off with only five employees, and now has a work force of more than 25. Alan told me that they have been having a much better year this year than last as far as sales. Because Brandon is a little out of the way for a lot of their customers, gas prices last summer cut down on a lot of extra travel. But so far this summer with lower gas prices, they are seeing more people back in their store.

Brandon Meats slaughters animals only two days a week: hogs on Monday and beef on Wednesday. Most of the hogs that go through their facility are for sale in their store. That is opposite of beef; nearly 75% of all the beef they slaughter is custom processing for the animal’s owner. Brandon Meats offers a wide variety of meats that are available for purchase in their store 6 days a week, and all their meat is local. They also supply some local grocery stores. Brandon Meats also does custom processing for venison after deer season; last year, they processed more than 1,900 deer.

Since I toured the facility on Tuesday, the crew was working hard to process the hogs that were harvested yesterday and had been hanging overnight in a cooler. The carcasses are brought into the cutting room where they are cut in pieces and then cut into the various cuts of meat like pork chops, pork ribs, and the popular “Brandon Style Spare Ribs.” Hams and bacon are taken to another area of the plant for curing. The curing process used to take days, but with modern technology, the brine can be thoroughly injected into the meat instead of having to be brushed and absorbed multiple times. I also learned about the new technology Brandon Meats has for making sausages. Previously, workers had to lift heavy buckets above their heads and dump it into a big machine to help stuff the casings for sausage. All that lifting was putting a lot of strain on the workers backs. Now, the workers dump the buckets in to a lower bin that has a mechanical arm that lifts the whole 400 pound bin and dumps it into the machine. When we looked at the machine, one employee said he thought it added 10 years on to his career because it was less overall strain on his body. The packaging process has become more efficient too. I remember from growing up, when my family would send an animal off to the butcher, the meat would come back wrapped in paper. That’s not how it’s done at Brandon Meats anymore. They have a new shrink wrap machine that leaves an air tight plastic package around the meat. It’s much more efficient for the workers, and it gives the meat a longer freezer life. I’ve been really interested in learning about how the various agriculture industries modernize like other businesses to remain profitable and competitive.

Brandon Meats and Sausages, Inc is also well known for it’s involvement in the community, especially when it comes to donating their Famous Five Foot Summer Sausage to events to be used as a fundraiser. Last year, the five foot sausage they donated for the Governor’s Sweepstakes Meat Products Auction brought $1,250. That money goes to support the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation which provides funds for 4-H groups all over the state. I can’t wait to see their donated sausage auctioned off at the Meat Products Auction this year on Tuesday, August 11th at the Wisconsin State Fair! Thank you Brandon Meats and Sausage, Inc. for letting me tour your facility today and for all that you do for Wisconsin agriculture!

Eastman 4th of July
Jul. 04, 2009

Today was a really special day for me. I got to spend the 4th of July in my hometown with my family, see some old friends, and thank all of the people who have been supporting me my whole life. I went to my hometown of Eastman for their 4th of July Celebration. Eastman is only a town of about 400 people, but it grows many times its size on the July 4th. I started my day by heading to the baseball park in town to line-up for the parade. The Eastman Community Club asked me to be the grand marshal of the parade, and I was happy to lead a parade that I had watched and been a part of for years. It was a lot of fun, and the rain didn’t take any of the fun away. After the parade, I returned to the ball park to visit with a lot of familiar faces like former dairy judging coaches, 4-H leaders, teachers, and family friends and tell them everything I’ve done so far as Alice. I also got to speak to the whole crowd after a little league game and before all the kids’ activities like the egg toss. Even though Eastman is a rural community, it is important for them as well as people all over the state to know their connection to agriculture. Everyone is connected to agriculture because they are all consumers. When consumers here in Wisconsin buy Wisconsin products, that money really helps to support local farmers, producers, the local communities, and Wisconsin agriculture as a whole.

