Plans for the 73rd Alice in Dairyland Finals changed because of COVID-19, but six top candidates are still putting in the hours hoping to be selected as the next ambassador for Wisconsin agriculture.
The Mid-West Farm Report sat down to talk with the candidates after they were announced in March and will feature each leading up to the finale hosted virtually by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and Walworth County June 19-20.
Grace Schroeder said she has a desire to give back to Wisconsin, the state that has shaped her life. She joked that she literally became involved in agriculture at birth.
“My mother was actually on the way to the hospital with me, and my dad wasn’t sure if he could make it to the birth because he needed to find somebody to milk the cows,” Schroeder said.
Growing up on a family farm near Cashton, she learned to appreciate the hard work, quality, and tradition of Wisconsin’s agriculture industry.
“I have a strong passion for Wisconsin’s agriculture, and what I went to school for is directly related to the public relations ambassador that Alice is,” Schroeder said.
She studies public relations with a minor in marketing at St. Cloud State University and has worked in several communications roles with the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, Pasture Pride Cheese, and Kickapoo Valley Ranch.
“I am able to make campaigns, and I am able to reach out to the communities that have a diverse background,” Schroeder said.
She credited her public speaking skills to past experiences as Warren’s Cranberry Princess and Miss Cashton.
“I believe what I can do with Alice to give back to the agriculture community is to just hit all the generations and the urban community that might not know about our big tradition and our big community.”
Keep an eye on the Midwest Farm Report as we continue to feature each of the 73rd Alice in Dairyland Top Candidates.
–Kaitlyn Riley
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