Six will vie for the 76th Alice in Dairyland title

They hail from across the state with one goal in mind: to become Wisconsin's next official ag ambassador known as Alice in Dairyland. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced the six top candidates on Friday, March 10 at  Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan.

Competing this spring for the title of 76th Alice in Dairylandare: Ashley Hagenow, Shannon Lamb, Lydia Luebke, Jackie Rosenbush, Charitee Seebecker and Jodie Weyland.

Prior to being selected, the candidates completed an application and preliminary interview. Over the next several weeks, the candidates will prepare for the three-day Alice in Dairyland Finals, scheduled for May 11-13, 2023 in Walworth County. The three-day process includes agribusiness tours, media interviews, an impromptu question and answer session, individual interviews, and candidate presentations. The selection of the 76th Alice in Dairyland will be announced live during the program at the conclusion of the finals on May 13, 2023. The 76th Alice in Dairyland will begin her term on July 5, 2023​.

In the two months leading up to the finals, the women will participate in a rigorous interview process that will allow them to showcase the communications and public relations skills required to be Alice in Dairyland. Although only one of the top candidates ultimately will be selected as the next Alice in Dairyland, the personal growth experienced by all the candidates as a result of the process will carry far into their future careers.

“While the goal of this process is to name the 76th Alice in Dairyland, the journey these six women will go on over the next two months is one they will all benefit from,” said Taylor Schaefer, 75th Alice in Dairyland. “One of these finalists will carry on the tradition of traveling the state to teach audiences of both urban and rural backgrounds about the importance of Wisconsin agriculture.”​

Meet the candidates

If selected as the next Alice in Dairyland, University of Minnesota senior Ashley Hagenow, of Poynette, says she would bring her genuine excitement for agriculture to every speech, presentation, media campaign or conversation. Growing up, she was very active in 4-H and FFA and while attending college she continued her involvement in Agriculture Future of America, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Gopher Dairy Club, and the University of Minnesota dairy challenge and dairy judging teams.

"I've always admired the Alice in Dairyland program for its role in promoting and advocating for Wisconsin’s agricultural industry while driving demand for our state’s unique commodities," said Hagenow, who vows to share her love for connecting with a wide variety of people about agriculture and communicating its diverse and abundant contribution's to the state.

​Shannon Lamb, Dane, grew up on her family’s diversified production farm and was heavily involved in FFA and 4-H, which allowed her to show livestock throughout Wisconsin. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, she currently attends the University of Missouri for her Master of Science in Biological Engineering.

The former Wisconsin Honey Queen says she would bring her dedication to learning and experiencing new adventures, diverse knowledge about agriculture, as well as an admiration for the 1 in 9 people working in jobs related to agriculture if chosen as the new Alice.

"I would work to share how hard Wisconsin farmers work to produce quality and nutritious food for everyone across the world. I want to ensure people I would connect with understand regardless if you work in agriculture or not, everyone is dependent on a farmer," Lamb said.

Lydia Luebke, Kiel, grew up on her parents’ and grandparents’ 150-cow dairy farm, Kissinger’s Family Farms LLC, where the memories and experiences ignited her passion for the dairy industry. Luebke is still deeply immersed in agriculture in her career as a microbiology specialist at Sargento Foods, Inc.

If selected, Luebke promises to bring her qualities of curiosity, story telling and humor in an efforts to cultivate new relationships with Wisconsin producers and promote their unique dairyland story with consumers.

"My message is...whether you are one of Wisconsin’s 6,000 dairy farmers, or are interested in science and technology, there is a place for you in our diverse Wisconsin agricultural industry," Luebke says.

Whether tending her expanded flock of sheep, serving as a state FFA officer or visiting county fairs as the 2022 Wisconsin Fairest of Fairs, Jackie Rosenbush, of Sarona, has endeavored to connect consumers with producers through agricultural education.

"As the official ambassador for Wisconsin’s diverse agricultural industry, I would bring a wide variety of agricultural experience and knowledge, genuine love for the industry, and dedication to Wisconsin’s hard-working producers to the position of Alice in Dairyland," said Rosenbush, adding that it is crucial that Alice be able to positively communicate the necessity of Wisconsin’s agricultural industry to bridge the gap between rural and urban communities.

Serving as the official ambassador for Wisconsin’s farmers and processors would be a dream come true for Charitee Seebecker, of Mauston, who grew up on a family-owned dairy farm. Alice in Dairyland has been a role model for Seebecker since she was young, and she wants to be a role model for others by making it fun to learn about Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry​.

"I pride myself in having a good blend of an outgoing personality and professionalism that is welcoming to people of all ages and demographics," says Seebecker who currently works as a farm broadcaster at the Mid-West Farm Report. "Having experience conducting agriculture education lessons, I am able to combine those two and help educate others about Wisconsin's diverse agriculture industry."

Growing up on her family's dairy farm, Jodie Weyland, of Neenah, says her hands-on experience in production agriculture and her community has provided her with great knowledge and amiability for the state's rural and urban agricultural communities.

"I grew up on one of Wisconsin’s 6,000 dairy farms, and currently work in the Agronomy field. Over the last several years I’ve had the pleasure to share stories within Wisconsin agriculture through my photography, personal blog, social media, and other local volunteer marketing and public relations positions," Weyland said. "Whenever I have the opportunity to professionally travel out-of-state, I love sharing how diverse Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture is."

Alice in Dairyland

Alice in Dairyland is a one-year, full-time communications professional for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). In this highly visible and fast-paced position, Alice in Dairyland travels throughout the state teaching rural and urban audiences about Wisconsin’s extensive agricultural industry. Alice in Dairyland cultivates relationships with television, radio and print media outlets; writes and delivers speeches; and utilizes social media to tell the stories of Wisconsin agriculture. Additional duties include developing and executing marketing plans, delivering classroom presentations, and networking with industry professionals.

For more information about the Alice in Dairyland program, visit www.aliceindairyland.com and follow Alice online on Facebook​, Twitter, and Instagram.