BRIDGEVILLE, Del — Evans Farms, a third generation family farm in Bridgeville, is taking a new approach to frozen treats – straight from the field – with a full line of farm fresh sorbets, fresh pressed juices, smoothies, popsicles, and nice cream with the announcement of their new division, The Frozen Farmer located on the Heritage Shores Club property, which will be open to the general public. Aimed to bring healthier alternatives to families by centering the menu on the farm fresh ingredients grown and harvested at Evans Farms, The Frozen Farmer will take the concept of “farm to table” to the next level as the founders are both the farmers and the chefs. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on June 18 at 5p.m. at Three Heritage Shores Circle, Bridgeville Del., 19933 to celebrate the grand opening.
The sorbets will feature smooth gourmet flavor pairings like watermelon mint, triple berry and strawberry lime, while donning the benefits of being lactose free, fat free, and gluten free. The fresh pressed juices and smoothies will include all natural ingredients for optimal vitamins and minerals under fun names like “Turnip the Beet,” and “From my head to-ma-toes,” that reinforces the lighthearted nature of their company slogan “We’re the coolest in our field.” The popsicles will feature fruit forward combinations suitable for kids of all ages like strawberry cheesecake with a graham cracker topping and yogurt breakfast pops with a medley of local fruit and yogurt topped with granola crunch. The nice cream is made from a part sorbet, part ice cream base to serve as a healthy alternative to ice cream for those who love the texture and flavor of the traditional summertime treat but who don’t want the added fat.
Having just been harvested from the fields within hours of being incorporated into the menu, the ingredients in the line of products will carry the highest possible nutritional benefits as each item Evans Farms grows is picked at the peak of perfection and hand selected for ripeness and flavor.
“As a mother to two little girls, I aim to feed my kids the healthiest foods possible,” said Katey Evans co-owner of Evans Farms and The Frozen Farmer. “Our goal at The Frozen Farmer is to transform the most healthful, locally grown ingredients into the kind of sweet, refreshing treats that kids and adults alike will crave. The Frozen Farmer will give consumers a new way to experience where their food comes from while providing them with the highest quality products that pack a hidden punch of vitamins and minerals.”
Also behind the concept of The Frozen Farmer is Momma Jo of “Momma Jo’s Farm Family Recipes” that are featured in the Evans’ CSA newsletter each week for members of the farm’s CSA program. Jo Ellen Algier, mother of Katey Evans and Evans Farms’ “Momma Jo,” has been making homemade ice cream for over a decade.
“Making ice cream is a longtime passion of mine,” said Jo Ellen Algier, co-owner of The Frozen Farmer. “When Katey told me of their plans for sorbet, it fell in line with my passion for frozen treats.”
The mother-daughter duo attended The Ice Cream University where the famous ice cream connoisseur, Malcolm Stogo, taught the pair how to make a sorbet that is the perfect combination of creamy and smooth. That’s also where the idea of nice cream was born.
“We took my passion for ice cream and combined it with the experience Evans Farms has in local produce to make nice cream, a product that tastes like traditional ice cream, but with less fat and more locally grown fruit for added nutritional content,” said Algier.
A longtime partner of Heritage Shores, Evans Farms has provided local produce for the club’s Passwaters Restaurant and has set up a weekly farmers market for the community over the past four years. So when it came to determining a location for The Frozen Farmer, Heritage Shores seemed like a natural fit for the Club’s new Vitality Center.
“We will be opening a new Vitality Center this summer that places an emphasis on health and wellness,” said Dottie Harper, vice president of planned community management and operations for Brookfield Residential. “With that we were planning to open a juice bar. When I spoke with Katey about their plans for The Frozen Farmer, it couldn’t have been better suited. The Frozen Farmer will offer a full line up of delicious, healthful treats and I think the fact that they are made with locally grown ingredients gives this concept an even more unique edge.”
The Frozen Farmer will incorporate a mobile food truck in June to be stationed at the on farm produce market at Evans Farms, located on Route 404, one mile east of Route 13, when it’s not traveling to offsite events such as local fairs and festivals. Future plans including building a facility on Evans Farms to house both Evans Farms Produce Market and The Frozen Farmer.
“The Frozen Farmer will give consumers the best of both worlds with locations at Heritage Shores and at our on farm produce market,” said Evans. “The locals are used to the farm atmosphere, but the environment at Heritage Shores is more like visiting an upscale retreat. You don’t feel like you’re in Bridgeville anymore once you enter the gates of the Heritage Shores community. As for our on farm location on Route 404, the mobile truck will provide beach-goers coming from the city areas a unique atmosphere to visit us on the farm and stand next to the very fields from which their food or drink came from.”
Evans Farms is certified by the United States Department of Agriculture for Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices to ensure products that are responsibly grown. To learn more about The Frozen Farmer or its products, call 302-245-5525 or visit www.facebook.com/TheFrozenFarmer.