After postponing for more than a month, Wisconsin will finally have its newest agriculture ambassador as of Saturday with the culmination of the first virtual Alice in Dairyland Finals.

The finale is typically held by a host county in mid-May with the newly selected agriculture ambassador ready to begin her position in June. Covid-19 postponed plans to June 19-20 and pushed the selection to a virtual format.

The Mid-West Farm Report sat down with the top candidates after they were announced in March and will feature each leading up to the finale.

Rachel Gerbitz’s earliest memories are from her family’s small dairy farm, and those memories fueled a passion even after her family transitioned away from the farm.

“I think that's such an important part of my story,” Gerbitz said. “I was only on the farm until I was about 4-years-old, but it was still an impressionable enough time that I remember walking through the pasture with my dad and naming the different pasture grasses. Even after we left the farm, it was such a huge part of who we are and who my family is.”

She stayed connected through opportunities in agriculture such as showing cattle with the dairy project as well as 4-H and the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association. Eventually, Gerbitz started her own herd of registered Jerseys.

Combining her interests, she studied dairy science and life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I think that combination of majors really allows me to communicate my passion effectively and efficiently,” Gerbitz said.

On campus, she was involved in Badger Dairy Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and the Association of Women in Agriculture. Gerbitz held various marketing roles with AgrAbility of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dairy Youth Program, and Collegiate Farm Bureau.

After graduating in 2019, she started working for Pioneer as a dairy promoter in Northeast Wisconsin.

As an Alice Top Candidate, she believed her nontraditional agriculture background could help connect with consumers who are also removed from the farm.

“I’ve been on the outside looking in for most of my life, but I have found a deeper understanding and connection,” Gerbitz said. “I think I could really be a face for other consumers to see that too.”

Some of her ideas to keep the Alice in Dairyland program innovative in 2020 included working more closely with Wisconsin businesses and their social media outlets to reach new audiences.

She looked forward to seeing how the Alice application process can help her create new education models and effective tools for interacting with consumers.

A live question and answer session with all six top candidates will be held on Friday, June 19 from 7:00-8:30 PM CST. The final event, during which the next Alice in Dairyland will be selected, will be held on Saturday, June 20 from 7:30-9:00 PM CST. Both events will be livestreamed on the Alice in Dairyland Facebook page. 

The current Alice in Dairyland is Abigail Martin of Rock County. Martin will stay on in the position through June.

After postponing for more than a month, Wisconsin will finally have its newest agriculture ambassador as of Saturday with the culmination of the first virtual Alice in Dairyland Finals.
The finale is typically held by a host county in mid-May with the newly selected agriculture ambassador ready to begin her position in June. Covid-19 <a href="https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2020/04/10/new-update-on-alice-in-dairyland-finale-details/">postponed plans</a>&nbsp;to June 19-20 and pushed the selection to a virtual format.
The Mid-West Farm Report sat down with the top candidates after they were<a href="https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2020/03/14/73rd-alice-in-dairyland-top-candidates-announced/">&nbsp;announced</a>&nbsp;in March and will feature each leading up to the finale.
Rachel Gerbitz&rsquo;s earliest memories are from her family&rsquo;s small dairy farm, and those memories fueled a passion even after her family transitioned away from the farm.
&ldquo;I think that's such an important part of my story,&rdquo; Gerbitz said. &ldquo;I was only on the farm until I was about 4-years-old, but it was still an impressionable enough time that I remember walking through the pasture with my dad and naming the different pasture grasses. Even after we left the farm, it was such a huge part of who we are and who my family is.&rdquo;
She stayed connected through opportunities in agriculture such as showing cattle with the dairy project as well as 4-H and the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association. Eventually, Gerbitz started her own herd of registered Jerseys.
Combining her interests, she studied dairy science and life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
&ldquo;I think that combination of majors really allows me to communicate my passion effectively and efficiently,&rdquo; Gerbitz said.
On campus, she was involved in Badger Dairy Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and the Association of Women in Agriculture. Gerbitz held various marketing roles with AgrAbility of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dairy Youth Program, and Collegiate Farm Bureau.
After graduating in 2019, she started working for Pioneer as a dairy promoter in Northeast Wisconsin.
As an Alice Top Candidate, she believed her nontraditional agriculture background could help connect with consumers who are also removed from the farm.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been on the outside looking in for most of my life, but I have found a deeper understanding and connection,&rdquo; Gerbitz said. &ldquo;I think I could really be a face for other consumers to see that too.&rdquo; Some of her ideas to keep the Alice in Dairyland program innovative in 2020 included working more closely with Wisconsin businesses and their social media outlets to reach new audiences.
She looked forward to seeing how the Alice application process can help her create new education models and effective tools for interacting with consumers.
A live question and answer session with all six top candidates will be held on Friday, June 19 from 7:00-8:30 PM CST. The final event, during which the next Alice in Dairyland will be selected, will be held on Saturday, June 20 from 7:30-9:00 PM CST. Both events will be livestreamed on the Alice in Dairyland <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DATCPAliceInDairyland">Facebook page.&nbsp;</a>
The current Alice in Dairyland is Abigail Martin of Rock County. Martin will stay on in the position through June.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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