MDA to Announce Grand Opening of Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail and Geocache Trail on First Day of Summer

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 18, 2012) – On the first day of summer, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will launch 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 Trailblazer promotion. Under the program, Marylanders will pick up an Ice Cream Trailblazer Passport at any of the seven creameries or online at www.marylandsbest.net.  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.

Additionally, MDA is also offering a Geocaching Trail. Geocaching is a sport in which participants using handheld GPS devices and iPhones find hidden “caches.” After logging in at each of the caches, participants will submit their unique Geocaching Ice Cream Passport to MDA Marketing to win Maryland’s Best geotags developed in cooperation with the Maryland Geocaching Society.

Who/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 and Geocaching promotions by visiting three of the seven dairies and presenting them with their official “Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail” sign and passports.

Why:

The purpose of the Ice Cream Trail and the Geocache 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.

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.