June Dairy Month is all about honoring the hardworking hands behind our favorite dairy products, and in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, one local nonprofit is scooping up a creative way to celebrate. Stockyards Ag Experience has turned tradition into an experience with their “Create-A-Cone” contest. Blending farm-to-table education with a sprinkle of fun, the event invites kids to dream up their own ice cream flavors.
“We have a wonderful program committee that kicks around ideas for ways to bring people to our museum,” says Executive Director Abby Bischoff. “For June Dairy Month, we asked ourselves, 'Who doesn’t love ice cream?' So we brought this idea to Stensland Family Farms, who are right here in Falls Park with us, and said, ‘Hey, we would love to do a contest where people can submit flavor ideas.’ And they were game for it.”
In partnership with the ice cream makers Stensland Family Farms, the contest brings dairy to life by giving the winner a chance to create and taste their ice cream flavor idea.
“Last year, we took in submission ideas for about two weeks and then had another week in between choosing the winning flavor and our ice cream party. During that week, the winning creator got to go to the Stensland Family Farms production facility and be a part of creating the winning flavor.”
The winning ice cream flavor concept was Funfetti Oreo Cheesecake submitted by 6-year-old Hazel Gray.
“We got the cutest picture last year of Hazel with a hairnet on mixing up the ice cream, and it is just absolutely adorable,” Bischoff says. “We hope programs like this not only connect people to agriculture but show kids the types of jobs and careers they can have in agriculture. A lot of kids don't have the opportunity to grow up on a farm or even to visit a farm. This is a really cool experience through our museum for them to maybe get to make their own ice cream or pet a cow that they've never seen before.”
Bringing the winning flavor to life was a memorable experience, especially when the young creator arrived at the ice cream party beaming with pride and surrounded by her excited friends.
“The smile on Hazel’s face and the ownership she had over seeing her creativity come to life was so fun. As well as seeing other kids come in and want to hear the story about how she got to create it,” Bischoff says. “It's so rewarding when you can provide things for the community that are no cost that give them a great experience.”
The winning flavor was featured at the Stensland Falls Overlook Café on June 21, 2024, from 1 to 5 p.m. Kids 18 and under could stop at the Stocklands Ag Experience booth inside for their activity and voucher to try the Funfetti Oreo Cheesecake ice cream.
“We brought over a bunch of food products from our interactive kitchen that all had dairy in them. Before anybody could get their coupon for their free scoop of ice cream, they had to answer a question about dairy,” Bischoff says. “We had all the products set up and there was only one on the place setting that was not dairy, and people had to guess which one wasn’t dairy. It was really fun because we stumped adults and kids alike with it.”
The activity was a fun way to kick things off, but really it was also about letting everyone come in and enjoy the ice cream.
“My favorite part was the kids trying to guess the non-dairy product. It was one of those activities where you could just see the wheels turning on kids’ faces as they were checking items out. Some kids would pick up the box and read the label, and to me it always brings a moment of pride when they know to read the label to see what ingredients are in the food,” Bischoff says. “But at the end of the day, to me it’s about kids sitting around with their friends, laughing and having some ice cream after have a little bit of education. It's part of why I love my job.”
The “Create-A-Cone” contest would not be possible without Stensland, Bischoff says. Not only did they make the ice cream but also gave the museum extra spots around town to submit flavor ideas and spread the word about the contest.
“I am most proud of the collaboration. We as a nonprofit can only do so much. So to have industry partners like Stensland shows we're on the right track and we're doing something that can make an impact,” Bischoff says. “I really love that it was a positive enough experience that we're doing it again.”
The Stockyards Ag Experience plans to host the contest again this year, where kids will be able to submit their ideas from June 2-16. The week of June 17-25, the winner will be selected to go to Stensland Family Farms to create their flavor, and the ice cream party will be held on June 26.
“I say give it a shot. I think if any ice cream processor, dairy producer or dairy product manufacturer wanted to connect with consumers more, welcoming them in is the best and easiest way. What’s it hurt to try something new? It could be the next breakthrough flavor that sweeps the nation,” Bischoff says.
“Consumers want to be a part of the process. I know it can be intimidating sometimes to let people into your operation, but I think most people are curious and excited, and giving them the opportunity to come in with an exciting approach is the way to do it.”
