Meet the Candidates: Kiley Pagel; “Living the Dream”

Hello, Wisconsin! My name is Kiley Pagel. I am a fourth-generation dairy farmer from Kewaunee County. My family farm is Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, and growing up around agriculture my entire life has allowed me to grow within the industry and find my love and passion for it. I am a current senior at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay pursuing a degree in business administration to help further my knowledge on the business side for my hopes to one day have the ability to help run our dairy. I have had different marketing and financial internships that have led me to my current position at the Pagel Family Businesses as a marketing advisor, allowing me the opportunity learn from the business every day. 

Growing up, I was raised on our heifer facility in Coleman, Wisconsin, an opportunity unlike any other. There, I learned lessons that not everyone would have the ability to. At the age of six, I learned to drive a tractor, handle cattle, and the value of hard work and dedication. A short time after we began at the farm, I was given a jersey steer calf to care for, and I named him Rosco. Rosco was my daily responsibility, soon becoming one of my best friends, and teaching me what it meant to care for another living being. With the help of my parents, Rosco, and my grandfather, my passion for agriculture grew, and that passion would soon turn into the education of the industry.

In 2015, my grandfather, John T. Pagel, started a summer school program for 12-year-old students at the local Kewaunee School District, allowing students to learn about the many different jobs in the agriculture industry. You could always see the joy and passion in his eyes when teaching about the industry he loved most. With my grandfather as my inspiration, I took over the program in 2021 and started growing it. Today, the program can host up to 50 students and is now offered to all Kewaunee County schools. Along with my team, we have been able to support the next generation in their education of the industry, teaching about more than 50 careers in the industry in just over five days! 

As a 77th Alice in Dairyland top candidate, it is my mission to continue supporting the education and the passion within this industry. As my grandfather always said, I am “living the dream."