Lt. Governor Rutherford Kicks Off 2021 Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Lieutenant Governor Boyd K. Rutherford and Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder today kicked off the 2021 season of the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail at Prigel Family Creamery in Baltimore County. The Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail’s 2021 season officially begins on May 28 and will run through September 30. Now in its ninth year, the Ice Cream Trail is designed to promote the state’s dairy industry and has become increasingly popular, drawing participants from across the state and the region.

“The Maryland Ice Cream Trail is a unique and delicious way to explore our state, learn more about where our food comes from, and meet the hardworking families that have sustained these farms for generations,” said Lt. Governor Rutherford. “I encourage everyone to hit the trail this summer, sample the best ice cream Maryland has to offer, and make memories that will last a lifetime.”

The 2021 Ice Cream Trail features 10 on-farm creameries across the state that produce and sell their ice cream directly to consumers and stretches more than 290 miles from Washington County to Worcester County. The Ice Cream Trail encourages the public to learn more about dairy farming and highlights the important contributions of Maryland’s 325 dairy farms. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2017 Census of Agriculture, dairy farms accounted for more than $174 million in milk product sales in Maryland.

“The Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail is a great opportunity for families to get a firsthand look at real, working dairy farms with the added bonus of enjoying delicious farm-fresh ice cream,” said Secretary Bartenfelder. “Maryland’s dairy farms play an important role in our agriculture industry and in the heritage of our rural communities. I encourage all Marylanders to get out and support our dairy industry this summer by hitting the Ice Cream Trail.”

Maryland’s Best Ice Cream ‘Trailblazers’ are asked to snap a photo or selfie at each of the 10 creameries and submit them via email to icecream.trail1@maryland.gov once they have completed the trail. All participants are also encouraged to share their progress on social media using #MDIceCreamTrail.

The 2021 Ice Cream Trail on-farm creameries include: Prigel Family Creamery (Baltimore County), Nice Farms Creamery (Caroline County), Kilby Cream (Cecil County), South Mountain Creamery (Frederick County), Rocky Point Creamery (Frederick County), Broom’s Bloom Dairy (Harford County), Keyes Creamery (Harford County), Woodbourne Creamery at Rock Hill Orchard (Montgomery County), Misty Meadow Farm Creamery (Washington County), and Chesapeake Bay Farms (Worcester County).

All completed email submissions will receive a “2021 Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trailblazer” certificate, and one lucky winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the on-farm creamery of their choice, a copy of the children’s book “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish,” and the 2021 Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Champion Trailblazer trophy. More information is available at mda.maryland.gov.

To learn more about the critical role dairy farming has in Maryland and the Northeast, please visit americandairy.com.

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Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept and Maryland’s Best @MDsBest