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Wisconsin’s 68th Alice in Dairyland to be named Saturday

The next three days will be very busy for five young ladies in Wisconsin.  On Saturday evening, one of them will be named the 68^th Alice in Dairyland.  Manitowoc County is hosting the finals this year in what is described as “the most intensive and public interview you will ever go through.”

The five candidates have already gone through a preliminary selection process which determined they would be a finalist.  Now they will go through radio interviews, presentations for television, an individual job interview, tour area agricultural businesses, give speeches and interact with a variety of people in different settings, all under the watchful eye of a three-member selection panel.

It was just one year ago that current “Alice” Zoey Brooks was going through the process.  She says they are going through just about every kind of emotion but has told the candidates to enjoy the process because there is a lot to see, learn and experience.  Life-long friendships are also formed during the finals not only among the candidates but with people from the host county as well.

For Brooks, the year has gone much too quickly, she says it seems just a short time ago that Wisconsin Ag Secretary Ben Brancel called her name on the stage in Clark County.  It was an especially memorable day for Zoey because she also graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that day.  She skipped the ceremony at Camp Randall to be at the finals.

One of her main goals as “Alice” was to change the perception of a farmer.  She has had the opportunity to talk to high school and college students and encourage them, especially young women to consider a career in production agriculture.  She would often ask students “What does a farmer looks like?”  Usually the answer was “an old man in bib overalls and a straw hat with a piece of hay in their mouth riding on a tractor.”  Then she would point out that “I am a farmer.”  She says it would really open their eyes as to what Wisconsin agriculture really is.  Upon completing her year as Alice, Brooks will return to Waupaca and become the fourth generation on her family’s dairy and cash grain farm.

Brooks says the knowledge and communication skills she has learned as Alice will be invaluable to her as a farmer.  Her advice to the next Alice is take the opportunity to soak it all in.  “This position is so unique in that you get to learn such a high volume of information in such a short span of time.”

Brooks will complete her year as “Alice” at the end of the month while the new “Alice” goes through orientation.  She talks about the process and her year:

 

Some Alice in Dairyland Finals events are open to the public.  Details and ticket information is available here.