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State Agency to Announce Grand Opening of Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 14, 2012) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will encourage all Marylanders to enjoy fresh, delicious, nutritious ice cream this summer when it unveils the newly minted: Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail, a network of dairy farms across the state that produce ice cream right on the farm and sell it directly to consumers who visit. There are seven such dairy farms across the state and all are participating in MDA’s Ice Cream Trail Blazer promotion. Under the program, Marylanders will pick up an Ice Cream Trail Blazer Passport at any of the seven creameries (and it will be available online at www.marylandsbest.net starting June 20).  Residents will have the passport “stamped” at each creamery between June 20 and September 7, then submit it to MDA to be entered in a drawing for the grand prize, which includes a $50 gift certificate to your favorite creamery.

Why:
The purpose of the Ice Cream Trail is to highlight the important contributions of Maryland’s 495 dairy farms which accounted for $182.7 million in sales in 2010; and to increase the public’s general understanding of dairy farming by encouraging them to visit a farm and see what dairy farming is really like, all while enjoying delicious, locally produced ice cream.
Who:
Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance and Deputy Secretary Mary Ellen Setting and various creamery operators.
What:
Secretary Hance and Deputy Secretary Setting will officially open the “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail” and launch the Maryland Ice Cream Trail Blazer promotion by visiting three of the seven dairies and presenting them with their official “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail” sign and passports.

Where/Where: 
Wednesday, June 20 
  • 9:30 a.m.: Rocky Point Creamery, 4323A Tuscarora Road, Tuscarora (Frederick Co.)
  • 11:45 a.m.: Prigel Family Creamery, 4852 Long Green Road, Glen Arm (Baltimore Co.)
  • 2:00 p.m.: Broom’s Bloom Dairy, 1700 S. Fountain Green Road (MD543), Bel Air (Harford Co.)

 Note to Reporters: 
  • Four creameries on the Ice Cream Trail will not be visited on June 20 due to time and distance constraints. They are: Kilby Cream in Cecil County; South Mountain Creamery in Frederick County; Misty Meadows Farm Creamery in Washington County; and Chesapeake Bay Farms in Worcester County.
  • Several dairies in the state produce ice cream on farm but do not sell it directly to consumers on the farm. Those sites are not included in the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail.
  • Photos of each presentation will be available after the event by contacting MDA.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, need additional information or would like to arrange an interview, please contact:
Lauren Moses
Public Information Officer
Telephone: 410-841-5888

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