Scoring a game winning touchdown at Lambeau Field is a feeling that not many people ever have a chance to experience. But Crystal Siemers-Peterman can say she had a similar feeling when she was chosen as Wisconsin’s 70th Alice in Dairyland in the Green Bay Packer’s home stadium last spring. In an exclusive interview with Wisconsin Ag Connection, the outgoing ‘Alice’ said her adventures didn’t stop there, as her mission of being Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador took her to nearly every corner of the state.
“My first and foremost favorite part of the past year was the Wisconsin State Fair,” Siemers-Peterman said. “There’s where I made most of my connections for the rest of the year and also met a lot of people who became very good friends; the kind of friends I’ll probably stay in touch with for the rest of my life.”
The past 12 months went by quick, but Crystal feels she was able to accomplish a lot during her short reign. She conducted over 200 television interviews, drove 32,000 miles and spoke to more than 5,000 school students. She also spent much of her time working directly with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, formerly known as the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, doing media projects such as recipes presentations and cheese promotional videos.
In a time where commodity prices are at near-record lows, she always tried to spread a positive message–though she always made sure her presentations and conversations were truthful and genuine.
“I never tried to sugar quote the facts,” she admitted. “But those discussions were also about where we were and how there’s still opportunity in the future for agriculture.”
Siemers-Peterman said she looks back fondly at an opportunity she had to write an article for Hoard’s Dairyman magazine about how the dairy industry is like a big family.
“My column talked about how there’s ups and downs in the the world of agriculture, but at the end of the day we can all come together because we all share the same mission: not just to feed the word, but to feed human progress. All of us in agriculture coexist and we have to support each other to make our own part of the industry succeed.”
She also learned a lot from former Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel, whom she served with for a short time before his retirement last August.
“I loved working with Ben. We could always talk about cattle and he would tease me about my Holsteins,” Crystal reminisced. “What made him so great is that he was a farm kid, through and through. And it’s so good to know that even though he stepped down as secretary, he’s still part of Wisconsin agriculture because he continues to operate his family’s farm.”
Crystal’s final school visit took place last week, which was special for her because she chose her own childhood classroom at Northview Elementary School in Howards Grove to wrap up her fourth-grade school tour.
A native of Cleveland, Wisconsin, Siemers-Peterman graduated last year from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, majoring in agricultural and food business management with a minor in marketing. She grew up on her family’s Registered Holstein dairy farm and was active in nearly every ag club offered both in high school and college.
So what’s next? Crystal plans to pursue a career working in the dairy foods industry, hopefully doing marketing and sales.
“Though I grew up a farm kid, I always wanted to know (even as a little girl) where the milk went after the truck would leave our farm. So I think this industry will suite me well, and it makes it even easier that I live in Wisconsin!”
Meanwhile, Siemers-Peterman will crown her successor on May 19 during the annual Alice in Dairyland Finals Ceremony, being hosted this year by Adams County. She will continue to serve in her role for several extra weeks while the new ‘Alice’ is being trained.
The finale program will be webcast live on Wisconsin Ag Connection, thanks to a sponsorship by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Foremost Farms USA and the Wisconsin State Fair.
Source: wisconsinagconnection.com