Shortly after I was selected as the 62nd Alice, my parents told me that members of the Community Club were talking about putting up signs to recognize my accomplishment. I felt so honored that they wanted to do that. And I was surprised when I saw them! The signs look amazing, and I had to stop and take a picture with them! I want to again say thank you to the Eastman Community Club for organizing my visit, for the wonderful signs, and for all your support!

Industry Training at Zimbal Minkery
Jul. 02, 2009

Back when I was a finalist for the 61st Alice in Dairyland, the finals were held in Sheboygan County. During the finals, we toured Zimbal Minkery, one of the farms in Wisconsin’s nation leading mink industry. At that time in May, the baby mink, or kits as they are called, were just born and were only the size of my pinky finger. I learned so much that day, and was excited to get to tour their farm again today to learn even more!

Bob and Linda Zimbal are a third generation of the Zimbal family to be involved in the mink industry here in Wisconsin. They met me at their feed plant to first talk about the diet the mink need to grow quality fur. Because mink are carnivores, they need a diet that is high in protein. The Zimbals mix their own feed for the mink by purchasing the byproducts from different agriculture industries from around the state. Basically, mink are the recyclers; they can eat things that have been deemed inedible for human consumption that would usually get tossed into land fills. Mink farmers like the Zimbals will buy the products like the lungs from beef animals, the carcass of turkeys, and scrap cheeses from plants in Wisconsin and bring them to their feed plant. They mix those products with some grain for carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet and make like a casserole for the mink so they are getting all the nutrients they need. Bob said they are mixing 140,000 pounds of food a day for all the mink they have. Because the kits were recently weaned off their mothers, the Zimbals are getting close to their peak in the amount of food they mix for feeding.

After learning about the diet, we took the short trip from the feed plant to the largest of the three Zimbal mink farms. The farm I toured is home to 40,000 breeder females. The population on the farm right now is above 250,000 because they had about 230,000 kits born this year. After the kits are weaned off their mothers, one male and one female are placed in a cage together. The mink are fed twice a day and always have water available to them. The kits will be full grown by September but won’t be harvested for a couple more months because they won’t have their winter coats yet. Mink know when to grow their winter coats based on how much sunlight they get each day. That’s why mink can only successfully be raised on a certain latitude around the world; they need the difference in the seasons. Wisconsin is the perfect climate for mink production. We walked through many on the barns and saw some of the different color mink the Zimbals raise: black, mahogany (dark brown), pastel (light brown), blue iris (dark grey), sapphire (medium grey), violet (light grey), and white.

Bob and Linda also took me to the building where they process the mink pelts after harvesting. The pelts go through drums of sawdust to help remove any water or grease. Then the pelts are stored in a room where the temperature and humidity are controlled to dry for about three days before they are sorted by size, color and quality to go for sale. The best quality fur in the world is produced here in Wisconsin. Zimbals won the top price for every color fur during the sale last year!

After the tour, Zinda took a few moments to measure me for my mink coat that I will receive as a very generous gift from the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders. The gift of a coat is given to Alice each year to help promote the mink industry. I won’t get my coat until this fall, but I want to say thank you to the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders in advance. And thank you to the Zimbals for once again welcoming me on their farm and teaching me about mink production.

July Already?
Jul. 01, 2009

I couldn’t believe it this morning when I walked into the office and saw that all the calendars had been flipped to July. It seems like just yesterday it was June 1, and I was walking in on my first day as the 62nd Alice in Dairyland. I had a great first month on the job, traveling the state, and promoting Wisconsin’s $51.5 billion agriculture industry. Thank you to everyone who made my first month so memorable!

I am sad that I can’t wish everyone a Happy June Dairy Month anymore. I can wish everyone a Happy Beef Month and Happy Ice Cream Month though! Today, I got to work on my first media campaign of the year celebrating July as Ice Cream Month. I will travel all over the state to tell people about the different Wisconsin ice creams as well as different ways to make your ice cream treat special like with using fresh Wisconsin berries, some different toppings, or even trying a float with some Wisconsin sodas. Be on the look out for me on your local television station (or listen out on radio) so you can learn more about ice cream!

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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