June is National Dairy Month, and state officials are celebrating by asking residents to indulge in one of Pennsylvania’s most popular dairy products: ice cream.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development were joined by Gov. Tom Wolf in announcing the 30 creameries that make up the fifth annual Scooped Ice Cream Trail.
One of them is Kerber’s Dairy, a mainstay in North Huntingdon for the past six decades.
“We’re honored they’d include us on the list,” owner Tom Kerber Jr. said.
Opened in 1961, Kerber’s Dairy began life with a herd of 300 Holstein cattle and a white-brick building on Guffey Road. By 1991, the dairy herd had been sold and a larger building was constructed on the property to accommodate a larger product line and more customers.
That expanded product line included ice cream, which is Kerber’s most popular product alongside its iced tea.
“We learned to make ice cream from the Penn State Creamery, and they’re the best,” Kerber said. “So to have us on a list with them, that’s quite an honor.”
This summer, Kerber said, the dairy will be rolling out a couple of new flavors to mark the business’s inclusion on the Scooped Ice Cream Trail.
“We’re adding blackberry cobbler and Key lime pie,” he said.
Launched in 2018, the Pennsylvania ice cream trail is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and its PA Preferred program, DCED’s Tourism Office, and the Center for Dairy Excellence. The trail offers a delicious way to support Pennsylvania’s more than 5,200 dairy farm families and the small businesses that source from them while offering an opportunity to explore the commonwealth by the scoop.
“The trail drives community spirit while showcasing the best of Pennsylvania dairy and food entrepreneurship,” state agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “It is the sweetest way to connect with friends, family and the farmers who work tirelessly to ensure wholesome dairy products reach Pennsylvanians.”
Pennsylvania has the second-most dairy farms in the U.S., and the industry generates more than $12.5 billion annually while employing 52,000 people.
The state is a national leader in the production of ice cream, butter and Swiss cheese.
Ambitious ice cream fans can earn a special stainless-steel ice cream scoop by visiting 10 of the creameries on the trail and “checking in” at VisitPA.com/scooped.
Other creameries in the region include Betsy’s Ice Cream in Mt. Lebanon, Lone Oak Farm in Marion Center (Indiana County), Vale Wood Farms in Loretto (Cambria County) and Windy Ridge Dairy in Fombell (Beaver County).
For more, see VisitPA.com/scooped.
