College business plan becomes a reality

FREDON — Located on a bluff at the top of Fredon Township, Windy Brow Farm has added The Cow's Brow homemade ice cream to its repertoire. All of the flavors are homemade including Peachy Keen which whips in chunks of fresh fruit grown right on the farm.

The creamery at Windy Brow got its start as the owners' son's senior marketing project at The University of Delaware. Jake Hunt had the idea to expand Windy Brow to include a creamery. He aced the project — which consisted of a very serious business plan — and presented the idea to his parents.

"They liked the idea," he said, "But told me they wanted me to get some more experience."

He did just that and managed the largest creamery in Delaware for a year.

Jimmy and Linda Hunt took a chance on their son. Now, the proof is in the pudding — or ice cream rather — and Windy Brow, which started as a dairy farm dating back to the 1800s, reinstated dairy back at the farm in the form of homemade ice cream last month.

The Cow's Brow comes in 10 flavors of ice cream including: vanilla, chocolate, coffee, black raspberry, butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, salted caramel and strawberry along with seasonal selections such as Peachy Keen and special sorbets like cantaloupe and black raspberry. Ice cream can be purchased in a cup or cone and is also sold by the pint and quart boasting the Cow's Brow logo from Windy Brow's freezer.

Deborah Drumm of Stillwater, discovered that Windy Brow had ice cream when her neighbors suggested she and her husband join them for a trip up to get some last month.

"It's amazing how they combine the fresh fruit and creamy icy goodness," she said. "It's a real winner."

Flavors will be added and rotated according to the season and though Hunt isn't giving all of their secrets away, he did say to expect a phenomenal version of snickerdoodle for the holidays. The farm stays open through the Christmas season then closes for the winter months.

The first fruit trees were planted at Windy Brow in 1920. When the original dairy barn was destroyed by fire in the 1940s, the Inslee’s decided to concentrate on fruit growing. Many of the original trees are still bearing fruit today. The packing house and farm store established in 1946 are still in operation, run by the Hunt family.

Windy Brow Farms is located at 359 Ridge Road (Route 519) in Fredon and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for homemade cider doughnuts, peaches, stone fruits, early summer varieties of apples, a variety of vegetables, homemade pies and assorted baked goods, as well as jams, jellies, and local honey.

To celebrate the addition of the ice cream, Windy Brow is staying open for an extra hour — until 6 p.m. — on Friday and Saturday nights. Call 973-579-9657 or e-mail the cowsbrow@gmail.com for more information.