Hokie-inspired ice cream to hit market later this year; three events scheduled to get early taste

Virginia Tech and Homestead Creamery have formed a partnership based on a shared passion for locally sourced, home-grown, quality ingredients.

The collaboration between the nationally ranked Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Food Science and Technology and the award-winning Homestead Creamery brings innovative food science research to market in the form of delicious Hokie-inspired ice cream with proceeds benefiting student engagement and scholarship as well as Virginia’s economy.

The first ice cream flavor, Hokie Tracks, will roll out to ice cream shops and restaurants around Virginia in early fall. Hokie Tracks is a creamy vanilla ice cream with a ribbon of salted caramel and dark chocolate-covered pretzel chunks, created to celebrate Virginia Tech’s roots in agriculture as part of the university’s 150th anniversary.

Later this year, Hokie Tracks will be more widely available for consumers in grocery stores and specialty stores along the East Coast, and the Hokie ice cream collection will be expanded in the future. In the meantime, Hokies can get an exclusive taste of the ice cream at three upcoming events in Roanoke, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Registration is required.

Aug. 28: Richmond

When: Sunday, Aug. 28 from 3-5 p.m.
Where: Hardywood Brewery West Creek, 820 Sanctuary Trail Drive, Richmond, VA 23238

Sept. 14: Greater D.C. Area

When: Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 6-8 p.m.
Where: Frying Pan Park Picnic Shelter, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon, VA 20171

Sept. 25: Roanoke

When: Sunday, Sept. 25 from 3-5 p.m.
Where: Green Hill Park (Shelter 2), 2501 Green Hill Park Road, Salem, VA 24153

The ice cream flavor profiles and recipe development were led by Department of Food Science and Technology faculty members Joell Eifert and Brian Wiersema in collaboration with Homestead’s team and tweaked along the way with feedback from the Virginia Tech community.

“I’ve worked with Homestead Creamery for several years. Being able to formalize the partnership is exciting and reinforces Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission to support agriculture while benefiting the university and the state,” said Eifert, director of the food innovations program. “It’s rewarding to be able to develop the ice cream recipes with a reputable industry partner, while knowing the work will reap rewards that directly impact our department and students.”

Homestead Creamery is a small, locally owned dairy processing plant nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains in Burnt Chimney. With dreams of preserving the family farm for future generations and marketing products directly to consumers, two dairy farmers combined efforts to establish the company in 2001. Today, Homestead Creamery is made up of a small network of locally owned dairy farms run by families who believe in an honest day’s work. Each farm is dedicated to the health and happiness of the cows and the quality of the products that are produced for the consumers.

“We’ve worked with Joell and other Virginia Tech researchers for several years, and as a Virginia-based company, our values and mission are aligned with Virginia Tech’s values, so formalizing the partnership with the university was a no-brainer,” said Kasey Kohl, president of Homestead Creamery. “Through the collaboration we are able to fulfill the Homestead promise, which is to deliver wholesome, quality food products.”