On National Ice Cream day I set out on a mission. But where was a foodie mom to begin?
The revitalization of Detroit has brought start ups to the city like the super fun Detroit Pop Shop (check out pictures of this local MOMpreneur, husband and sweet baby on instagram @thedetroitpopshop or thedetroitpopshop.com). I love the idea of gourmet ice pops, both fruity {Mango Lemonaid} and boozy {Vernor’s Bourban Float}, but on National Ice Cream Day I wanted the real deal. So, on this particular summer holiday with baby and husband in tow, I plugged in Calder’s Dairy to my smartphone and hit the road.
Living Downriver, we didn’t have to go far to find the shop. One step inside brought us back in time. The Dairy was started in 1946 and in 1967, a farm in Carleton (about 40 minutes from the Lincoln Park store) was purchased to provide all of the milk processed at the Lincoln Park store. The storefront is like the local dairy that you imagine from the fifties. Painted lettering on the window advertises everything from fresh milk, giant tubs of butter, to eggs and farm-made fudge. The far wall is lined with old-fashioned cases containing milk in glass bottles (that can be delivered to your door in areas of Monroe, Washtenaw, Wayne and Oakland counties). In the center of the room, modern cases were stacked full with dozens of varieties of house-made ice cream. But if you know Calders, you know this is just the beginning.
Through an employee-only door, I could see giant stainless steel vats where the milk is pasteurized. The employee at the counter told us that the old fashioned ice cream parlor is reachable through a rear-entrance that unfortunately wasn’t open until later in the day. My baby let me know that she needed to go home ASAP for a nap, so we left without ice cream, but with new knowledge and some fresh half-and-half for momma’s coffee. I was determined to continue my ice cream mission though I couldn’t imagine what lay ahead.
A few weeks later, we were exiting the highway and rolling down country roads. The farther we drove, the bigger yards became. Eventually bungalows turned into farmhouses and fenced yards into fields of hay being bailed and tossed by hand, or multi-generation family gatherings under giant trees. I kept trying to reassure my husband that the experience would be fun and the drive worth it. You see, my child is only four months old. I was there on the guise of writing this for the blog, but really, I was there for me.
The final turn onto the farm was marked by a large sign, and cows grazing in the lush grass. We parked on a gravel lot and made our way to the milking barn for the 4:00 milking. I loved it! Each cow had a tag in each ear, one with a number, and one with a name {like Unicorn}. We found ourselves amongst families as we looked through a window to the parlor where the large gentle beasts walked in and stepped up to each station. The sweet questions coming from the kids around us were, of course, hilarious.
Past the viewing area, we saw pregnant cows, calves only a few days old, and in other barns and pens everything else you’d expect: a rabbit, peacock, miniature horses, sheep, donkeys, draft horses, chickens and of course, a barn cat or two.
Although we had a ton of fun, signs clearly reminded us that we were on a working farm. Things were a little dirty and a little smelly but the farm also included information about something important to every momma: safety. Everywhere we went, we found signs regarding hand washing. Hand-sanitizer and port-a-potty style hand washing stations with water, soap and paper towels were adequately distributed around the farm as well.
By this time, my sweet baby started wriggling a bit more in her carrier. It was time to achieve what we had come hoping to experience: the perfect cone on a hot summers day.
Little compares to the feeling I had that afternoon. My baby sat mesmerized by the sun as it filtered through softly moving leaves of the trees overhead and I enjoyed a cone at that indescribable temperature– sweetly cold, yet slowly melting in the late-afternoon sun. I can’t wait to see the look on my baby’s face when she has her first taste, and I love knowing that I can take her to this time-honored establishment of the community.
Calder Dairy: Store, Ice Cream Parlor & Home Delivery Sign up (in Lincoln Park) is open from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Their products are also available at many local stores and farmers markets.
Calder Country Store & Farm Tours is open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. every day. Organized tours of the farm for groups of 15 or more are available by appointment.
*** All opinions my own and not compensated or endorsed by Calders Dairy.
Looks like Emile met her Doom