Sarah Hagenow, Alice in Dairyland – General Meeting, September 17th, 2025

Blackhawk Golden ‘K’ General Meeting
Minutes
September 17^th, 2025

Roger Willeford presided, and called the meeting to order with a ring of the bell at 9:30AM.
An Executive Board meeting occurred today.
37 members were in attendance today.

Richard Johnson led with the singing of America, the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation: Carl Cramer, mentioning the new Kiwanis year, and the children.

Raffle: April Wright oversaw the ticket sales and drawing this week.
The weekly pot was $15 and the big (Joker) pot was $459.
Don Kellogg drew a ticket from the bucket, ticket number 058. Congratulations to the winner, Mel Lemirande.
The deck of cards has 19/53 cards remaining. Mel Lemirande drew the ♠♥JOKER♣♦ and won the entire pot!

Roger Willeford thanks greeters Dave Caverley and Bruce Jorenby, invocator Carl Cramer, rafflemaster April Wright, and server Glenn Disrude.

Happy Box: Mel Lemirande announced he is happy because a woman recently left her purse atop her vehicle and it was left in the parking lot. Mel picked it up, located her and returned it to her. She was extremely gratified, and insisted he receive $20 in reward. He spent the money on Golden K raffle tickets.
Maury Frey announced he is happy because the walk for Alzheimer’s awareness earned $1,168 from Golden K gifts, and another outstanding and record year of in excess of $14,000 from donations.
Greg Turco announced he is happy because Ron Shuler renewed his club membership, and did so entirely with $2 bills.
John Janes announced he is happy because the senior fair was a success, and several inspirations for attracting individuals to future booths.

Roger Willeford announced that two guests are present today, Mickey and John, evaluating after a visit to the senior fair booth.

Jokes: Steve Skelly had a good joke about why gorillas have such big nostrils (big fingers).
Roger Willeford had a good joke about the three unwritten rules of life: one… two…. and three.

Member Health: Linda Bontly had a status update on Jerry Burhans, who is no attending because of mobility difficulty.
Linda Bontly had a status update on Don and Linda Hanneman, who are now both at Cedar Crest, recovering slowly.

Other Announcements: Roger Willeford spoke upon a ‘thank you’ letter that arrived from Easter Seals Camp Wawbeek, with appreciation for the $1,760 donated.

Committee Reports: John Janes announced Truck on Ice sponsor letters are ready. Send ‘em out! Thank you to Ryan Lewis.
Gregg Dickinson announced shirt orders are in. Please provide $20, which will be donated in kind to the Truck on Ice.
Tom Neumann announced many names, and thanks to them for their time volunteering at the senior fair. It was a big success!

Ryan Lewis introduced the day’s speaker, Sarah Hagenow. As Wisconsin’s 78th agriculture ambassador, Sarah Hagenow’s goal is to educate audiences about the importance of Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture industry, how it impacts our daily lives, and the $116.3 billion economic impact it has on the state’s economy.
Hagenow is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural and food business management with a minor in international agriculture. Hagenow feels at home in Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and enjoys telling the stories of its hard-working people.
Growing up in Rio, Wisconsin, her youth was characterized by involvement in 4-H and FFA, where she had the opportunity to exhibit dairy cattle and livestock at local fairs and state shows. Her advocacy and outreach experiences in agriculture spurred her to join the Gopher Dairy Club, Agricultural Business Club, Agricultural Mentor Program, and the dairy cattle judging team at college. Hagenow has held internships with Heatherstone Enterprises, Viking Dairy Company, the Minnesota State Senate, and the Animal Agriculture Alliance.
After Sarah’s introduction, she elaborated upon Alice in Dairyland, and her youth.
There were 76 Alice in Dairyland women before Sarah. One Alice served two termed during COVID.
Two years ago, Alice was Sarah’s older sister Ashley, who spoke to Golden Kiwanis.
Sarah grew up in Lodi, Wisconsin. She was active in 4-H and FFA, and was always a large supporter of the clubs and their impacts on youth education.
When young, she owned and showed animals, and was at the state fair for eight years. Her last year, Sarah’s cow Willow won grand champion.
Sarah enjoys travel and enjoyed Denmark and Sweden, and Washington, D. C.
Alice in Dairyland originally started at the celebration of Wisconsin’s first 100 years, in 1948.
In 1952, the Alice in Dairyland position was made a full time job, in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. It is unique nationwide.

The ‘Alice’ year starts in July of each year. Leading up to it, the selection process begins in February. The candidates submit essays, are interviewed, and the top six are selected in March. From March, the six women have weekly meetings with AiD partners and contribute to multiple media outlets including blogging and vlogging. A three day ‘finals’ occurs in May, in a rotation of Wisconsin counties.
The title includes use of a vehicle, currently a 2023 Ford Explorer that runs on E-88 ethanol fuel, nicknamed Tassie.

A tiara, which contains a central amethyst, the AiD program color, and is flanked by two citrines, honoring Wisconsin’s mining history which contains many citrine rich sites.
After installation, Alice spends much of her time touring agriculture industry, including plants, food processors such as Birds Eye Foods.

