The summer months have arrived and Maryland’s Department of Agriculture (MDA) is encouraging citizens to visit rural parts of Maryland and promote dairy farmers. Milk and dairy products are Maryland’s third largest agricultural commodity and accounted for more than $188 million in farm receipts in 2012.

MDA created Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail which is composed of eight dairy farm creameries: Broom’s Bloom Dairy (Harford County); Keyes Creamery (Harford County); Kilby Cream (Cecil County); Chesapeake Bay Farms (Worcester County); Misty Meadows Farm Creamery (Washington County); Prigel Family Creamery (Baltimore County); Rocky Point Creamery (Frederick County); and South Mountain Creamery (Frederick County).  MDA offers prizes for those citizens who visit each of the eight creameries by September 9, 2013.

From an MDA press release:

Anyone who completes the Ice Cream Trail Passport by getting their passport stamped and answering a unique question at each of the eight creameries by September 9 will have a chance to be named Maryland’s Best 2013 Ice Cream Trailblazer. Passports are available at all eight creameries or can be download at: www.marylandsbest.net. Completed passports submitted to MDA before September 9 will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize, which includes a $50 gift certificate to a favorite creamery along with a copy of “The Maryland Harvest,” an hour-long DVD about Maryland chefs and their partnership with local farmers, and a signed copy of “Dishing Up Maryland,” a cookbook by Lucie Snodgrass.

MDA Secretary Buddy Hance said,

“Nearly 200 people visited each farm and submitted completed passports last year, and we know hundreds more visited at least a few of the creameries on the trail.

Visit MDA for more information regarding the Ice Cream Trail.