Fox Meadows Creamery & Country Market

Bob Fox gave his sons Chad and Cory a plot of land to tend. The young brothers planted fall produce and sold the harvest at a roadside stand. Hard work, they learned, resulted in people who thanked them by giving money in exchange for their goods.

“There’s no such thing as instant results or instant success,” Chad Fox says today. “You have to plant. You sow. You continue to do things right and serve people well, and eventually, Lord willing, you reap.”

That stand still sells fall pumpkins, recalling the humble origins of Fox Meadows Creamery & Farm Market. The family that once churned ice cream on the back porch now produces 40,000 gallons a year. Their third-generation farm in Ephrata is a destination blending tradition and innovation to deliver fresh tastes, all with an eye on sustainability.

Bob Fox grew up on a small farm around New Holland before starting his own in Ephrata. His sons pursued outside careers—Chad in accounting, and Cory in procurement for a local hardware store—but the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by their dad brought them back to the dairy farm.

“This is where it gets kind of funny,” says Chad. Seems that the brothers married sisters, the daughters of a pastor. “My brother and I are in partnership, and we all work together. We see a lot of each other.”

Cory’s wife, Krista, took the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course and creates any flavors the others can dream up. Chad’s wife, Andrea, is HR director, nicknamed “the people whisperer”.

“That’s our secret recipe,” says Chad. “It’s not the ice cream. It’s the people.”

The original idea to expand dairy operations emerged from the question of how a small farm could support more than one family and continue into the next generation. A creamery was the natural choice.

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In the winter of 2014-15, with a building built but no commercial ice cream produced yet, the team developed a repertoire of flavors, “several of which we definitely will not repeat,” says Chad (one customer said he threatened his misbehaving kids with spoonfuls of the super-spicy chocolate sriracha).

Today’s menu of naturally sourced ice cream balances classics, such as Madagascan vanilla and vine-ripened black raspberry, with creative new tastes. The honeyed lavender is a cult favorite. “We use quality ingredients and take a lot of care with our flavors to make them extra wow. We love to create, and that’s what makes ice cream so much fun.”

During the pandemic shutdown, business churned away. “We feel really blessed,” says Chad. “Folks are looking for comfort and sources of joy in tough times.”

For guests, the custom-built creamery engages all the senses. The dipping case dazzles with 24 types of ice cream and sorbet. Ice cream artisans do their magic behind a viewing window. The scent of homemade waffle cones wafts through the air. The wraparound porch overlooks the fields where cows are making the milk for scoops of Wilbur Chocolate, coffee flavor, and Belgian cookie butter.

Bob Fox infused the operations with intentional stewardship of the land. Farming practices minimize runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. Strong partnerships include a teaming with Lancaster County Conservation District, which helped procure funding.

The thriving compound employs dozens of people. The country market offers locally made treats. Lunch menu highlights include scratch-made soups, sandwiches, and burgers prepared from local angus beef.

“It always pairs with ice cream,” Chad notes.

A Leola location opens—“hopefully, Lord willing,” says Chad—in 2021. Business progresses on a foundation of core values—faith, hospitality, service, teamwork, leadership—wrapped up in quality products and a memorable experience.

“You work those elements, and it seems like our guests have thanked us by continuing to come out,” says Chad, echoing the days of the brothers’ produce stand.

For summer 2020, watch for seasonal ice cream tastes such as blueberry crumble and peach cobbler. Campfire s’mores flavor, a customer favorite, will return.

“The best way we know to get the true toasted marshmallow flavor—we actually torch all of our marshmallows by hand,” says Chad.

And his favorite flavor? He doesn’t hesitate.

“My favorite is cookies and cream. You can’t go wrong with cookies and cream.”