Alice in Dairyland Taylor Schaefer receives on

Jun 02, 2023

Wisconsin is home to a diverse array of specialty crops. Horseradish, ginseng, apples, Christmas trees, maple syrup, garlic, and so many more. According to the United Stated Department of Agriculture, specialty crops are "fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture)." This special year has provided me the opportunity to learn about many of these specialty crops and inspired an interest to continue learning about them well beyond my time as Alice in Dairyland.

As part of my activities this year, I was able to visit various specialty crop growers to learn more about how these crops are grown. One of my first visits was to Guza Garlic in Denmark, WI. While there, I was able to meet Brian, Joanna, and their adorable daughter, Mary. They told me about how they got their start in garlic and shared how garlic is grown here in Wisconsin. Garlic in Wisconsin is usually of the hardneck variety and each crop is started in the late fall, before the ground freezes. They sit in the soil until it is warmed by the spring sun and start to sprout. The garlic is ready to be harvested in July and can used for cooking, replanted for next year's harvest, or stored through the winter.

Next, I attended the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival to learn more about Ginseng, a crop Wisconsin has earned worldwide recognition for. In its wild form, ginseng is native to Wisconsin and grows in our deciduous forests. For the cultivation of ginseng, Marathon County is home to the vast majority of this root crop.

Grown under artificial shade to replicate its natural habitat, ginseng is planted as a seed and grows for three to five years before it is harvested. Wisconsin ginseng is viewed as top quality in many Asian markets and is often sought out for its unique flavor profile.

The harvested product looks a lot like ginger and most ginseng is dried and ground into powder. That powder is used in many different recipes, and my favorite way to use the powder is to mix it into baked goods.

The final specialty crop prized for its roots that I learned about is horseradish! I visited Silver Spring, south of Eau Claire, to see how the harvested roots turn into the classic zing that accompanies meals across the county. Silver Spring is a subsidiary of Huntsinger Farms, founded by Ellis Huntsinger in 1929.

Horseradish roots harvested in the spring and fall are placed immediately in cold storage until processed and bottled. Prepared horseradish is traditionally made by grinding and mixing horseradish with vinegar as a natural preservative. Without the vinegar, the fresh root would otherwise quickly darken and lose its characteristic bite. Ellis Huntsinger discovered that the addition of fresh sweet dairy cream helped to further enhance the flavor, heat, and longevity of his prepared horseradish.

Moving to some above the ground crops, I visited Country Side Trees (CST) in Walworth while cutting down the first Christmas tree of the holiday season. CST was started by Glen & Becky Feltham over 30 years ago. They offer 70 acres of trees to choose from, plus they make garland, wreaths, and boughs.

I cut a white pine, but CST grows six different types. It takes on average seven years from planting to harvest but can take as long as 15 years. Over that time, the staff are trimming and monitoring the trees and mowing the spaces between them. Tree farmers typically plant two to three trees for every tree that is harvested.

Another top Wisconsin crop I was able to learn about is the cranberry. Wisconsin harvests more than 60% of the nation's cranberries, and I was able to visit with Nodji Van Wychen of Wetherby Cranberry to see how they grow our state fruit.

Cranberries are perennial plants, which means they come back year after year as long as they are well cared for. The fruits are grown in soil on vines and are ready to harvest in the fall. There are hollow pockets of air inside each fruit, which means they will float. This is why the fields can be flooded for harvest. The fruits are knocked off of their vines, float to the top, and are then collected. Some berries are sold fresh, but 95% of the crop is made into sauce, juice, dried fruit, and other food products.

I am so thankful for these farmers and the many others that welcomed me to see their businesses this year. I have made lasting memories and learned so much along the way. I look forward to continuing to be an ambassador for Wisconsin agriculture long after my term as Alice in Dairyland comes to a close in July.

Taylor Schaefer is Wisconsin's 75th Alice in Dairyland and will finish her year in July.