Ice Cream!
Here’s a shout out to a very tasty category of small businesses in the 413. From roadside shacks to scoop shops to local farmstands, the 413 has plenty of awesome places to grab a cone or a cup of your favorite frosty flavor.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting more great ice cream spots from each of the four counties in Western Mass. Give us the scoop on your favorite place on our Facebook page and we’ll try to feature it in an upcoming story.
Photo credit: Midwoods Dairy Facebook page
Midwoods Dairy Barn
329 West Street, Ludlow
Owners James and David strive to serve the very best products to their customers, always selecting locally made whenever possible. That starts with the Bart's Homemade Ice Cream, made fresh in Greenfield Mass. Customers rave about the friendliness of the staff and customer service as well as the tasty treats. Enjoy great ice cream, smoothies, and more in a classic New England setting.
Photo credit: flayvors.com
Flayvors of Cook Farm
129 South Maple Street, Hadley
Five generations of the Cook family have been dairy farming in Hadley for more than 100 years. And since 1998, they have been making their own ice cream right onsite at the farm. Today, Hank Cook works the farm and his wife Debby manages Flayvors as they continue to build on the family legacy with their five children.
Flayvors is known for its super high-quality premium ice cream and some interesting seasonal offerings like the asparagus-flavored, Hadley Grass. While you’re there, you can also enjoy some lunch options including chili made with their own farm-raised ground beef and homemade mac-n-cheese. And don’t forget to pick up some beef to take home from the farm store.
To learn more, visit their website and check out this great article on the farm and the family in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
Photo credit: highlawnfarm.com
The Farmstead Creamery Shop at High Lawn Farm
535 Summer Street, Lee
The ice cream at the Farmstead Creamery Shop at High Lawn Farm is all about the Jersey difference. At this nearly 100-year-old farm, the Wilde family makes their ice cream with real, fresh, Jersey cow milk with the least amount of air possible to make it extra rich and creamy.
Sit at the picnic tables and enjoy a cone or artisanal cheese board as their Jersey girls roam in the fields behind the shop. Then have a walk around our idyllic property, stop by the milking barn, meet the calves in the nursery, and enjoy some of the best views in the Berkshires. On the way out, stop by the on-site farm store, grab some artisanal dairy products as well as a variety of other locally produced goods to go.
Photo credit: sugarloaffrostie.com
Sugarloaf Frostie
62 Amherst Road (Route 116), Sunderland
The Sugarloaf Frostie has been serving ice cream and food from its classic roadside location in Sunderland for more than 50 years. Only a couple of miles off Interstate 91 and less than a five-minute drive from popular attractions such as Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation and Yankee Candle in South Deerfield. Ice cream lovers can choose from both soft-serve and hard ice cream options. With a big food menu too, and lots of picnic tables with umbrellas and plenty of parking, the Sugarloaf Frostie always draws a crowd. One thing to note, they are a cash only business. Reopening for the 2022 season in May. Check their website for details.
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