The Ice Cream of the Crop

 Summer is approaching. The days are getting longer and hotter, barbeque grills are being dusted off after several months of neglect and ice cream trucks are cruising through neighborhoods across the country, drawing children after them like suburban pied pipers.

 In Logan however there is a special brand of ice cream that doesn’t need an ice cream truck to draw customers. On the contrary, people around the state make pilgrimages to Cache Valley for Aggie Ice Cream.

 “In circles outside of Logan, Aggie Ice Cream is considered the Mecca of Ice-Creamery,” said Zach Stickney, a resident of Layton. “I am always sure to make the trip at least once annually.”

 The ice cream, which is made from cows raised on the university dairy farm, is produced on campus by staff and students. Randall Bagley manages the production of ice cream and knows why Aggie Ice Cream is different from other ice creams.

 “We try to use the best flavorings we can find. Instead of using artificial vanilla we’ll use a real two-bourbon vanilla,” Bagley said. “We tried to find a good peppermint flavor and we went through 10 before we found one we liked.”

 In addition to flavoring, the ice cream on campus has a secret that distinguishes it from lesser ice creams.

 “It has a high butter fat that makes it creamier and richer,” Bagley said. “To legally call it ice cream you have to have 10 percent butter fat, and we have 12 percent.”

 Another factor that contributes to the ice cream’s richness is a lower amount of air put into the ice cream, making it denser and richer.

 “They have really good food and their ice cream is awesome,” said Katelyn McDonald, a student at Utah State University. “It just tastes better.”

 The creamery has had a long time to perfect its ice cream recipe. Aggie Ice Cream started shortly after the college was founded in 1888.

 “We’ve been open over 100 years,” Bagley said. “We are one of the oldest creameries and dairies in the state.”

 McDonald and her friend Millie Struve will often stop by Aggie Ice Cream for a cone after class. Struve likes how affordable the food is and how nice the employees are.

 But in the end it’s all about the ice cream.

 “I like it because it’s on campus, they have a wide selection and it’s delicious,” said USU student Richard Jemenez.