Wisconsin Ag Connection - Kaitlyn Riley Reflects Back on Her Year as 'Alice'

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Kaitlyn Riley Reflects Back on Her Year as 'Alice'
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/26/2019

In just two weeks, Wisconsin will crown its next agricultural ambassador. But that doesn't mean Kaitlyn Riley is prepared quite yet to give up her title as the state's 71st Alice in Dairyland. In an exclusive interview with Wisconsin Ag Connection, the outgoing 'Alice' said the most exciting part of her job this past year was meeting people outside of the dairy industry, which was the part of agriculture that Kaitlyn is most familiar with.

"Being Alice not only broadened my horizons of what Wisconsin agricultural is all about, but it helped me do a better job of explaining to other people about the diversity of our state's entire ag industry," she said.

As she looked back at the many memories made over the past year, Riley said she will never forget the day she cut down the state's first official Christmas tree.

"I was a little nervous because all of these kids were watching, along with TV crews. So I started cutting the tree on a warm December day wearing a mink fur coat," she reminisced. "The kids kept cheering me on and by the time I was done, I was exhausted. But they were all so excited once the tree finally fell that they stormed in for a chance to carry it out of the field."

When asked what surprised her the most during her travels, Kaitlyn said it was the awareness and recognition that the Alice program has among the general public.

"One day I was at a fast food place and three different people came up to me and asked if I was Alice in Dairyland," she said. "I wasn't wearing my crown or sash, but people seem to notice the fur coat and the vehicle. That's definitely a testament to the ladies who served as Alice before me."

During her reign, Kaitlyn traveled over 30,000 miles attending nearly 350 events, delivered about 360 speeches, and talked to thousands of fourth grade students about where their food comes from. She also hosted a new educational video designed to explain the importance of agriculture to elementary students.

"This video served as a great tool because schools all over the state could download it and play it in their classrooms," she said. "As of today, we have had 267 educators register for the video representing about 7,200 students."

With just over a month to go before handing her duties off to the next Alice, Riley has already made 500 radio impressions, 100 television views, 600 social media posts, and wrote over 70 articles for the media.

A native of Gays Mills, Riley is a 2014 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in strategic communications and broadcast journalism. She also served as the 48th Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs and worked as the farm news director at WPRE-WQPC Radio in Prairie du Chien and as a multimedia journalist with WQOW News 18 in Eau Claire.

Her final obligation as Alice will be attending her own county's dairy breakfast. After that, she looks forward to going back home to the farm and starting the process of looking for a new job.

Meanwhile, her successor will be chosen on May 11 during the annual Alice in Dairyland Finals Ceremony, being hosted this year by Green County. Kaitlyn will continue to serve in her role for several extra weeks while the new 'Alice' is being trained.

The finale program will be webcast live on Wisconsin Ag Connection, thanks to a sponsorship by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Foremost Farms USA.

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