Halei Heinzel is serving as the 77th Alice in Dairyland. As Wisconsin's agriculture ambassador, her goal is to educate audiences across Wisconsin about the $104.8 billion economic impact and importance of our state's diverse agriculture industry in our daily lives.
Heinzel is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences Communication. Heinzel was active in her high school's FFA chapter. Before starting at UW-Madison, Heinzel graduated from the Farm and Industry Short Course program with certificates in Agribusiness Management and Dairy Farm Management.
Growing up in urban Oconomowoc, Heinzel felt disconnected from her food and the farmers who produced it. When she joined FFA, Heinzel got her first taste of Wisconsin agriculture, quite literally, when she milked a cow for the first time. Six years later, she has continued to seize opportunities to learn more about Wisconsin’s agriculture industry. While at UW-Madison, she was involved with student organizations such as Babcock House and Wisconsin Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association, held internships with the Farm and Industry Short Course and Professional Dairy Producers, and worked with the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board.
“I am so excited and honored to be spending the next year serving as the 77th Alice in Dairyland, the official ambassador of Wisconsin's diverse and abundant agriculture industry," said Heinzel. “I am looking forward to connecting consumers with agriculture, sharing the impact of this vibrant industry, and sharing the stories of the hardworking individuals who dedicate their lives to agriculture every day."
Alice in Dairyland is a one-year, full-time communications professional with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The Alice program is supported by several partner organizations, including Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders Association, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Goodman's Jewelers, Wisconsin Potato Industry Board, Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Beef Council and the Dairy Innovation Hub.
In a year, Alice in Dairyland will travel about 50,000 miles across the state, conducting hundreds of radio and television interviews, presentations, speeches, and school visits. In 2024, Wisconsin's 76th Alice in Dairyland, Ashley Hagenow, completed the following:
For more information about inviting Alice in Dairyland to your event, the 78th Alice in Dairyland Finals in Crawford County, and the rest of the Alice in Dairyland program, visit www.aliceindairyland.com and follow Alice online on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.