Celebrate Dairy Across Pennsylvania This Summer With 15 Dairy-Themed Events
With June being National Dairy Month and July being National Ice Cream Month, several Pennsylvania dairy farms and organizations are hosting on-farm events to give families a firsthand look at Pennsylvania agriculture and local dairy products. The “Celebrate Dairy Across PA” initiative features an online listing of 15 dairy-themed events happening across the state in June and July. Many of the events feature outdoor, family-friendly activities at no cost, including farm-fresh ice cream, farm tours, hayrides, calf and cow petting, sunflower fields, and more. Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/celebratepadairy to view an interactive map and the event listing.
“There are 5,200 dairy farms in Pennsylvania, and 99 percent of these farms are family owned,” said Emily Barge, communications and marketing manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “If you’re looking for some summer fun for the entire family, we encourage you to attend one of these events and celebrate Pennsylvania dairy by learning about the hard work and passion that goes into making local products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream 365 days a year.”
The following events, listed in order of occurrence, are featured on the “Celebrate Dairy Across PA” listing:
- Scooped: PA Ice Cream Trail – State-Wide – Launches June 1
- Summertime Jubilee – Vale Wood Farms, Cambria County, 517 Vale Wood Road, Loretto, PA 15940 – Sunday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Open House and Day on the Farm – Dotterer Dairy, Clinton County, 219 Allis Chalmers Lane, Mill Hall, PA 17751 – Saturday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Family Farm Days – Oregon Dairy Farm LLC, Lancaster County, 2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz, PA 17543 – Tuesday, June 14 through Thursday, June 16
- A Toast to Dairy – Melhorn Manor, Lancaster County, 977 West Main Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552 – Thursday, June 16 from 6-9 p.m.
- Breakfast in the Barn – Maple Bottom Farm, Fayette County, 1119 Cunningham Bridge Road, Dawson, PA 15428 – Sunday, June 19
- June Dairy Month Celebration and Milk Chugging Contest – Harmony Acres Dairy, Fayette County, 355 Perryopolis Road, Belle Vernon, PA 15012 – Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m.
- Down on the Farm – Bear Meadows Farm, Centre County, 265 Bear Meadows Road, Boalsburg, PA 16827 – Sunday, June 26 from 1-4 p.m.
- Guernsey Ice Cream Social – Mercer County 4-H Park, Mercer County, 463 N. Perry Highway, Mercer, PA 16137 – Friday, July 8 from 5-9 p.m.
- Mapes Farm Fresh Grand Opening – Mapes Farm Fresh LLC, Union County, 8180 State Route 304, Mifflinburg, PA 17844 – Saturday, July 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunflower Maze and Flower Fields – Maple Bottom Farm, Fayette County, 1119 Cunningham Bridge Road, Dawson, PA 15428 – Opens for the season on July 15, 2022
- Sundae Funday on the Farm – Mill Hill Farms, LLC, Blair County, 164 Mill Hill Road, Williamsburg, PA 16693 – Sunday, July 17 from 5-8 p.m.
- An Ole’ Fashion Ice Cream Sundae – Lycoming County Fair, 1 E. Park Street, Hughesville, PA 17737 – Monday, July 18 at 7 p.m.
- Dairy Night at Bedford County Fair – Bedford County Fair, 729 West Pitt Street, Bedford, PA 15522 – Monday, July 25 at 6 p.m.
- Twilight Tour – Meadow Spring Dairy, Lancaster County, 340 West Meadow Valley Road, Lititz, PA 17543 – Thursday, July 28 from 7-9 p.m.
“Our events provide us with an unparalleled opportunity to connect directly with the consumers to whom we market our milk. Without the support of our local communities, we would not have the ability to do what we love,” said Carissa Westrick of Vale Wood Farms, one of the farms hosting an event. “Our farm has provided generations of families with farm-fresh dairy products. It’s our honor to invite our neighbors to visit our farm and personally thank them for their support.”
To view details about each event, including address, cost, and other important details, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/celebratepadairy. For more information about the campaign, contact Emily Barge at ebarge@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849.
The Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE) provides grants, resources and programming to help dairy farmers remain competitive, successful and financially stable. Campaigns like Choose PA Dairy and Celebrate Dairy Across PA work to increase consumer awareness about the year-round availability of local milk, how to purchase it, and the health benefits of consuming fluid milk.