Penn Vet moos for ice cream

When students buy ice cream from the Uncommon Market under 1920 Commons Dining Hall, the cow that produced the milk for that ice cream is not far away. The School of Veterinary Medicine houses roughly 180 Holstein cows that are milked twice a day at the New Bolton Center. The Marshak Dairy, named after former Penn Vet Dean Robert Marshak, is used for teaching and research purposes, explained Marshak Dairy Coordinator Darren Remsburg. It introduces vet students to the dairy-production process. And of course, it is used to make ice cream. Ice cream production begins with the collection of the cows’ milk, according to Remsburg. The milk is then transported to the Kilby Cream farm, which has the milk-processing equipment necessary to produce ice cream. At this beginning stage in the process, the milk is pasteurized and tested for antibiotics, said Remsberg. “The process is relatively simple after the milk is produced, and it provides something local and attractive to customers,” said Lisa Kilby, the president of Kilby Cream. The milk is mixed with cream and sugar before being heated to 151 degrees for 30 minutes and held overnight, according to Kilby. The next day, seasonal flavors are added to the mixture. The mixture produces three gallons of ice cream every minute. “The Kilby farm is local — they pick up, store, produce and freeze the milk for us and deliver it back to Bon Appetit,” said Remsburg. “It’s great that we have the ability to … provide students with a locally produced product.” Around 500 pounds of ice cream are produced by the Kilby farm and delivered back to Penn at a time, said Kilby. The ice cream has been featured at Bon Appetit’s Eat Local Challenge, which focused on seasonal foods produced within 150 miles of campus. “Students have responded in a positive way to the ice cream, especially the vanilla apple toffee flavor featured during the Eat Local Challenge,” said Bon Appetit Executive Chef Joel Blice. “Some of them are surprised that one of our own schools has produced this treat.” The ice cream is currently available for sale at the Uncommon Market under 1920 Commons Dining Hall. The market is selling pumpkin and molasses ginger snap-flavored pints. The ice cream will also be available in the dining halls at the end of the semester dinner on Dec. 10. Bon Appetit plans to feature the ice cream in dining halls daily beginning next semester.

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