While many students participated in Homecoming weekend activities this past Saturday, I spent the morning not watching the pre-game statistics for the lacrosse game or going out to brunch with friends, but touring the Prigel Family Creamery in Glen Arm, Maryland. Tucked away twenty minutes outside of Baltimore, the farm rests on lush green land with cows munching on mouthfuls of grass. Me and a few of my peers in the Food and Farm Politics Freshman Seminar with Professor Rebecca Shimoni-Stoil ventured to the creamery for an assignment: to notice farm policies in modern-day settings.
Despite the subpar weather conditions consisting of chilly rain and only one umbrella to share with seven students, the Prigel Family Creamery offered many interesting activities for us on our tour by farmer Bobby Prigel. We first explored the rooms in which all of the dairy products on the farm are manufactured: a process consisting of pasteurizing milk which eventually turns into delicious goodies like yogurt and ice cream.
Afterwards, we walked out to the grazing area filled with 140 hungry cows: my favorite part of the tour. Instead of confining cows to a small space with only one type of grass to eat, the Prigel Family Creamery allows its four-legged friends to graze on their property with a variety of grasses, legumes, and clover. Interestingly, this creates leaner cows which lead to “juicier” beef instead of the bulked up cattle of many agribusinesses. Curious, the cows encircled us as we watched them dig into the ground and scarf of the underlying vegetation. Many approached us, sniffing our clothes and enjoying a pat or two on the head.
To conclude our visit at the Prigel Family Creamery, we bought scoops of fresh ice cream available in a variety of flavors: from classic vanilla and chocolate to inventive caramel pretzel. The creamy consistency of the ice cream is thanks to the milk provided from the cows right outside the ice cream store window and mixed in the next room over; I recommend the sweet cream flavor. The ice cream area is decorated with flowers, white walls, and cute-farm-themed decorations. A cooler with fresh beef sits against the wall for anyone desiring wholesome ingredients for their next meat-containing meal.
Tours are open to the public and available upon request: a quick and delightful retreat from the city. So, if you’re interested in spending a weekend this spring or summer in an unconventional here in Baltimore, call an Uber or Lyft to drive you twenty minutes away for some country and cow fun.