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Special to Road Trips for Foodies
From the Center For Dairy Excellence

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 — there’s a map and event listing online.

“There are 5,000 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 summer fun for the entire family, we encourage you to attend one of these events and celebrate Pennsylvania dairy. These are fun ways to learn about the hard work and passion that goes into making local products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream 365 days a year.”

“Celebrate Dairy Across PA” Events

• Scooped: PA Ice Cream Trail – State-Wide – Launched Thursday (June 1, 2023). The 6th Annual PA Ice Cream Trail launches on June 1. A group of 40+ creameries across the state are featured on the trail and are scooping up homemade ice cream all summer long. Many of them are located on Pennsylvania dairy farms.


• New Central Wedge Cheese Shop Grand Opening – Cumberland County, 25 W. High Street, Carlisle, PA 17013 (the grand opening and ribbon cutting was Thursday). They are a cheese shop that sells only Pennsylvania-made cheese, including cow milk cheese and certain varieties of sheep, goat and cashew cheeses.


• Fridays on the Farm at Clover Creek Cheese Cellar – Blair County, 5161 Clover Creek Rd, Williamsburg, PA 16693 – Friday, July 14 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Clover Creek Cheese Cellar is offering Friday on the Farm and Cheese Experience events with the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau. Discover the art of cheese-making by visiting Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, LLC for a two-hour cheese experience.


• Summertime Jubilee – Vale Wood Farms, Cambria County, 517 Vale Wood Road, Loretto, PA 15940 – Today (June 4, 2023) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join Vale Wood Farms for family fun on the farm with their annual Summertime Jubilee and 90th anniversary celebration. There will be a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the day, including live music, hayride farm tours, ice cream and sundae specials, and more.


• Glenn Peffer Milk Giveaway – Carlisle Country Market, Cumberland County, 466 Holly Pike, Carlisle, PA 17013 – Saturday, June 10 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Visit the Carlisle Country Market for the Glenn Peffer Milk Giveaway. A total of 500 gallons of whole, 2% and chocolate milk will be donated by the nonprofit Glenn Peffer organization. During the giveaway, meet a dairy calf from Destiny Dairy Bar and enjoy their delicious ice cream to celebrate June Dairy Month.


• Family Farm Days – Oregon Dairy Farm LLC, Lancaster County, 2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz, PA 17543 – Tuesday, June 13 through Thursday, June 15. Visit Oregon Dairy Farm for Family Farm Days and enjoy an educational, firsthand experience at a working Pennsylvania dairy farm, including: free guided tractor and wagon rides to the Farmstead at Oregon Dairy, free samples of milk, free samples of ice cream, kids’ activities, educational agricultural exhibits and more.


• June Dairy Month Celebration at Sensenig’s Feed Mill – Lancaster County, 115 South Railroad Ave., New Holland, PA 17557 – Wednesday, June 14 from 12-5 p.m. Visit Sensenig’s Feed Mill for a June Dairy Month Celebration, including a free whole and chocolate milk giveaway, feed mill tours, milkshakes, and more.



• Cows in Carlisle – Farmer’s Market on the Square, Cumberland County, 2 North Hanover Street, Carlisle, PA 17013 – Wednesday, June 14 from 3-7 p.m. – During the “Cows in Carlisle” event at the Farmer’s Market on the Square, visit with a dairy cow, calf and dairy goat from Destiny Dairy Bar. Enjoy local dairy products from local vendors such as Swirly Girl Creamery, Bouncing Goat Soap, and Camelot Valley Fine Artisan Goat Cheese.


• A Toast to Dairy – Melhorn Manor, Lancaster County, 977 West Main Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552 – Thursday, June 15 from 6-9 p.m. This farm-to-fork fundraiser event will feature different food stations sourced with PA Preferred ingredients. Enjoy a wine and beer tasting experience, cheese samples paired with PA snack foods, live music, raffles, and more.


• June Dairy Month Celebration and Milk Chugging Contest – Harmony Acres Dairy, Fayette County, 355 Perryopolis Road, Belle Vernon, PA 15012 – Saturday, June 24 at 11 a.m. Join Harmony Acres Dairy in celebrating June Dairy Month. All month long, they will be collecting donations to fight hunger in their community. They will celebrate on Saturday, June 24, with a milk chugging contest to see who is the biggest Harmony Acres milk fan, along with local food trucks.


• Kiddie Train Rides on the Farm – Destiny Dairy Bar, Cumberland County, 60 Horners Road, Carlisle, PA 17015 – Saturdays in June and July at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. On Saturdays in June and July at Destiny Dairy Bar, enjoy kiddie train rides at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 with Goat Storytelling (like goat yoga with stories) at 2 p.m. Their store is filled with fresh creamline milk, including fun flavors like root beer, as well as ice cream by the scoop, as a milkshake, or in half pints and half gallons to take home.


• “All You Can Eat” Ice Cream Social – Mercer County 4-H Park, Mercer County, 435 N. Perry Highway, Mercer, PA 16137 – Friday, July 14 from 5-9 p.m. To celebrate National Ice Cream Month and raise awareness of the Pennsylvania dairy industry, join the Mercer Northwest Guernsey Breeders Association for an “All You Can Eat” Ice Cream Social. This “all-you-can-eat” ice cream event features homemade ice cream by a local ice cream shop. The 4-H Park also includes a playground for the kids.


• Sundae Funday on the Farm – Mill Hill Farms, LLC, Blair County, 164 Mill Hill Road, Williamsburg, PA 16693 – Sunday, July 16 from 5-8 p.m. Celebrate National Ice Cream Sundae Day at a 10th-generation family dairy farm. Mill Hill Farms, LLC is opening their farm to the surrounding communities and serving free ice cream sundaes and milk. Families can meet the animals and participate in a variety of hands-on, educational experiences.


• Ice Cream Sundae at the Bedford County Fair – Bedford County Fair, 729 West Pitt Street, Bedford, PA 15522 – Monday, July 24 at 6 p.m. The Bedford County Dairy Promotion team will be making a very large ice cream sundae at the Bedford County Fair on Monday evening. The sundae will then be distributed to all of the fair attendees for free until it’s gone.

Center for Dairy Excellence

The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the Center’s mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources.

(Photo courtesy of Center for Dairy Excellence)