Sarah mentioned this year ‘Dairy Cares’ raised $500,000 for Ag Youth.
Agriculture is 9.5% of the jobs in Wisconsin, 354,000. Wisconsin exports to 151 different countries.
An estimated 99% of the grocery stores in the entire nation contain some form of dairy product from Wisconsin.
Cranberries, the state fruit, are a large product of this state.
Wisconsin produces 95% of the nation’s ginseng, much of which is in Marathon county alone.
Wisconsin in the third largest national producer of potatoes.
Wisconsin is the sole producer of mink. The AiD program bestows a mink coat upon Alice at her term’s conclusion.

During the presentation, Alice passed out cups of whipping cream to the entire room. She explained the lids of the cups were lined with buttermilk. The combination of the top ingredients, and a lid check, several minutes of shaking, produced butter, which everyone took with them.

Alice asked the audience, “Does anyone know the two best breeds of dairy cows?” Kiwanis member John Janes replied, “Jerseys and Gurnseys!” Alice, “Yes, that right! Gurnseys are sometimes called ‘Golden Gurnseys’ because of the nearly yellow buttermilk-like milk that they provide.” The cows’ diets have an effect on the milk’s content.

Kiwanis member Jenny Turco asked, “For those allergic to cow’s milk, goat’s milk has proven useful. Do you have an experience there?” Sarah responded, “LeClair Dairy might be a good destination for a visit.”
Kiwanian John Janes asked, “How is Wisconsin as a cherry harvester?” “We are fourth in the nation.”
Ray Szczepaniak asked, “Any potential for an ‘Al in Dairyland?’” Sarah, “It could happen.”
Tom Neumann asked, “How is the dairy economy doing?” Sarah had no delay in answering, “It is growing!”

John Janes asked, “Does AiD have involved with any brewing?” Sarah responded, “Some, sure. The grape harvest is occurring right now. Visit a winery! There are over 100 in the state.”
Past President Bob Wilcox asked, “Are commercial farms taking over?” Sarah responded, “99% of farms are family owned.”
Jim Farrell inquired upon Sarah’s knowledge of technology in agricultural industries. Sarah explained that harvests are intensely monitored and improved, as are systems such as those for robotic milking, e. g. monitoring the milk’s content per individual teat.

Sarah went on to answer other questions and cover additional topics.

Ryan Lewis thanked Sarah Hagenow for speaking and presented her with a Kiwanis Parker pen.

Roger Willeford adjourned the meeting with a ring of the bell at 11AM.

Reminders: Next week is the officer inductions! Included breakfast and awards will follow.

On this day (enormous edition):
1683 Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the first to report the existence of bacteria
1778 First treaty between the US and Indian tribes is signed at Fort Pitt
1787 US Constitution is signed by delegates at the Philadelphia Convention
1789 William Herschel discovers Saturn’s moon Mimas using his 40-foot reflector telescope
1819 First whaling ship arrives in Hawaii
1835 Charles Darwin lands on Chatham Island in the Galapagos Archipelago
1849 Harriet Tubman is the first to escape slavery in Maryland with two of her brothers
1911 First airplane flight across the US from New York to Pasadena, California, in 82 hours and 4 minutes
1920 Cardinals set a record of 12 consecutive hits in the 4th (10) and 5th (2) innings
1926 Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was severely injured in a bus accident, and during her recovery she began painting and soon abandoned her plans for a career in medicine.
1934 RCA Victor releases the first 33 1/3 rpm recording: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Leopold Stokowski at the Philadelphia Academy of Music
1937 First NFL game in Washington, D.C.; Redskins defeat NY Giants 13-3
1949 Third Cannes Film Festival: “The Third Man,” directed by Carol Reed, wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
1954 “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is published by Faber and Faber in London
1958 US performs a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1976 NASA publicly unveils the Space Shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, California, named after the Star Trek Enterprise, with the cast attending
1977 British-American band Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album is #1 for the 19th consecutive week
1978 Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, and Jimmy Carter sign the Camp David Accords, frameworks for peace in the Middle East and between Egypt and Israel
1991 The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet
1992 Frank Zappa conducts The Ensemble Modern in portions of his classical work “The Yellow Shark” in Frankfurt, Germany; receives a 20-minute standing ovation in what is his last public appearance
2007 AOL, once the largest ISP in the US, officially announces plans to refocus the company as an advertising business and to relocate its corporate headquarters from Dulles, Virginia, to New York City
2010 Final episode of soap opera “As the World Turns” is broadcast, ending a 54-year run
2015 US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports 2015 Northern Hemisphere summer hottest on record
– Constitution Day and Citizenship Day “commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.” If September 17 takes place on a weekend or on another holiday, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are observed on a nearby weekday. On the day, the president traditionally issues a proclamation calling on government officials to display the flag on government buildings, and calls for the day to be observed in schools and other places with appropriate ceremonies. Events and activities take place around the country, and civil and education groups provide citizens with educational resources about the Constitution.