America's 250th birthday calls for a big celebration, and that's exactly what the Great American State Fair is. It's an opportunity for each state to showcase what makes them unique and special. Joey Hoey joins us, he's the assistant deputy secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. He was in charge of putting together a display that shows off the best of what Wisconsin has to offer. Joey tells us about the road to the Great American State Fair.

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If mosquitoes could talk, I have a feeling they would say the 4th of July is their favorite holiday. From fireworks shows to lake days and barbecues, the influx of people outside basically means we're bringing an all-you-can-eat buffet straight to the doorstep of the homes of mosquitoes. PJ Liesch joins us; he's an Extension Entomologist who keeps an eye on the populations of mosquitoes in Wisconsin throughout the summer. He tells us what he's seen so far.

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Wisconsin beef producers joined a nationwide effort among State Beef Councils to amplify the beef industry’s summer grilling campaign. Kaitlyn Kessler, Communications Coordinator for the Wisconsin Beef Council explains the campaign with Pam Jahnke. The Wisconsin Beef Council invited women with various stills and areas of influence to learn more about grilling beef. It was worth their time, thanks to generous support from Pit Boss for the event – which not only included the use of their smokers but also the expertise of Pitmaster Lee Ann Whippen. Whippen lead the course as a 25 year champion BBQ pitmaster and member of the 2022 BBQ hall of fame.

Whippen shared tips and demonstrated how to cook Tri-Tips, Brisket, and burger
basics. These influencers can then take this knowledge back to their audiences and increase confidence at the grill or smoker. It was very well received.

While giving hands-on skills to those grillers, the WI Beef Council also reached out through virtual experiences. Kessler says WBC's partnership with the Wisconsin Agriculture in the
Classroom, Alice in Dairyland and Poppy Family Farms targeted elementary classrooms across the state with a virtual tour of a beef farm.

Hosted by Wisconsin’s 78th Alice in Dairyland, Sarah Hagenow, alongside farmer
Rebecca Poppy of Poppy Family Farms in Omro, the tour introduced students to
cattle, animal care practices and the role beef farmers play in producing a safe,
nutritious food supply. Preliminary participation estimates show approximately 35 classrooms and more than 600 students joined the live event. The recorded tour will be made available on BeefTips.com and wisagclassroom.org, allowing educators to access the content throughout the
school year.

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