Wisconsin’s Ice Cream Trail Offers a Sweet Summer Escape

She’s known across the state as the “Fabulous Farm Babe,” and Pam Jahnke may have some of the best dairy news of the summer, so far. It’s National Ice Cream Month! But it gets even better. Jahnke joined the John and Gordy in the Morning Show to talk about an exciting summertime treat: Wisconsin’s very own Ice Cream Trail!

“Happy Ice Cream Month,” Jahnke laughs. “I’m a big ice cream fan. And I was surprised how few of these places I’ve actually visited!”

The trail is organized by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and featured on the site, gatherwisconsin.com. 20 unique ice cream stops across the state are highlighted. It’s also a great way to showcase local flavors and dairy pride. And with 49 licensed ice cream plants in Wisconsin, there’s no shortage of creamy destinations. As you can probably imagine, every single stop has its own story, too.

—->Did you know? The average American eats roughly 20 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

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Listen to the entire discussion about the “Ice Cream Trail” here:

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The trail is laid out so you can start in any part of the state – from the North at Farmstead Creamery in Hayward, down to The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor in La Crosse. Jahnke says one Madison area favorite is Babcock Dairy and a short drive to Columbus lands you at Sassy Cow Creamery. Northeast Wisconsin features several, including Lamers Dairy in Appleton, Zesty’s Frozen Custard in Green Bay, and further north in Door County there’s Deprey’s Frosty Tip in Luxemburg.

The Farm Bureau offers a downloadable PDF map, ready to get you started on your road trip. The Ice Cream Trail is the perfect plan for a family vacation, and an opportunity to cool off and support local businesses. 

Jahnke also brings up the topic of severe storms that rolled through much of the state and washed out some major events at several county fairs. The Sauk County Fair had to cancel its truck and tractor pull Friday night, while Lafayette County’s fairgrounds in Darlington had standing water throughout the grounds and track, forcing the cancellation of Saturday’s pull.

“It’s one of those things we don’t talk about much with county fairs,” Jahnke says. “We always worry about the heat for the animals, but heavy rain can be just as damaging. And there’s no time for a do-over.”

The truck and tractor pulls, along with concerts and other headlining attractions, are often scheduled far in advance. If canceled, there’s no rescheduling. Jahnke also shares there’s a financial strain involved, too. Most performers and production crews still need to be paid, regardless of whether the event happens. Meanwhile, the fairs themselves are left to bear the financial loss.

“People don’t realize just how high-risk these events can be,” Jahnke explains. “The fair might lose everything in one bad night of weather. It’s why they rely on specialized insurance to try and protect against these unpredictable losses.”

So, while the weather may spoil some summer fun, Wisconsin’s love of dairy — and a scoop of something sweet — is definitely worth the drive.

Read more about the state’s ice cream history and tradition here.

Also, see the first Presidential Proclamation naming July as “National Ice Cream Month” here.