Hopkins opens with a surprise

Three cows welcome customers to family-operated ice cream store

The Hopkins Farm Creamery’s new cows have a new pen shared with a covered, outdoor pavilion adjacent to the ice cream store. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO

The Hopkins’ iconic barn and silo have become a favorite destination for people who enjoy ice cream.

Heed the warning. The guard cow has retired and children playing on the playground are under their parent’s supervision.

Ron MacArthur

April 6, 2023

Event Date:

Sun, 04/02/2023 - 07:15 pm

The Hopkins Farm Creamery’s new cows have a new pen shared with a covered, outdoor pavilion adjacent to the ice cream store. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO

The Hopkins’ iconic barn and silo have become a favorite destination for people who enjoy ice cream.

Heed the warning. The guard cow has retired and children playing on the playground are under their parent’s supervision.

When Hopkins Farm Creamery opened for its 15th season on March 16, customers were greeted by three new cows.

At one time, 1,000 cows grazed the fields on the Hopkins’ 900-acre farm; 500 were milked three times every day of the year.

The dairy farm ceased operations in March 2021, when the family sold 600 of their award-winning cows. The remaining 400 cows were sold in February 2022. Most of the cows were sold to a dairy farm in upstate New York.

The Hopkins family has operated a farm west of Lewes for more than 100 years and was in the dairy business for 80 years. The 500 milk cows produced more than 1 million gallons of milk per year.

The ice cream store is open noon to 8 p.m. every day at 18186 Dairy Farm Road. Go to hopkinsfarmcreamery.com for more information and an updated schedule.