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Alice in Dairyland


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As a public relations specialist with the Division of Agricultural Development at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Alice promotes Wisconsin's agriculture and agribusinesses. She works with the media, speaks with rural and urban audiences, and teaches students about all aspects of Wisconsin agriculture....

 

Each years winner is presented with a custom made Mink Coat which she wears during site visits, speeches and other public appearances to promote mink farmers and the entire agricultural industry! Totally awesome! " title="Applause" />

 

http://datcp.wi.gov/Business/Alice_in_Dairyland/Alice_Fast_Facts/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

 

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Katie Wirkus, Alice in Dairyland, shows off her Wisconsin-grown mink coat. In 2010, Wisconsin mink ranches produced 883,430 mink pelts in 2010, almost a third of the U.S. production.

 

January 26, 2012 4:02 pm • Katie Wirkus, 64th Alice in Dairyland

 

 

Envision someone dressed for the Wisconsin winters prior to the 1900s; what do you see? A fur hat or jacket made of pelts? From 1650 to 1850, Wisconsin's economy revolved around the fur industry, shipping pelts all over the world. At that time, the beaver pelt was most sought after.

 

Wisconsin is still known for its pelts from trapping and hunting to ranchers. According to the International Fur Trade Federation, 85 percent of the world's fur production is farm-raised. Wisconsin has led the nation in mink pelt production since the turn of the century. In 2010, Wisconsin mink ranches produced 883,430 mink pelts in 2010, almost a third of the U.S. production.

 

Fur is waterproof, keeping the wearer warm and dry. Wisconsin is known for having some of the finest mink pelts in the world. To promote the exceptional mink pelts from Wisconsin the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders have established a wonderful program partnership with the Alice in Dairyland program. This year, the Trimberger family donated the pelts to make my mink coat.

 

Wisconsin has a very diverse $59 billion agriculture industry. Throughout my year, I have taken industry tours to learn about this diversity. For my first industry tour as Alice in Dairyland, I had the honor of meeting the Trimberger family, owners of TMR Furs LLC. Like most farms in Wisconsin, you could see this was a family event as even Grandma was in attendance. Their family farm is an officially recognized Sesquicentennial farm, meaning it has been in the family for over 150 years. The farm was originally a dairy farm, but in 1957 the late Joseph Trimberger helped the local mink ranchers and received mink as payment. As they say, the rest is history as the family operation is now completely dedicated to mink ranching, raising over 70,000 mink.

 

Mink ranches, like TMR Furs, provide diligent care to their animals. The buildings are cleaned regularly, feed is supplied twice daily and fresh, cool water is always readily available. Just like other livestock species, mink undergo an extensive vaccination program to protect their health. Mink producers also conduct regular blood testing to check for disease.

 

To maintain Wisconsin's reputation for superior mink, selective breeding is an essential component to a ranch. Each fall the mink are evaluated on color, softness, body size, and litter size to determine which ones will be used for breeding future generations.

 

Raising mink is no easy task; like all animals they require daily care, year round. However, there are some extra busy times of the year. For example, March is breeding season. After 45 days of pregnancy, the kits are born and they are tiny-a newborn kit is no bigger than the size of your finger. Each female will average about five kits. The kits grow quickly, and in the summer, they are separated into individual pens. This separation is needed to protect their lovely coat and also provide comfortable, individual care. By September, the young mink are fully grown at about 24 inches in length. By the end of November, they have a full winter coat and are ready for harvest.

 

Only certain areas around the world can raise mink. Wisconsin is the perfect spot due to the proper latitude with good seasonality. Our winters are cold enough so mink produce a full winter fur, but the summers are not too hot or at least the heat can be combated with strategically placed misters that cool the mink on warm days. Wisconsin also has an ample, high-quality food supply vital for sound nutrition for excellent pelt production.

 

Diet, or nutrition, plays a key role in the quality of the fur, so feed is very important in mink production. Nutritional requirements change throughout the year with the needs of the mink for pregnancy, lactation, growth and winter fur growth. Therefore, mink require carefully balanced rations, or diets. Mink need a diet high in protein and supplemented with calcium, so Wisconsin's vibrant dairy and livestock industries provide plenty of scrap foods high in these nutrients. Expired or waste lunch meat, fish, liver, eggs and cheese are excellent food staples for mink. In addition, mink are natural recyclers, so feeding them these foods keeps these items out of our landfills. Wisconsin is known for producing the best quality fur in the world because of the great food sources available.

 

While my coat is mahogany, mink pelts are available in a variety of colors. In the wild, the mink's rich glossy coat is naturally brown, but through breeding with a focus on color, ranchers have been able to hone the gene expression to diversify the colors exhibited. In North America, 70 percent of the pelts produced are black; however, brown pelts are more popular in Europe. Brown pelts include mahogany and pastel varieties; while sapphire, blue iris and violet are shades of grey pelts. Growing in demand are white pelts because of their ability to be dyed. No matter the color, the pelts consist of two layers: an undercoat that consists of a dense, soft underfur and the guard hairs that are dark, glossy, almost stiff hairs that overlay the undercoat.

