No matter how you scoop it, July is National Ice Cream Month.
Lucky enough to be in the Berkshires this summer? Plan a trip to your local food co-op â Wild Oats Market in Williamstown and Berkshire Food Co-op in Great Barrington â and head straight to the freezer section where a trio of sweet, frosty treats (each of which travelled 80 miles or fewer to get there) awaits. Go ahead, taste the difference local makes: Less time on the truck and more time in the field is enough to make everyone scream for local ice cream â All. Month. Long.
âThere is so much local ice cream in the Berkshires,â says Scott Menhinick, marketing and owner relations manager at Wild Oats Market. Which, before moo-ving on, bears explanation: local food is defined as food produced within a short distance of where it is consumed (ideally within a 100-mile radius) and accompanied by a social structure and supply chain that differs from large-scale supermarkets. How? Well for starters, local products are often sold directly from the producer to the independent retailer which sweetens the process for everyone.