Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Program Has an Active History and Bright Future

In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Each spring, six Wisconsin women go down the rabbit hole of the rigorous interview process to win the unique and coveted title: Alice in Dairyland.

Founded in 1948, the Alice in Dairyland program began as a pageant of sorts, sourcing “a beauty queen fresh out of high school” to serve as the public face of Wisconsin agriculture. Program director Debbie Gegare says the qualifications to become an Alice in the program’s earliest years included beauty, health and personality.

Today, the program instead looks for professional expertise, highlighting women with strong communications skills and three or more years of experience or education in agriculture, public relations or a similar field.

Alice’s Activities

“Simply, there is nothing typical about a day in the life of Alice,” says Gegare.

Each year, the woman selected to become Alice in Dairyland takes on a rigorous workload, driving more than 30,000 miles to visit schools, media outlets and more in the name of promoting the state’s $104.8 billion agricultural industry.

See more: Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Pivots During Pandemic

Julia Nunes served two terms as Alice because the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2021 selection process. She soaked up her extended time with the title and devoted it to learning and promoting agriculture through the pandemic.“The diversity of commodities and products that we produce amazes me every day,” Nunes says.

In addition to the dairy industry, Alice also advocates for meat, cranberries, ginseng, Christmas trees, and more.

Kickstarting Careers

Under Gegare’s leadership, the Alice in Dairyland program implemented a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) agriculture marketing and communications certification that ensures the five top candidates who are not selected to serve as Alice are still prepared to take on agricultural careers.

“Five people are going to be disappointed, which is unfortunate,” Gegare says. “But we have hopefully trained up five people who are going to get a great job in agriculture.”

In 2020, all five finalists went on to work in the industry. The certification was offered again in 2022.

After Dairyland

Nunes was forced to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation of in-person events led her to beef up Alice’s social media presence, increasing video production to include things like a virtual Christmas tree cutting and an in-home cooking program.

While Alice has traditionally traveled to reach and educate consumers in person, social media platforms allow her to educate a broader audience, meeting people where they are – even in their own homes. While each Alice will take her own approach to online content, Nunes says an increased focus on social media will remain a lasting impact of the pandemic.

Nunes, who has completed her term as Alice, returned to her family’s dairy farm in Chippewa Falls to recuperate and consider her next job opportunity.

See more: 9 Cheese Experiences You Need to Have in Wisconsin

More Than a Job Interview

To become Alice in Dairyland, candidates must complete what Nunes called “the toughest job interview you’ll ever have.”

Interested parties must submit applications in January of each year. Then those selected to continue on the path to Alice are interviewed in February. From there, six top candidates attend training and professional development sessions through DATCP in March. By May, the candidates are wrapping up final projects – television and radio interviews, social media campaigns and more – and preparing for a three-day, partially public job interview. Alices are announced to the public in a finale program in May.

“Alices in the past went on to really do amazing things like becoming teachers, and many worked for larger companies in agriculture,” Nunes says. “It is amazing to me the places they have gone and the networks we have now going into our 75th year of this amazing group of strong women in agriculture.”

To have Alice in Dairyland visit your school or organization, call (608) 224-5116 or email DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov.