HADLEY - Cook Farm is a rambling farmstead on 50 lush acres at the base of the steep and lumpy Holyoke Range. There you'll find Flayvors of Cook Farm, an ice cream stand that offers some zany flavors: Ginger, named for the Jersey cow on the sign; Inez, coconut with chocolate and almonds, named for the Holstein on the sign; apple-blueberry crisp ice cream named for Fayvor, the foundation cow of the herd; and the spring specialty, Hadley grass asparagus ice cream.
A family farm makes ice cream part of its tradition
These third-generation dairy farmers have figured out how to make a living without reverting to miniature golf or other attractions. Beth Cook, 57, her husband, Gordon, 62, and their oldest son, Hank, 38, established a down-home ice cream stand so they could continue to milk cows and make something with their own milk.
It all started 11 years ago when Beth applied for a Farm Viability grant from the state so they could expand. Hank wanted to move back to the farm and start a family. "Hank got married and he wanted to farm with us, but adding more cows didn't make sense," Beth says. "We don't have enough land or infrastructure." Beth had always wanted to open an ice cream parlor. "Gordon thought I was nuts but I wrote an essay and applied and they said yes and gave us $40,000."
The Cooks built the grand post-and-beam stand on an old pasture right next to the barn. Local zoning says that at least half of what they sell in the store must come from their own land. Beth specializes in ice cream, but also churns butter, makes cream soups, tapioca pudding, ice-cream sandwiches called Snackers, and macaroni and cheese. The Cooks sell their own raw milk and pumpkins, and stock asparagus, berries, and sweet corn from other growers. Gordon says, "At first I imagined a double-wide trailer with three windows but Beth wanted something more like this. I can't eat ice cream four times a day but I do have my share."
The stand, with flower gardens around it, feels like an extension of the farm. It is tidy and comfortable, decorated with hand-drawn signs. Year-round, Beth makes all the ice cream, and also decides what the flavors will be. She offers pints and quarts, turns the ice cream into floats and sodas, and makes ice cream cakes. The novelty flavor, Hadley grass asparagus ice cream, is actually made with local asparagus (it's called Hadley grass where it's grown). The color is bright green and the taste is sweet-salty-buttery asparagus. The stand is dotted with tables for customers to sit down; more are outdoors.
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