 

TMR Furs LLC takes pride in their animals by providing them with great care that starts with a high, quality diet and routine medical care. Constant monitoring of all the animals is done to maintain the animals' health. TMR Furs LLC is dedicated to quality and is recognized for having some of the finest pelts in the world. Thank you to the entire Trimberger family for the great tour and for donating the pelts for my mink coat - I can testify that my Wisconsin mink coat is winter approved, as it keeps me toasty warm while I travel the state. Also, thank you to the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders for this wonderful partnership and for all your hard work as you enhance Wisconsin's agriculture industry.

 

Alice in Dairyland Katie Wirkus is Wisconsin's agriculture ambassador. She travels more than 40,000 miles throughout the state, promoting Wisconsin agriculture to various audiences. Alice in Dairyland can be reached by writing to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), 2811 Agriculture Drive, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53718. To schedule Alice for an upcoming event, contact the Alice in Dairyland Program Manager at 608-224-5080 or by e-mail at [email protected]. To learn more about Wisconsin's $59 billion agricultural industry visit her travel blog at www.wisconsinagconnection.com/alice or become a friend on Facebook (Alice Dairyland), follow on twitter (Alice_Dairyland) or LinkedIn (Alice in Dairyland).

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Awesome video of Alice cutting down a christmas tree in her mink coat! This girl is doing everything to support her local farmers...

 

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Here's Alice learning more about future fur coats...just like hers!

 

 

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"It's really exciting" says Alice. "Anyone of these minks could become part of my next fur jacket!"

 

Thinking Mink in Wisconsin

Jul. 06, 2015

 

During my first month as Alice, I had the unique opportunity to visit a mink ranch. Wisconsin ranks number one in the nation for mink pelt production, and Sheboygan County is often considered the mink capital of the nation. As Alice, I will proudly wear a mink coat that is sponsored by the Kettle Morraine Mink Breeders Association. This year the family at Sandy Bay Mink Ranch is graciously donating the pelts for my coat. Sandy Bay is a third-generation ranch; the first generation, now known as grandpa, began the business in 1963 and is very proud that his grandchildren continue to grow their family history and tradition in mink ranching.

 

Mink are the ultimate recyclers. They require a high protein diet and this need fits perfectly with the strong dairy industry in this corner of the state. One semi load of byproducts such as meat, expired cheese, and eggs are delivered to Sandy Bay each day and are perfect for making a mink diet. This ranch is unique in that they formulate the diets for their mink right on site, with large freezers for storage throughout the year. Their mink consume 40,000 pounds of feed each day!

 

Having done my graduate school work in reproductive physiology, I was especially interested in how they breed and raise their mink. Mink are seasonal breeders, meaning that instead of mating year round, they mate when the lighting conditions are just right in the springtime. Each female can have upwards of eight kits and each mother has her own pen to care for her kits prior to weaning them at two months of age. When selecting females for breeding, it is much like many other production animal species, in that they select for maternal instincts to ensure that all of their litters have the best care.

 

Now, when most people imagine a mink garment, the traditional color that comes to mind is black, or perhaps mahogany. I was astonished to learn that there are dozens of colors of mink, including sapphire, blue iris, pastel, peaches and cream, and violet! Sandy Bay explained that the fur market can fluctuate in demand, and in recent times white and unique colors have become very popular.

 

The tour of Sandy Bay Mink Ranch opened my eyes to one of the most unique aspects of Wisconsin agriculture. While we are America’s Dairyland, we are much more. The Sandy Bay family showcased the heart of our Wisconsin farms: a hard-working, dedicated family that puts the greatest emphasis on quality and care for their animals. I am proud to share the story of their family mink ranch through their generosity!

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This Alice is making sure those Minks get well fed. She want's to make sure next years Alice gets a coat just as warm and luxurious as her own!

 

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When she served as Alice in Dairyland in 2012, Rochelle Ripp (Schnadt) fed mink at the Wachter family mink farm near Plymouth, Wisconsin. Both share a good laugh as one of the minks tries to jump out of it's cage. "Sorry little guy but there's already a spot in my closet reserved just for you!"

 

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At the Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders Association's annual golf outing and banquet, I was presented with a beautiful black mink coat, graciously donated by the Patrick Family, of Rib Lake. I will proudly wear this coat during the cold Wisconsin winters as a way to promote Wisconsin's outstanding mink industry, which is #1 in the U.S!

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Alice is a role model these kids can literally look up to. No animal nuts are going to brainwash these kids while Alice is on the job!

 

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Lot's of questions for Alice. Do you think anyone asked, "Is that coat real?"

 

No way! Alice never fakes it! Even kids know that fake fur is as silly as decaffeinated coffee!

 

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Thank you to the Zimbal family for presenting me with my beautiful mink coat last night. Ready for cold temps!

 

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What could be better than Alpaca wool?...Alpaca fur! "This one is just my size," says Alice.

 

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If God didn't want us to wear mink, then why did he make their fur so warm and deliciously luxuriant?

 

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"Cutting down a tree in my mink coat!" "That's what I call staying on top of the food chain!"

 

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