Our speaker today was Abigail Martin, the 72nd Alice in Dairyland. As Wisconsin's agriculture ambassador, her goal is to educate audiences across Wisconsin about the $88 billion economic impact and importance of our state's diverse agriculture industry in our daily lives.

Abigail is from Milton and has a passion for all things Wisconsin: good cheese, the Wisconsin Badgers, and her Wisconsin farm family. She is the fourth generation on her family’s registered Holstein farm. It was there that she found a love for dairy cattle, and long summer days at the county and state fairs. Her interest in agriculture led her to pursue a degree in dairy science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On campus, she was involved in the Association of Women in Agriculture, Badger Dairy Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and was on the intercollegiate dairy judging team. She has held previous roles in marketing at the Rock County 4-H, East Central/ Select Sires, and the Babcock Hall Dairy Store where she learned how to make cheese.

Alice in Dairyland is a one-year, full-time public relations professional employed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (WI DATCP). Each year, Alice in Dairyland travels more than 30,000 miles throughout the state, promoting Wisconsin agriculture to various audiences. Additionally, she conducts hundreds of media interviews, speeches and school presentations.

During a single year, Alice develops and delivers at least:

• 60 TV Interviews
• 150 Radio Interviews
• 1,000 social media posts
• 60 print articles
• 100 tailored speeches
• In Wisconsin 1 in every 9 jobs is related to Agriculture in some way. She spoke of the diversity and leading role our State has in the production of Ginseng, Cranberries, Corn for sileage, Mink pelts, Snap Beans, and of course, Milk. We have more milking diary Goats than any other State, and grow the largest Potato crop of any State (East of the Mississippi, that is). The next Alice will be selected during the 3 day process in nearby Walworth County. Her message includes buy LOCAL! Support Rock County and WI farm producers!