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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Family banks on creamery
  • Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:39:53 -0600

http://news.newstimes.com/story.php?id=64076

Family banks on creamery
By Sybil Blau
NEWS-TIMES CORRESPONDENT

The News-Times/Wendy Carlson
The evening crowd gathers at Ferris Acres Farm to enjoy some of the fresh
choices at the new ice cream shop in front of the farm.
"I wanted a place where people of all ages could sit back, relax, watch the
cows and eat their ice cream," she said.



A few years back, when her family began discussing the possibility of having
an ice cream shop on its farm, an image entered Shirley Ferris's vision
became a reality in late June when Ferris Acres Creamery opened.

"It's the best ice cream I've had in a very long time," said customer Wendy
Odams. "I've been here four or five times since it opened. Everything I've
tried is just fabulous," she continued, as she picked up her order — a small
cup of pistachio and a cup of Cow Trax, a peanut butter based ice cream
containing caramel swirls and tiny chocolate bits.

Accompanying Odams on this trip was Abbie, her 7-year-old daughter.

"She likes to come to see the cows," Odams remarked.

Did Abbie like the ice cream?

Without a word, but nodding her head up
Shirley Ferris makes ice cream at the new ice cream shop at Ferris Acres Farm.
and down and smiling, the blonde young miss said "yes."

Odams and daughter's reasons for coming to the creamery were what Ferris and
family want to hear.

The shop has "turned out exactly as I pictured it," Ferris said. "There is
nothing sweeter than watching someone eat their ice cream cone. I do enjoy
watching people eat my ice cream."

The family, Ferris, her husband Charles D. Ferris III, and two of their five
children, Charles D. IV (Charlie) and Brendan, had a special reason for
opening the shop: they wanted to keep the farm, the only commercial dairy
farm left in Fairfield County, in the family.

The 80-acre farm has been in the family since 1864. The Ferris's rent an
additional 250 acres throughout the county and those rentals are in jeopardy.

Faced with the possible loss of that land to developers and encouraged by the
success of their fall farm stand, the family has risked all by opening the
shop.

The creamery wasn't a turn-key business. The building had to be erected from
scratch and an exemption to the surrounding residential zone was needed. A
change in zoning regulations to allow dairy farms to sell frozen desserts and
soft drinks was also required.

The town's planning and zoning commission granted both requests.

Besides all that, Ferris, the former state commissioner of agriculture and
now the creamery's ice cream maker and administrator, and her husband had to
learn the ice cream business.

"We spent time with other small ice cream producers," she explained. "We took
a course at the University of Pennsylvania and learned not only how to make
ice cream, but even the chemistry of ice cream."

All that knowledge has contributed to the production of what Ferris calls ice
cream "made with the fresh ingredients and all natural ingredients."

Ferris, working in a small, almost airless area in back of the shop, makes
about 20 batches of ice cream a week.

Besides the standard vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, daringly, she
concocts flavors she thinks up and some that the
servers out front would like to see.

"They suggest combinations, and, the public, in one of the shop's contests,
gets the opportunity to name them," she reported.

With more than a nod toward the farm's herd, there's "Moo Mix," softserve
with your choice of topping, and, of course, "Cow Trax."

As a reminder of Ferris's continued interested in government, there's also
the "M.J. Rell," in honor of the state's new governor.

"That's white mint chocolate chip," Ferris explained.

"Overall, we offer 20 different flavors," she said, "though not all 20 at the
same time."

The shop also has soft serve, low carb and low sugar ice cream.

"There is hard pack take out, too," Ferris said, "and we make cakes and will
do special requests if we have the time.

"And the pricing is competitive," Ferris said.

Available too, are goodies such as maple syrup, jams and jellies, candies,
Ferris Acres Farm and Ferris Acres Creamery T-shirts and caps.

"Everything we sell is from Connecticut," said Ferris, an advocate for
in-state businesses.

Come autumn, she added, the farm will sell pumpkins and cornstalks.

Ferris is proud not only that her vision has come true, she's equally happy
that the store is a true family enterprise: as many Ferrises as possible help
out when asked.

"I said I would make the ice cream, but I wouldn't do the books," Ferris
remarked. "Charlie's wife, Terry, stepped up. She's bookkeeper and accountant
and does our payroll and keeps track of inventory."

"Our two 12-year-old granddaughters, Emily Kimball, daughter Colleen's child,
and Sarah Ferris, son Charlie's child, pitch in where needed," Ferris said.

With a new generation taking an interest in the farm, and if everything goes
according to plan, Newtowners, Ferris hopes, will be able to eat their ice
cream and watch the cows come home well into the 21st century.

#

Ferris Acres Creamery, Route 302, is open from noon to 10 p.m. seven days a
week until Halloween.

Call 426-8803 for more information.




  • [Livingontheland] Family banks on creamery, Tradingpost, 08/13/2004

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