Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wirkus Reflects Back on Her Year as 'Alice'

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Wirkus Reflects Back on Her Year as 'Alice'
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 05/11/2012

When Katie Wirkus was selected as Wisconsin's 64th Alice in Dairyland last spring, she knew the coming year would be filled with a lot of driving, tours and learning opportunities. But now that she can actually look back at the experience, she says the feeling she gets is not something you can describe in words.

"As I a drove across the state, I was surprised at all the exceptional events taking place that I had no idea existed," Wirkus told Wisconsin Ag Connection. "This state has so much to offer and contributes so much to our agricultural industry. It was amazing to discover all these little facts."

For example, Katie didn't know that Sorghum was grown here, or that the cranberry and cherry industries were as world-renowned as they are. And as she learned many of these types things, she also enjoyed sharing her new discoveries with others just as much.

"One of the parts of the job that I really enjoyed was telling consumers that we have a lot to be proud of here in our state," she said. "From fourth grade students to seasoned consumers, I was usually able to share something new for my audiences to learn."

A teacher by trade, Wirkus used creative materials in the classroom to show over 8,000 students this past year about why agriculture is important to them. She also found that more consumers are starting to care about where there food comes from; yet many do not know a lot about that topic.

"I've seen a little of everything. Some people don't really care (as long as there is food available), while others are doing research on the Internet and reading blogs because they want to know," she said. "So, as the state's agricultural ambassador, I tried to meet the consumers where they're at and took advantage of opportunities to teach them something."

Two of her favorite events included harvesting cranberries in a real bog and tasting the different varieties of cheeses made here.

"I grew up eating your traditional cheese flavors, like American, Cheddar and Mozzarella. But during this past year, I must have tasted about a hundred different specialty cheeses. That was so great."

In the past 12 months, her Chevy Tahoe put on about 40,000 miles as Katie stayed busy delivering over 450 speeches and conducted hundreds of TV, radio and print interviews. Like many of the Alices before her, Wirkus said serving in this roll was a dream she had since she was a small girl.

"I've wanted to be Alice in Dairyland since I was four-years-old," she said. "This opportunity definitely exceeded my expectations. I will never forget the experiences I was able to have by doing this."

Meanwhile, she will crown her successor next weekend during the annual Alice in Dairyland Finals Ceremony, being held this year in Grant County. But she will continue to serve in her roll for several extra weeks while the new 'Alice' is being trained.

Wirkus, a native of Athens, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with degrees in agricultural education and mathematics. She's returning to Edgar High School, her alma matter, where she has accepted a position as a middle school math teacher.

The finale program will also be Webcast live on Wisconsin Ag Connection on May 19, which is being sponsored by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, ANIMART, Inc. and Merial Ldt.

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