Sharing the Excitement for Agriculture

My name is Courtney Moser, and my excitement for agriculture began at a young age on my family’s dairy farm, Dream Prairie Holsteins, in Westby, Wisconsin. It was there my interest was ignited as I gained hands-on experience and learned from my family. Between feeding calves with Dad, picking up hay bales with Grandpa Moser, preparing cattle for shows with my brother Logan, and photographing and registering calves with Mom, my family played an integral role in rooting my life in agriculture. My passion continued to strengthen thanks to other influential leaders including Dr. Sandy Curran, a veterinarian specializing in ultrasounding. On days Dr. Sandy visited our farm to conduct herd health checks, my excitement was quite abundant. Whenever Dr. Sandy announced an animal was pregnant with a female, I did “the heifer dance” because I was overjoyed to learn about the future of our milking herd. My excitement was further boosted through my involvement with 4-H, FFA and Wisconsin Holstein Association (WHA). These organizations helped me further explore elements of agriculture while developing skills in public speaking, critical thinking, leadership and more. I went on to serve as the 2017 WHA Princess and shared excitement for the Holstein breed and dairy industry overall.

My desire to continue sharing my agriculture story and further learn about the wider industry led me to study journalism and communication at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. There, I was able to forge my own path and frame my coursework around a topic of great interest to me: agriculture. I dug deeper into my dairy background, continued learning about important agricultural commodities including Christmas trees, honey, mink and more, and I shared my knowledge and interests through various mediums including personal conversations. Part of my education also included a summer in Jerome, Idaho, where I served as the editorial intern for Progressive Dairy. In each aspect of my education, I strived to continue learning while sharing excitement for agriculture.

Throughout my entire life, my passion has continued to build, and I can proudly say my excitement for Wisconsin agriculture is at an all-time high today. I love connecting with producers and consumers alike while hearing and further sharing the important stories of agriculture. As the 2021 Vernon County Fairest of the Fair, I have enjoyed representing the agriculture and family traditions of our 165-year-old-fair. In my role as digital marketing strategist for Valley Fudge & Candy, I’m proud to share how Wisconsin butter is used to create delicious and creamy fudge. Now as a Top Candidate for the 75th Alice in Dairyland, my excitement is abundant as I represent Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry. From cheese and ginseng to cranberries and snap beans, Wisconsin has many agricultural commodities to celebrate. The diversity of Wisconsin’s agriculture industry is our greatest strength, and each commodity provides high-quality products, offers career opportunities, adds to our economic strength, and supports our hard-working farmers and processors. There is certainly much to be excited about when it comes to Wisconsin agriculture. Are you excited? I know I sure am!