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A South Dakota State University alum has been named to a one-of-kind position advocating for agriculture in Wisconsin. Anastasia Poull, a triple-degree SDSU graduate, has recently earned the title of

Poull grew up in southeast Wisconsin, where her family has a small farm with horses, goats and dogs. She has also spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ dairy farm.

Her three degrees are in animal science, agricultural leadership and agricultural science. She also completed minors in agricultural business, communication and media studies and earned a certificate in workplace and cultural competence. And if her extensive education doesn’t impress you enough, Poull’s campus involvement included being a community assistant in the dorms for three years, competing on the wool judging team and participating in Little International and Sign Language Club. She was also a member of the Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band her junior and senior year.

Poull didn’t just stop at receiving three bachelor’s degrees — she stayed at SDSU for her master's degree through an assistantship with the Department of Animal Science. As a graduate student, she launched the Peer Mentor Program, managed social media accounts for the department and took a study abroad trip to South Africa.

Poull said SDSU opened a lot of doors for her, and she walked through as many as she could. After graduating in 2023, Poull worked in agricultural marketing and at a local farm before applying for the opportunity to serve as Alice in Dairyland.

“I wanted something that had some travel, involved talking to consumers and created that connection between our farmers and the people they feed,” she said. “I also wanted something with a variety of job roles because I thought I would get bored doing one thing all the time. Alice in Dairyland does all of that and more.”

Now that she has received the honor of being selected as Alice in Dairyland, Poull will drive roughly 45,000 miles in a specially-wrapped SUV, attend hundreds of events and conduct media interviews celebrating Wisconsin agriculture. She will write four articles a month, maintain social media channels and handle office responsibilities.

The application process for the position is rigorous, starting in January and taking over five months. Applicants must complete assignments such as developing a blog post, writing an article, posting a social media video reel, drafting a speech outline, drafting a presentation outline and submitting final versions of projects.

The finals last three days in the host county. Applicants go on different industry tours, participate in Facebook livestreams, radio interviews, television interviews, a commodity showcase, answer impromptu questions and complete an individual interview with the three-person selection panel. On the final day, candidates give a self-introduction, a short speech based on one of the tours and a three-minute presentation. The selection panel then makes its decision, and the new Alice in Dairyland is announced on stage in May.

Poull is very humble and genuine. When asking her what it means to be in this role, she said it is “surreal” and a “dream come true.”

“Alice in Dairyland has 79 years of history this year, which is just so incredible to be a part of that tradition and history,” she said. “And it's a really big responsibility to represent Wisconsin agriculture for an entire year of celebrating all aspects from our dairy industry to cranberries, mink, ginseng, beef, corn and soybeans. Like truly everything Wisconsin agriculture and just all the different aspects and things people don't think about, like Christmas trees or strawberries or green beans.”

Being a well-rounded agriculture advocate means Poull was also very busy during the Wisconsin State Fair. Her schedule changed from day to day. Most days, she attended dairy and goat milking demos, presented about Wisconsin butter and how it is made and more. She even competed in a cream puff eating contest with some committed news anchors.

Another unique program she was part of is the Grand Champion Eats and Treats Contest, celebrating some of their “Something Special from Wisconsin” members. In the competition, 50% or more of the product’s ingredients, manufacturing or production is from or done in Wisconsin.

Poull will be in the Alice in Dairyland position until June 2027 and said she is excited for what’s to come.

"I haven't made it to the end of the year, but everyone tells me it is so worth it and just some incredible experiences,” she said.