Made in Vermont: Paisley Scoops Gelato

BAKERSFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – You won’t find a tractor or any staff on this family-run Bakersfield dairy farm.

“We are [a] very, very, very, very small farm,” said Ellen Stanley.

But, you will see a teeny tiny trailer that is home to Paisley Scoops Gelato. The business was started by Ellen and her sister Claire during the pandemic. Growing up on a dairy farm, the sisters are no strangers to cows. This business was named after Ellen’s beloved four-legged friend, named Paisley.

“She was my ultimate favorite ever 4-H cow when I was a kid. You know how they say you have a heart dog? You have a heart cow,” said Ellen. “And Paisley was a very special cow.”

Paisley is no longer at Paul-Lin Dairy, but they do have others making milk. All of that milk needs a place to go.

“Our milk is from 22 Jersey cows, which makes it very high in fat and good for doing… something with,” said Ellen.

Ellen and Claire decided to find a use for the milk but wanted to keep it simple, citing limited equipment, space and a creamy dairy product to work with.

“So, in order to make ice cream, it has to be 10% fat. And I didn’t have a cream separator to separate the cream. And once you separate cream you have byproduct that would need to be waste somewhere, or used, or found a pig,” explained Ellen. That’s how they landed on gelato.

“So the theory with gelato is that you taste the flavor more because your taste buds aren’t as coated with fat,” Ellen said.

When it comes to this gelato, being able to taste the flavor more is a big advantage. Aside from the milk, the ingredients that go into the mix are sourced from nearby towns, too. For that reason, Ellen wants the local flavors to take the spotlight.

“There are so, so, so many cool local foods that you just throw in, see what happens,” laughed Ellen.

Paisley Scoops has a large working flavor list on rotation at summer farmers markets and events. Though this time of year, she’s starting to shift toward fall festivals. You can buy hard-packed pints at a handful of stores but the interaction with people is what makes these scoops so sweet.

“I think my favorites are people who say, ‘When I was a kid and we drank milk out of the bulk tank, this is what it tasted like.’ It’s just special,” Ellen said.

A taste of nostalgia, milk and sugar, made in Vermont.

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