The Proudly Wisconsin Dairy Badge is the perfect identifier for Wisconsin dairy products! Photo Credit: Halei Heinzel
My name is Halei Heinzel, and I am excited and honored to begin my journey as the 77th Alice in Dairyland! Beginning my year as Alice during July is the perfect time to celebrate National Ice Cream Month and the Wisconsin fair season!
Growing up, my first job in high school was scooping ice cream in a local ice cream parlor. I always felt that you could tell a lot about a person from the flavor they ordered. From butter pecan to cookie dough, I could learn a little something about the person on the other side of the counter. Now, as the 77th Alice in Dairyland, I know that no matter the flavor, every person passing through the doors of that ice cream shop was supporting Wisconsin’s $45.6 billion dairy industry, one tasty scoop at a time.
Since 1984, National Ice Cream Month has been celebrated in July, a great time to celebrate Wisconsin’s love for this delicious treat! Wisconsin is home to 46 ice cream plants, supplying Wisconsinites with about 75.4 million pounds of ice cream per year. That is about 2.6 gallons of ice cream per person!
Whether you’re choosing chocolate or vanilla, a cup, or a cone, know that you are helping to support nearly 6,000 Wisconsin dairy farmers. Support and celebrate the Wisconsin dairy industry this National Ice Cream month by looking for the Proudly Wisconsin Dairy Badge on all your dairy products.
Since the official fair season is also upon us, we are fortunate to have many opportunities to enjoy Wisconsin agricultural products at the 75 fairs held throughout the state. I look forward to visiting many county and district fairs, as well as the Wisconsin State Fair, representing Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry and making countless memories!
I officially started my term as the 77th Alice on July 8 after being selected at the three-day finale event held in Door County at the beginning of May. While I did not grow up in the agriculture industry, my passion for it runs deep. From a young age, I loved animals. This passion led me to joining FFA in high school, where in 2018, I milked a cow for the first time! I spent the next six years taking every opportunity I could find to get more involved in the agriculture industry.
I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Life Sciences Communication. With the opportunity to serve as Alice in Dairyland, I am so excited to be traveling across Wisconsin for a memorable and rewarding year, connecting communities with agriculture and learning more about this diverse industry across our state.
The summer before I started at UW-Madison, I had the incredible opportunity to work for the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board, caring for and milking the demonstration herd and educating fairgoers about our state’s impressive dairy industry in Dairy Lane. It was through this opportunity that I met Alice in Dairyland for the first time, witnessing how she connects with consumers and shares the impact of our agriculture industry. This experience is what inspired me to run for Alice in Dairyland.
Alongside my work for the Wisconsin State Fair, I continued my involvement in agriculture at UW-Madison, where I participated in organizations like the Babcock House Student
Cooperative, the board of the Wisconsin Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association,
Science Communication Club, and the Polo Club. I also held internships with the Farm and Industry Short Course Program and the Professional Dairy Producers, which helped me hone my skills in agriculture marketing and communications.
I am eager for the opportunity to continue exploring Wisconsin’s diverse and abundant agriculture industry as the 77th Alice in Dairyland. From tours of farms and businesses to numerous county fairs and every event in between, I’m thrilled to have the chance to bridge the gap between producers and consumers, and share more about our state’s vibrant agriculture industry. You can follow along on my adventures at aliceindairyland.com or on social media. Along with my flex-fueled Ford Explorer, Tassie, powered by Wisconsin corn, I look forward to seeing you all soon, especially at your county fair or local creamery!
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