A special “dinner-in-the-field” event will take place in late July to celebrate the anniversary of the 75th Alice in Dairyland program and highlight Dane County’s rich agricultural heritage, food production, farmland and the farmers that make it all happen.
A limited number of tickets are available for purchase to the event which will feature locally-sourced products and the time and talents of local farm-to-table supporter Chef David Heide (Liliana’s Restaurant and Little John’s) who will prepare a four-course meal to be served outdoors at the J. Henry & Sons family farm in Dane, Wisconsin – located 18 miles north of Madison.
“We are honored to welcome the 75th Alice in Dairyland Finals back to Dane County and to welcome Dane County to our farm,” said Liz Henry of J. Henry & Sons. “We are both producers and consumers of Dane County’s bounty of agricultural diversity and innovation. We are proud to promote our agricultural producers and products and we are excited to have Chef Dave Heide and Little John’s join us in bringing our production full-circle in addressing food insecurity and sustainability in our community.”
The dinner will be held on Thursday, July 22, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in celebration of Dane County being the host of the 75th Alice in Dairyland finals event slated for spring 2022. Alice in Dairyland is Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador promoting the food, fiber and fuel that make agriculture the state’s signature industry.
“Agriculture has a rich history in both Dane County and the state of Wisconsin,” stated Jill Makovec, chair, Dane County Alice in Dairyland host committee. “For 75 years, Alice in Dairyland has promoted the quality, safety and economic significance of our state’s food producers and processors. We are excited to highlight both agriculture and its ambassador, Alice, throughout the year.”
Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/DinnerinDane at a cost of $125. The dinner will feature a variety of locally-sourced products.
“The Alice in Dairyland program has a long, proud history of sharing the many strengths of Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry,” said Randy Romanski, Secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “Even through the challenges of COVID-19, Alice has continued to play a key role in educating a wide variety of audiences about all that our state’s farmers and processors have to offer. We look forward to gathering for this special event to begin celebrating the 75th year of this outstanding program.”
The selection of the 75th Alice in Dairyland will take place in May 21, 2022, at the Monona Terrace in Madison. Money raised during the dinner-in-the-field event will benefit the finals program as well as support and promote Dane County farms and local agriculture. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit Little John’s, a community kitchen located in Fitchburg, whose mission is to transform food excess into accessible, chef-quality meals for all, regardless of their means.
