by Ashley Hagenow

Hello, everyone! My name is Ashley Hagenow, and I am excited and humbled to begin my journey as the 76th Alice in Dairyland. I am looking forward to a great year ahead promoting Wisconsin agriculture and its hardworking people. You may have first seen me through blogs and videos as an Alice in Dairyland finalist earlier this year, which were all part of an extensive interview process that concluded with a three-day finale event in Walworth County, Wis., in May.

I am a native of Poynette, Wis., and I spent the last four years in Minnesota as a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. I am excited to apply the skills I learned throughout college, and beforehand, as Alice in Dairyland. It was so special to have my family and friends from near and far be a part of the experience as I began my journey as Alice.

Growing up, I was very involved in youth organizations such as 4-H and FFA, where I learned the values of hard work and responsibility through showing livestock. I also gained public speaking and educational skills through dairy cattle judging and by serving as the 2018-19 Wisconsin FFA state reporter, making many connections with friends and mentors in the agricultural industry along the way.

I continued this involvement in agriculture at the University of Minnesota, where I was involved in organizations like the Gopher Dairy Club, National Agri-Marketing Association and Agriculture Future of America, along with working different student-worker jobs on campus. I also held various internships in the Midwest and across the country, which allowed me to gain storytelling skills and highlight the incredible people in agriculture.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue exploring Wisconsin’s diverse and abundant agriculture industry as Alice. From tours of farms and businesses to numerous county fairs and every event in between, I am beyond excited to learn more about agriculture throughout the state.

National June Dairy Month is just kicking off, and following that is National Ice Cream Month in July. I am hoping my upcoming travels include a fair amount of ice cream and other high-quality dairy products as well. Here are my top three favorite ice cream flavors (in no particular order):

I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Hagenow is the 76th Alice in Dairyland.