From cow to cone.
That’s the main criterion for participation in this summer’s 8th annual Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail, according to Lolly Lesher of Way-Har Farm Market in Jefferson Township, one of 51 stops on the trail.
Launched in 2018, Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail is a partnership of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and its PA Preferred program, Department of Community and Economic Development’s Tourism Office and the Center for Dairy Excellence.
“The ice cream trail is meant to be farmers, like us, businesses that have a farm, milk their own cows and take the ice cream directly to the customers,” Lesher said.
What will make this summer’s Ice Cream Trail more special for Way-Har is that the market will celebrate its 55th anniversary this September, Lesher said.
Founded by brothers Wayne and Harold Lesher — Way-Har — ice cream has been part of their business from the 1970 start.
The farm rotates about 90 flavors of ice cream throughout the year, with 50 to 60 available at any given time for sale in half-gallons and by the scoop.
Nondairy flavors are also available for those who are lactose intolerant, Lesher said.
“Everybody has their favorite, right?” she asked. “We get a group in and not one of them eats the same thing. We just try to offer variety and try to get people engaged a little bit.”
The Leshers’ latest offering is strawberry-rhubarb, and the family is constantly tinkering with its flavors.
Who can ever forget the bacon ice cream?
And the Leshers even find ways to sell ice cream in the dead of winter.
Last February, they created Philadelphia Eagles-themed flavors for Super Bowl fans.
The Leshers dressed their calves in Eagles jackets and went to town with flavors like Tush Push Pistachio and their most popular, Barkley Mint made from pretzel bark and mint.
Way-Har Farm Market is the only Berks location on the trail, but a complete list of participating farms can be found on the Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail website.
“The Ice Cream Trail is a great generational event,” Lesher said. “We see a lot of grandparents bringing their grandkids here, and they’ll say, ‘I used to come here when I was a child.’
“We want everybody to have a really great experience when they come and enjoy a little treat.”
To participate, ice cream aficionados can use their mobile phones and go to visitpa.com/trip/scooped-ice-cream-trail and create a digital passport.
A visit to each farm on the trail is worth 100 points. A commemorative stainless steel tumbler is the reward for accumulating 600 points, and 1,000 points will enter the participant in a chance to win an overnight visit to a Lancaster County farm to experience that “life on the farm.”
The promotion ends Sept. 7.
Creameries on the trail in neighboring counties:
Chester County
• Bailys Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm, 1821 Lenape-Unionville Road, West Chester
• Chester Springs at Milky Way Farm, 521 E Uwchlan Ave., Chester Springs
• Hangry Bear Creamery: Inspired by Creativity and Fueled by Hunger, 660 E. Cypress St., Suite 101, Kennett Square
Lancaster County
• Fox Meadows Creamery, 2475 West Main St., Ephrata
• Fox Meadows Creamery – Leola, 193 E. Main St., Leola
• Greco’s Italian Ices and Homemade Ice Cream, 9 E. Kleine Lane, Lititz
• Greco’s Italian Ices And Homemade Ice Cream – Landisville, 329 Main St., Unit C, Landisville
• Lapp Valley Farms, 244 Mentzer Road, New Holland
• Lapp Valley Farms Ice Cream – Gordonville, 4040 Old Philadelphia Pike, Gordonville
• The Milkhouse at Oregon Dairy, 2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz
Lebanon County
• Colebrook Crossing, 1550 Mount Wilson Road, Lebanon
• Patches Family Creamery, 201 Fonderwhite Road, Lebanon
Lehigh County
• Batch Microcreamery, 2845 Center Valley Parkway, Suite 604, Center Valley
• Crystal Spring Farm, 3550 Bellview Road, Schnecksville
• Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, 1922 Flint Hill Road, Coopersburg
Montgomery County
• Merrymead Farm, 2222 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale
