Who is Grace Schroeder?

What makes me who I am today? The short answer, Wisconsin. Why? That’s a longer story.

Hi everyone, my name is Grace Schroeder, and I am a young woman with many titles. I could be called a farmer’s daughter or a soon-to-be college graduate; however, my favorite title is the reason I am writing this blog post. I am a Top Candidate for the 73rd Alice in Dairyland.

I am in this position because of my connection to and my love for Wisconsin agriculture. Wisconsin has a thriving agriculture industry that encompasses everything from award-winning cheeses to unique crops like cranberries, ginseng, mink pelts, dry whey, and much more. Our Wisconsin farmers produce high-quality products for consumers around the world, and their commitment to excellence has fueled my ambition to become an ambassador for this community.

I grew up on my family’s fourth generation farm in a scenic valley. I didn’t have neighbors to play with, so I filled my time with the next best thing, agriculture. Soon I wasn’t just feeding the calves and helping in the fields, I was contributing to the promotion of my communities and the agriculture products they had to offer.

In high school, I represented the Cashton Fall Festival and the Warrens Cranberry Festival throughout the state. Bright summer days that involved dancing the Polka with my hometown farmers and breezy fall days during cranberry harvesting season are experiences I will not soon forget.

My involvement in my community and these particular organizations led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public relations at Saint Cloud State University.

During my summer breaks, I always returned to work in my home state. This allowed me to gain first-hand knowledge of the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, local agriculture businesses, and, of course, cheese.

Agriculture has been an integral part of my history. Immersing myself in this distinctive part of Wisconsin gave me the knowledge, confidence, and drive to pursue what I am now making my career. I hope to achieve the title of 73rd Alice in Dairyland so I can use my skills and connect the public to Wisconsin’s 104.8-billion-dollar agriculture industry.

Thank you, Wisconsin, for making me who I am today.