Information
Landmark: Penn State Berkey CreameryCity: State College
Country: USA Pennsylvania
Continent: North America
Penn State Berkey Creamery, State College, USA Pennsylvania, North America
Overview
A closer look at Penn State’s Berkey Creamery, where the air smells faintly of fresh waffle cones.The Berkey Creamery, founded in 1865, ranks among the oldest university-run creameries in the country, still serving fresh ice cream by the scoop.Founded behind Old Main, it offered Penn State students hands-on lessons in dairy-like churning fresh butter-and served the wider campus community.The Creamery has always aimed to blend food science research and teaching with crafting rich, high-quality dairy products, like the creamy vanilla ice cream scooped fresh from the churn.It grew hand in hand with Penn State’s land‑grant mission, driving better farming methods and stronger food industries-like turning a rough field into rows of golden corn.In 2006, the Creamery packed up and settled into the sleek, glass-fronted Rodney A. The Erickson Food Science Building was renamed the Berkey Creamery in honor of Earl and Jeanne Berkey, devoted supporters who spent decades championing Penn State’s agricultural and food science programs.Use a mix of short and medium-length sentences to keep the rhythm lively.At 119 Food Science Building on the University Park campus, the Creamery runs on state‑of‑the‑art dairy gear-pasteurizers humming, homogenizers churning, ice cream freezers frosty, and cheese vats warm with fresh curds.It makes dairy products under tight quality checks, meeting USDA standards and the university’s food safety rules-right down to testing each batch for purity.The Creamery serves as both a bustling production floor and a hands-on classroom, where students learn the craft of dairy manufacturing, experiment with new products, and master the art of quality control.Number three.Ice Cream is our star product-the one everyone comes back for, cold and creamy right from the scoop.The Creamery serves up more than 100 distinct flavors, with about 20 to 30 on display in the shop at any given moment, from tangy lemon to rich chocolate fudge.Some favorites on the menu are Peachy Paterno, packed with fresh peaches and cream; Death by Chocolate, dark and decadent; Turtle Creek, smooth vanilla swirled with caramel and chocolate turtles; and Russ “digs” Roseberry, a mix of berries and chocolate honoring volleyball coach Russ Rose.Each year, The Creamery churns out roughly 225,000 gallons of ice cream and hands over about 750,000 scoops to eager students on campus.Cheese: Made from milk gathered mostly from Pennsylvania dairy farms, it turns out cheddar, ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, and other fresh varieties, from tangy to mellow.Milk and butter come straight from the source here-fresh, creamy milk and rich dairy butter made and sold on-site.Meat products now include salami and jerky, added recently through a partnership with Penn State’s Meats Laboratory, where the smoky scent of cured cuts fills the air.Number four.The Creamery runs a campus shop where visitors can pick up ice cream, cheeses, fresh milk, and branded gear, their scoops served cold and sweet right from the counter.The store stays open every day, keeping the lights on late to welcome students and visitors.You can order their products online and have them shipped to 48 states, so a jar of their fresh, creamy yogurt can reach kitchens all across the country.The Creamery works with neighborhood restaurants, nearby grocers, and Penn State athletics concessions, delivering ice cream so fresh it’s still cold from the churn, along with a variety of other dairy products.Five.The Creamery plays a key role in Penn State’s Food Science program, giving undergrad and grad students hands-on experience in dairy processing, product innovation, and food safety-right down to learning how to test a fresh batch of ice cream.Students roll up their sleeves, teaming with staff to create, taste-test, and promote the Creamery’s rich, fresh-made products.The facility backs research projects ranging from crafting new ice cream flavors-like a creamy vanilla with fresh strawberry swirls-to designing sustainable methods for processing dairy.Number six.The Creamery holds a special place in Penn State’s culture, drawing students, alumni, and visitors alike with its rich, creamy ice cream and an ever-changing lineup of flavors.It puts on special events and promotions, marking university milestones and the roar of sports victories.The Creamery’s decades of trust and tradition boost Penn State’s standing as a leader in agricultural science and food innovation, much like the scent of fresh waffle cones drifting through its doors.Seven.At The Creamery, they make a point of getting their milk from nearby farms-places where cows graze in open fields and the farmers follow humane, sustainable dairy practices.They’re cutting waste, upgrading to energy‑saving equipment, and choosing packaging that’s easy on the planet-like simple recycled cardboard-to shrink their environmental footprint.Current projects are working to make the dairy supply chain clearer and cut down its carbon footprint-for example, tracking milk from farm to fridge.Eight.The Creamery’s products have earned a string of awards, taking top honors at the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest-especially for its rich, buttery Butter Pecan ice cream.National and regional outlets often spotlight it as a standout, university-run dairy-once even showing a photo of its gleaming stainless steel milk tanks.Since 1865, Penn State’s Berkey Creamery has poured its deep-rooted tradition into modern food science, turning out fresh, inventive dairy treats like ice cream so smooth it practically melts on the spoon.It’s a place where students learn by doing, researchers test new ideas in dairy, and locals line up for the rich, creamy ice cream and award-winning cheeses.Rooted in tradition yet driven by quality, sustainability, and a passion for teaching, it stands out as a rare institution-here at Penn State and across the country-like a warm light in a long winter hall.
