April 8, 2022
In May, the 75th Alice in Dairyland will be selected to carry on the legacy of this important Wisconsin program. No other state in the nation has had an ambassador promoting agriculture for 75 years.
Over the years, Alice in Dairyland has adapted to the changing face of agriculture. Even so, Alice serves as custodian of the state’s proud agricultural heritage and is a dynamic voice for the industry.
If you have never attended the Alice in Dairyland Finals, or if it has been a few years since you did, this is one you won’t want to miss. The 75th Alice in Dairyland Finals will take place May 19-21 at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis. Some portions of the event are open to the public, including the final selection ceremony. The cost for the banquet and finale program is $44.06. Tickets to the finale program only are $12.24 each. For details and to buy tickets, visit aliceindairyland.com. Ticket sales end May 15.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has named the six top candidates for the 75th Alice in Dairyland position. They are Amber Cafferty, Amelia Hayden, Courtney Moser, Taylor Schaefer, Samantha Schuessler and Charitee Seebecker.
Prior to being selected as finalists, applicants completed an application and preliminary interview. The six finalists will prepare for the three-day finals competition, which includes agribusiness tours, media interviews, an impromptu question-and-answer session, individual interviews, and candidate presentations.
The selection of the 75th Alice in Dairyland will be announced live at the conclusion of the finals on May 21. The 75th Alice will be crowned by 74th Alice in Dairyland Julia Nunes. The 75th Alice in Dairyland will begin her term on July 5.
Following are brief biographies on each of the candidates:
Amber Cafferty. While growing up on her family’s dairy and poultry farm in western Wisconsin, Cafferty was active in 4-H and FFA. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in May 2019 with bachelor’s degrees in agricultural communications and marketing, and animal science. After graduation, she returned to her family’s farm before accepting a full-time position with Professional Dairy Producers as a marketing and development coordinator.
Amelia Hayden. Hayden has always loved finding ways to give back to her community through agriculture. She was active in 4-H and FFA in Walworth County. In FFA, Hayden served as the 2017-18 state FFA vice president and 2018-19 state FFA president. She is graduating in May from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. Hayden intends to become a high school ag teacher.
Courtney Moser. Moser grew up on her family’s registered Holstein dairy farm. Her passion for ag further developed through her involvement with 4-H, FFA and the Wisconsin Holstein Association. She promoted registered Holsteins and the dairy industry as the 2017 WHA Princess. After graduating from Westby Area High School in 2017, Moser furthered her education at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. She is currently serving as the 2021 Vernon County Fairest of the Fair. For the past year, she has been employed as the digital marketing strategist for Valley Fudge and Candy in Coon Valley.
Taylor Schaefer. Schaefer’s fondest memories stem from her family’s beef and crop farm in Racine County. She attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and in May will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in animal sciences and life sciences communication and a certificate in digital studies. Upon graduation, Schaefer has accepted a position with the Mid-West Farm Report in Madison.
Samantha Schuessler. Schuessler’s passion for ag was cultivated on her family dairy farm in Antigo. She was involved with 4-H and FFA. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University in June 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science and a minor in agricultural communications. She works for The Hershey Co. as a retail sales representative.
Charitee Seebecker. Seebecker, Mauston, grew up on her family’s registered Holstein dairy farm. She was active in FFA and 4-H. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business with an emphasis in communications and marketing from UW-Platteville. In 2016, she shared her knowledge of agriculture while serving as the Juneau County Fairest of the Fair. She is employed at the Wisconsin Holstein Association as director of sales and membership and as a news broadcaster at Hometown Life News in Tomah.
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