Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail makes its sweet debut
July 25, 2024
The Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail is officially up and running. The tasty trail includes more than 100 destinations — covering every county of the state — that use Massachusetts dairy products in their treats.
“We are the ice cream capital,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said during the trail’s launch Thursday at Richardson’s Ice Cream in Middleton. “We eat the most ice cream per capita of just about any other place.”
[Editor’s note: There aren’t a whole lot of surveys on ice cream consumption, so we could not easily verify this fact. We can, however, confirm that ice cream is delicious.]
Dairy farming has been part of Massachusetts’ story for centuries. Today, dairy farms contribute more than $61 million to the state’s economy each year. Driscoll and other officials at Richardson’s on Thursday said agricultural tourism like the ice cream trail is a smart move for the state.
“This particular trail is ensuring that we’re benefiting our Massachusetts dairy farms, the folks who are working hard every single day to provide these sweet treats,” said Driscoll.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Dairy Promotion Board, the Department of Agricultural Resources, the Office of Travel and Tourism and local dairy farmers.
“This is the perfect way to explore Massachusetts,” said Kate Fox, executive director of the state’s Office of Travel and Tourism. “You’ll discover hidden gems, charming towns, unique ice cream shops with incredible flavors and beautiful farm settings.”