The Ice Cream Trail Celebrates Pennsylvania Dairy and PA Preferred® Operations
The Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Preferred®, and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office are once again seeking creameries to participate in the 2023 Pennsylvania “Scooped” Ice Cream Trail program. Pennsylvania dairy farms that have a value-added ice cream component to their business, and use Pennsylvania milk in their ice cream mix, are encouraged to join the program. The PA Ice Cream Trail was designed to increase consumer awareness of locally produced dairy products and drive state-wide traffic to PA Preferred® creameries.
“The PA Ice Cream Trail gives visitors what they crave,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “It’s not just about satisfying a craving for delicious dairy treats. It’s an opportunity for an experience – a taste of the story of a farm, a family, a business, and the quality and care that go into their products. The PA Preferred® brand and the PA Culinary Trails make the consumer part of the story. They will remember the experience when they shop all year-round.”
The 2023 program is scheduled to kick off in June and will conclude in September. The program includes a digital passport featuring creameries across the state and incentives that are ideal for consumers of all ages.
“Participating in the PA Ice Cream Trail has been an all-around sweet experience for us. We were delighted to join the inaugural Ice Cream Trail and have consistently been humbled to serve a steady flow of new guests who are working their way through the different stops on the trail. We highly recommend participating in the program,” said Chad Fox, owner and managing director of Fox Meadows Creamery, a participant in the Ice Cream Trail program.
Participating creameries are required to have a connection to Pennsylvania dairy and must be part of the PA Preferred® program. The ice cream must be produced on site, using milk and/or ice cream mix made from milk produced in Pennsylvania. If selected for the 2023 program, creameries will receive a toolkit with resources to help with promoting the initiative at their storefront and on digital platforms.
To participate in the 2023 Ice Cream Trail or learn more about the program, contact Emily Barge by March 24. Email ebarge@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717-346-0849. For more information about the trail, visit www.visitpa.com/trip/scooped-ice-cream-trail.