7-24-2006 |
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LOCAL SHOP PLANNING ICE CREAM GIVEAWAY Tebay Dairy on Route 95 West just outside Parkersburg will celebrate National Ice Cream Month with free cake and ice cream for visitors to the store Friday, July 28, from 10 a.m.-noon. West Virginia Dairy Princess Paige Grantham of Martinsburg will be on hand to help serve, and will also appear on WTAP's morning news show. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will also take part in the celebration with an educational display and dairy-related handouts. "Tebay's is an institution in the Parkersburg area and it's admirable that they are marking national ice cream month," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. "This is another example of a West Virginia agribusiness carving out a niche for itself with a great product." West Virginia has 13,000 dairy cows that generated more than $31 million in cash receipts in 2004. Nationally, the U.S. ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales. About nine percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream. Total U.S. production of ice cream and related frozen desserts in 2004 amounted to about 1.6 billion gallons, the most of any country, translating to about 21.5 quarts per person, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to whatscookingamerica.net , the biggest ice cream sundae ever made was 12 feet high and made with 4,667 gallons of ice cream and 7,000 pounds of toppings in Anaheim, California, in 1985. For several centuries, producing ice cream depended on a finite supply of ice. Ice was gathered from ponds and lakes in winter, and stored in ice wells and ice houses. By packing it into insulated underground chambers with adequate drainage, ice could be stored for months, sometimes years. Because of the limited amount of ice produced by nature and the cumbersome methods of harvesting it, ice cream was a rare treat enjoyed primarily by a wealthy few. Recipes were treasured secrets of royal chefs and were carefully guarded. For more information about the event, contact John Tebay at 304/863-3705.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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