For many years, Utah State University has been best known for its expertise in agriculture as well as its ice cream. After 123 years, nothing has changed.
“Aggie Ice Cream is more than just a treat,” said Holly Jones, a senior at USU. “It’s a tradition.”
According to Jessica Bayes, an employee of Aggie Ice Cream, the secret to the ice cream’s success is the milk it is made from.
Just off of Highway 91 in Wellsville, is the USU dairy farm. It holds over 200 cows and takes more than 50 students, staff and workers to maintain it. The dairy facility has a milking parlor and a heated pavilion for judging cows, according to Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department Head Ken White.
Cows are milked twice a day. The milk is then cooled and sent to processing laboratory, the same building the ice cream is sold in. “After the milk is processed by students, it is made into yogurt, cheese and Aggie Ice Cream,” said White. “The students do everything, with the help of the advisors of course.”
“I love getting the chance to work so closely with the cows,” said Shelby Dean, an agricultural student at USU. “It’s easier to learn when you get hands on experience.”
The same is said by many of the students working at Aggie Ice Cream.
The many years of processing has resulted in 28 different flavors with Aggie Blue Mint as the most popular and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough in a close second.
“My mom always tries to stop by Aggie Ice Cream every time she visits,” Bayes said. “She buys me and all my roommates whatever we want. It’s a blast.”
