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Six Alice in Dairyland finalists selected

Current Alice in Dairyland Taylor Schaefer

Wisconsin is a step closer to naming the next Alice in Dairyland.  The field of applicants was narrowed down to six finalists Friday.  They are Ashley Hagenow, Shannon Lamb, Lydia Luebke, Jackie Rosenbush, Charitee Seebecker and Jodie Weyland.

The finalists already completed an application and preliminary interview. Now, the six top candidates will spend the next several weeks preparing for the three-day Alice in Dairyland Finals, which begin May 11th in Walworth County.

All six finalists will participate in both training and a rigorous interview process allowing them to showcase their individual communication and public relations skills.  Although only one person will serve as Alice in Dairyland, all six will benefit from the training and experience.

Alice in Dairyland is a one-year paid public relations position within the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection with a focus on education and promoting Wisconsin’s agriculture.

Here’s more about the six Alice in Dairyland finalists:

Ashley Hagenow, Poynette, is a senior at the University of Minnesota and will graduate this May with a degree in agricultural communication and marketing with minors in animal science and agricultural and food business management. Growing up, she was very active in 4-H and FFA. During college, Hagenow was involved 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. Hagenow held various internships throughout college, gaining experiences with CHS, Curious Plot marketing agency, CLUTCH marketing agency, Progressive Dairy, and World Dairy Expo.

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. Achieving a Bachelor of Science in Soil and Crop Science, Environmental Horticulture, and Animal Science with a minor in Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, Lamb currently attends the University of Missouri for her Master of Science in Biological Engineering. In 2021, she served as the Lodi Agricultural Fairest of the Fair, and in 2022 went on to be the Wisconsin Honey Queen. Lamb remains active on the family farm by feeding the calves each night.

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 earned her Associate’s degree with an emphasis in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus in 2019, then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science with a minor in Agricultural Business from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in 2021. She is currently employed at Sargento Foods, Inc. as a microbiology specialist. In her free time, she enjoys landscaping, gardening, painting, and helping on the family farm.

Jackie Rosenbush, Sarona, started her own flock of sheep in 2012 alongside her sister and parents. Today, her flock has grown to 100 head of purebred sheep. Rosenbush is a student at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education and will graduate this May with honors. Rosenbush has been very involved in both 4-H and FFA, serving as a Wisconsin FFA State Officer in 2020-2021. Recently, Rosenbush served as the 2022 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs, traveling around the state to promote the opportunities fairs provide and connect consumers with producers through agricultural education.

Charitee Seebecker, Mauston, grew up on a family-owned dairy farm. After transitioning away from the farm, she turned to 4-H and FFA to ignite her passion for agriculture. Seebecker attended the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and currently works as a farm broadcaster at the Mid-West Farm Report. Serving as the official ambassador for Wisconsin’s farmers and processors would be a dream come true for Seebecker. 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.

Jodie Weyland, Neenah, grew up on her family dairy farm with her parents and three older siblings. Weyland was actively involved in FFA and other activities where she could share her farm story. Weyland decided to continue her agricultural interests by studying agronomy at Fox Valley Technical College. She is currently an associate consultant at Tilth Agronomy Group LLC. When Weyland is not scouting fields, she spends time working on her sister’s dairy farm. She enjoys volunteering in her free time including playing trumpet, line dancing, coordinating two local youth leadership programs, and serving as a county fair ambassador.