For Oconomowoc’s Halei Heinzel, a love for agriculture was not a birthright. Heinzel grew up in a more urban setting than the other five finalists for Alice in Dairyland. She would become heavily involved in the industry later in life, becoming active in her high school’s FFA chapter before graduating from the Farm and Industry Short Course program with certificates in Agribusiness Management and Dairy Farm Management and starting her major in Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison. Heinzel says she is proof that there are no silly questions about agriculture and that you can jump in anytime.

Heinzel will compete against Denmark’s Katrina Hoesly, Kiel’s Lauren Siemers, Kewaunee’s Kiley Pagel, Big Bend’s Michaela King, and Fox Lake’s Cierra Essock for the title of Alice in Dairyland this May.Tickets went on sale on Monday for the Alice in Dairyland Finals’ two main events: the Wisconsin Products Showcase on May 3rd at Door County Boardwalk’s Gala location and the finale at Stone Harbor Resort on May 4th. You can meet the current Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow and support the program at a fundraising meat raffle at Apple Valley Lanes in Sturgeon Bay on March 9 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.