Walworth County will host the 73rd annual Alice in Dairyland Finals events in May 2020. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Brad Pfaff made the announcement May 11 during the finale event for the selection of the 72nd Alice in Dairyland in Green County.
Walworth County is uniquely positioned to host the Alice in Dairyland Finals, with three former Alices currently residing there. Former Alices Kim Flitcroft, Kris Welsh and Holly Crowley – along with a wealth of volunteers throughout the community – will plan and produce the 73rd Alice Finals.
The 73rd Alice in Dairyland Finals planning committee invites individuals from Walworth County and surrounding communities with an interest in donating their time or resources to contact AliceinDairyland2020@gmail.com.
According to the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, Walworth County farmers own and manage more than 187,000 acres, or 53 percent, of the county’s land (2014 report). This includes cropland, rangeland, pasture, tree farms and farm forests. Agriculture works hard for Walworth County every day, with family owned farms, food processors and agriculture-related businesses generating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of economic activity while contributing to local income and tax revenues.
Although the population has increased significantly in the past decade, well over half of the county is still farmland. As one of the state’s top tourist destinations, the pastoral landscape is a valuable asset to the county. Agriculture in the county is extremely diverse, and in addition to production grain and dairy, includes a wide range of livestock and horticultural crops. Direct marketing of vegetables, meat and poultry, cheese, and fruits is a rapidly growing segment.
Alice in Dairyland is a communications professional who works to educate the public about Wisconsin agriculture. Each May, a new Alice is selected from a group of candidates during an extensive public job interview process, and, each year, a different county hosts the finals. Walworth County will host the 73rd Alice in Dairyland Finals; Dunn County will host the 74th, and Dane County will host the 75th.
Abigail Martin of Milton will start work June 3 as the 72nd Alice. Throughout her year, Martin will visit Walworth County more than 10 times during the lead-up to the 2020 finals. Her appearances will include stops at the Dairy Breakfast, Wisconsin Christmas Tree Convention, and Walworth County Fair. Each visit will bring an increased visibility to the many noteworthy agri-tourism events and offerings in Walworth County.
The selection of the 73rd Alice in Dairyland will take place May 14 to 16, 2020.
The Alice in Dairyland interview process includes the three-day finals event each May, as well as a two-day briefing event several weeks earlier. These events include press conferences, agribusiness tours, interviews with local media, and speeches. Some of the final interview events are open to the public and include opportunities to showcase the host county’s local businesses and products.
For more information, visit aliceindairyland.com.
