Ice Cream Trucks: Then and Now

In April, we took Scoop 1 out for a few visits. The weather didn't exactly cooperate with us. Save for a few peeks of sunshine, it was cold, rainy, and cloudy. But we had fun. We appreciated everyone who came to visit, who sometimes stood in a brisk wind for their cones or pints, and who still smiled and laughed and made our day. 

Now our second truck, Scoop 2, has been inspected and approved for the road. We will be taking it out this weekend AND we have the best ice cream weather forecast we could ask for - sunny and 80 degrees. 

We admit, we're feeling a little sentimental about this. So we thought we'd bring you all along for a little trip down memory lane. 

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Two years ago, there was no truck. There was Kyle, Caitlin (our intern at the time), and a few other people hauling around some iced-up coolers full of ice cream, visiting bank parking lots and giving away free scoops. We were brand-new to ice cream, and so were you. 

Fast-forward one year. We learned A LOT about making ice cream. With your help and feedback, we established and finalized our recipes. And Kyle began what turned out to be a quick hunt for the perfect ice cream delivery method: a truck. 

With a lot of unexpected time on our hands, we got the truck, got it wrapped, bought some freezers, and made a bunch of ice cream. This one truck had quite a few "makeshift" or "self-engineered" or (maybe our favorite description of it) "designed by Kyle" aspects to it. 

Our menu board was a piece of cut metal with laminated flavor names adhered by velcro.

Our generator limped along for about six weeks until it finally gave up, and Kyle ratchet strapped a plucky little generator to the back of the truck that just BARELY kept up with all the freezers. We occasionally were blessed with air conditioning, but it was not often that we could squeeze enough juice out of the generator to get cold air through the truck. 

We established a fun routine of jumping the truck, as the batteries often drained overnight. It was a good life lesson for me and other employees, as jumping a vehicle was not a skill I had before last summer. 

Last summer, we had only 12 flavors, no merchandise, and only a few staff members available to work the truck, so we had to run a more limited schedule. But we had a ball, you guys. There's just something about the ice cream truck - the laughs, the fun, the happy families. We were without air conditioning, but we had no shortage of smiles. 

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This summer, the biggest change has been the addition of a second truck, Scoop 2. It's the same truck as the first, wrapped similarly and outfitted the same.

This major change foreshadowed a lot of others. Caitlin came back, now as our scoops coordinator, and we all got our act together pretty quickly in preparation of a full ice cream season ahead. 

We have a new amazing menu board designed by Caitlin and Kyle, with magnets instead of laminated cards and, most importantly, photos of our ice cream for you to see as you order! This new menu board is permanently attached to the trucks, which is awesome we will never forget it at the farm by accident (something that has never happened...ever). 

Probably the best thing for our staff has been the new generators that don't generate as much heat, are much quieter, and - most importantly - do not fall off the back of the truck or require any cranking. Both trucks have also had a top-to-bottom inspections and new tires, so hopefully we won't be jumping them so much this summer. 

Inside the truck, we've added super fun t-shirts and cooler bags AND new flavors in addition to our 12 regular ones. This past month we've enjoyed Peanut Butter Cup and next up is Blueberry Cheesecake!

We also have new freezers in Scoop 2 that don't require constant electricity, which eases up on the generator load and makes it possible for us to finally run the A/C on those hot, hot days. The new dipping cabinet freezer will also keep the ice cream at a more consistent temperature, making it easier for our staff to scoop and easier for you to eat!

Also debuting this year are our new fun pint containers that are a major upgrade from the basic white ones. Plus they have ice cream ingredients on them (a new requirement from the state), and we also have that information at the trucks for you if needed!

With all these changes, our heads have been spinning, but we - and now almost 40 of our amazing scooping staff - are looking forward to a super fun ice cream season ahead. We are thankful for all the updates to the trucks, and are hoping that you enjoy them as much as we do, especially those new flavors!