INSIDE SCOOP

244 MENTZER RD, NEW HOLLAND PA 17557 • 717-354-7988 • CHECK FOR HOURS, MAY BE SEASONAL We were on an overnight outing to Lancaster PA for a viewing of a friend’s documentary on whisky – which you read all about in the September issue. The lm was wonderful, the company and whisky superb, all made better by having ridden our bikes to our destination. You may say, ‘If you were going for a whisky lm, which involved after- lm whisky tastings, why would you ride?’ I say, ‘Moderation is key, and knowing there will be a great ride the next day makes for resistance. Plus - Uber.’ Knowing where we would be, I pulled out my voluminous folder of ice cream stops by state and zeroed in on the Amish portion of Pennsylvania. As we had a ‘sort of, kinda’ route coming home, I just selected my top choice for the area and hoped that we’d be close enough to hit the mark. After a marvelous breakfast send off with our old friend Joe Salluzzo, we began our leisurely ride east. Taking a look at the GPS, I saw that we, indeed, would be riding right past my selection and I told Brian we’d be making a little detour along the way. He was happy to oblige, as I am always willing to indulge his off-beat stops to appease our esteemed Dr. O’Life.

The Lapp Valley Farm Dairy and Ice Cream Shop have been serving the community and those who travel for their fresh and delicious dairy products since 1975. David, fourth generation Lapp, is at the helm of 70-80 Jersey cows which produce, what many say, is the nest milk to be found in Lancaster County. Jersey cows, originally from the Isle of Jersey in England, produce milk with more butterfat, solids and high proteins – thus the excellent taste. These cows can produce milk for a good 8 years, and have about 60 calves a year. Why so many calves, you ask? What do you think the cows need to do to produce that delicious milk? Of the close to 500 gallons of milk daily, all but what is used to produce the ice cream is sold at the farm, either in their clean, bright shop or through their convenient drive-thru window that accommodates cars, motorcycles, bicycles and push scooters as well as Amish and Mennonite buggies.

Such a unique queue, to be sure.

The Lapps are of Amish heritage and David’s great grandfather bought this farm during the early 20th century, actually the 1930s depression, which started as a diversi ed farm and grew into one of the premier midsize dairy farms in the area.

David Lapp and a few experienced young women make their 16 avors of ice cream in very small batches – ve gallons – three or four times a week during the high season. It’s quality over quantity, for sure. They also hand-roll waf e cones which can account for up to half of the over 1000 single and double scoop cones sold on a busy day in tourist season.

Lapp Valley Farm is not just a simple ice cream or dairy shop. It is a destination, as you can wander the meticulously manicured grounds and visit with their friendly peacocks, bull dogs and cats. You can watch the Jersey cows being milked and visit with the calves that are bottlefed. There is ample seating on the large porch outside the shop, as well as grassy spots to enjoy your dairy deliciousness along with a beautiful sunny day.

When you enter the shop, you will be overwhelmed by the sumptuous smell of the homemade waf e cones. You’ll be greeted warmly by the young Amish women ready to happily scoop out your favorite avor. I did mention that there are 16 avors, as David feels ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t x it.’ The offerings include the basic chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. From there it goes to butter pecan, peanut butter swirl, raspberry, butter brickle, black cherry, cookies n’ cream, coffee, coconut, maple walnut and several iterations of chocolate with mix-ins. My go to avor has always been coffee and I will jump at anything that has maple, so that’s where I went. Brian had to sample their homemade waf e cone lled with cookies n’ cream and coconut. I certainly can say that everything was super, but the coconut was off the charts great. Pricing is certainly reasonable considering the high-quality product you receive: 2 scoops in a waf e cone is only $3.65. And with that you get the pretty surrounds in which to enjoy. We sat a spell, enjoying the day, then spent a little time visiting the bovines and other farm animals before saddling up for the ride home. You can enjoy Lapp Valley Farms Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm. Please don’t take a ride out on a Sunday, as like many local businesses in this area, they are closed to honor the Lord. You can also get this wonderful ice cream at the Green Dragon Market (955 North State Street, Ephrata, PA) every Friday from 8-8 and at Kitchen Kettle Village – 3529 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, PA - year-round, every day except Sunday (check for hours). For your enjoyment, we’ll give you a nice Autumn ride starting from Delaware Water Gap, PA. Enjoy the ride and the farm and we’ll see you next time at the Inside Scoop. Download .gpx here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/gaucds