Image of AAE students Emily Sydow (left) and Sadie Goettl (right) wearing the Honey Queen crown and sash. Credit: Wisconsin Honey Producers Association.
Every year at the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association (WHPA) annual convention, WHPA crowns a young woman to serve as the Honey Queen. The Honey Queen travels across the state visiting schools, fairs, festivals, and other venues to educate and promote the beekeeping and honey industry to the public.
Last year, Sadie Goettl, a senior in the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics (AAE) studying Agricultural Business Management and Communication Arts, was named the 2024 Honey Queen. When she wasn’t busy studying or serving as the president of both Saddle and Sirloin and the Association of Women in Agriculture, Goettl was spreading the word about an industry she holds close to her heart.
“I have a strong passion for the agricultural industry—specifically the beekeeping sector—because of its vast impact on daily life,” she said. “Without honeybees, we wouldn’t have many of the foods we see today.”
-Sadie Goettl in an interview with UW Madison La Follette Institute
This year Sadie has passed the torch to Emily Sydow, a fellow AAE student. Emily, a freshman this year, has a passion for agricultural advocacy and farmland preservation. She is channeling this passion by combining her major in Agricultural and Applied Economics with a certificate in public policy. In addition to being the reigning Honey Queen Emily is a member of the Collegiate Farm Bureau and Association of Women in Agriculture. Congratulations to you both, Sadie and Emily!