Some enterprising dairy farmers in rural Maryland have found a new source of income — opening ice cream shops on their farms. This summer, seven of them have come together to form Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail, the nation’s first farm-based ice cream trail. And the results so far seem pretty sweet.
On a hot Sunday afternoon in July, the lure of ice cream at Rocky Point Creamery in Frederick County, Md., is hard to resist. Morris Gladhill drives about 14 miles to the creamery once a week. Today he has come prepared with a small cooler. “Well, I needed to be able to take some home!” he says.
via Maryland Dairy Farmers Scoop Up A Sweet New Source Of Income : The Salt : NPR.
Following up on the story…
Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail is an annual agricultural tourism initiative organized by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The program is designed to highlight the state’s dairy industry by encouraging residents and visitors to visit local farms that produce and sell ice cream on-site, made directly from the milk of their own cows.
The trail typically runs from early June through late September. Participants can use an official “passport”—available at participating creameries or online—to collect stamps at each location. Those who visit all stops on the trail and submit their completed passport are eligible for prizes, including the title of “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail Blazer” and gift certificates.
Participating Creameries
The trail features several family-owned farms across different regions of Maryland. Common stops include:
- Rocky Point Creamery (Frederick County): Known for its proximity to the Monocacy River and its large seasonal sunflower fields.
- South Mountain Creamery (Frederick County): A large-scale dairy in Middletown where visitors can watch cow milking and bottle-feed calves.
- Misty Meadows Farm Creamery (Washington County): Located in Smithsburg, offering a variety of flavors and a farm animal viewing area.
- Deliteful Dairy (Washington County): A farm in Williamsport focusing on glass-bottled milk and artisanal ice cream.
- Broom’s Bloom Dairy (Harford County): Famous for its old-fashioned ice cream and artisanal cheeses in Bel Air.
- Keyes Creamery (Harford County): Located in Aberdeen, specializing in hand-dipped ice cream and premium cheeses.
- Woodbourne Creamery at Rock Hill Orchard (Montgomery County): An all-Guernsey dairy in Mount Airy that offers pick-your-own fruit alongside ice cream.
- Prigel Family Creamery (Baltimore County): An organic dairy farm in Glen Arm that uses regenerative farming practices.
- Chesapeake Bay Farms (Worcester County): One of the few stops on the Eastern Shore, located in Pocomoke City.
- Nice Farms Creamery (Caroline County): A pasture-based dairy located in American Corner.
Impact
The initiative helps sustain Maryland’s dairy farms by providing a direct-to-consumer revenue stream. It also serves as an educational tool, allowing the public to see the operations of modern dairy farming and understand the “cow-to-cone” process.
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