Looking to give a locally-made gift this holiday season? Learn about 'Something Special from Wisconsin'
MILWAUKEE -- This holiday season, be on the lookout for the signature stickers. We're talking about the ones that say "something special from Wisconsin." Wisconsin's 71st 'Alice in Dairyland' joins Real Milwaukee with a sampling of the items that you can buy to support local businesses.
About "Alice in Dairyland" (website)
Kaitlyn Riley is serving as the 71st Alice in Dairyland. As Wisconsin's agriculture ambassador, her goal is to educate audiences across Wisconsin about the $88 billion economic impact and importance of our state's diverse agriculture industry in our daily lives.
Riley, from Gays Mills, learned first-hand the passion and work ethic of Wisconsin farmers while growing up on her family's registered Jersey dairy farm. Wanting to share agriculture's story, she studied strategic communications and broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In college, she held officer positions with the Association of Women in Agriculture and Badger Dairy Club. She also founded the university's first agricultural radio talk show, AgChat. After graduating with honors in May, 2014 Riley served as the 48th Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs. Professionally, she worked as the farm news director at WPRE-WQPC Radio in Prairie du Chien and as a multimedia journalist with WQOW News 18 in Eau Claire.
Alice in Dairyland is a one-year, full-time public relations professional employed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (WI DATCP). Each year, Alice in Dairyland travels more than 40,000 miles throughout the state, promoting Wisconsin agriculture to various audiences. Additionally, she conducts hundreds of media interviews, speeches and school presentations.