Who says kids dream small?
Wisconsin 4-Hers have been dreaming up ice cream flavors to pay homage to ag for more than a decade. Some of the creations are even bold enough to earn a spot in freezers across the state. This year’s winning flavor is Hold Your Horses. It combines the eye-opening aroma of an early morning on the farm with a sweet twist that’s beyond tasty.
The winner was created by members of the Pesobic Pathfinders 4-H Club in the Merrill area. They found inspiration in early mornings spent caring for livestock, and worked to come up with an ice cream that captures the smell of fresh coffee before chores begin.
“It’s inspired by getting up around 5:30 in the morning to work on the farm,” Cedar Crest Marketing Manager Shannon Simon said. “They love the fresh smell of coffee that gets their gears running.”
The result is espresso-flavored ice cream filled with chocolate-covered coffee pieces and a ribbon of caramel.
“It’s something to kind of get their day running,” Simon said.
More than just ice cream
The annual Cedar Crest Flavor Creation Contest has partnered with the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation since 2013. 4-H clubs from across the state are invited to submit original ice cream ideas each fall. Every entry starts with an ice cream base and can include up to three mix-ins. But the ingredients are only part of the judging process.
“We look at the names they create, the combination of ingredients and what inspired them,” Simon explained. “If it’s connected to Wisconsin or tells a great story, that really helps make a winning flavor.”
That storytelling has become one of the contest’s signature ingredients.
A history of Wisconsin-inspired favorites
A few of the winning flavors have become so popular there’s a permanent place in Cedar Crest’s lineup.
One standout is Wisconsin Campfire S’mores. The 2019 winner features graham cracker ice cream, a marshmallow swirl and peanut butter cups. Some of the young creators from the Springbrook 4-H Club in New Richmond explained how their family camping trips weren’t complete without replacing the traditional chocolate bar with peanut butter cups. That tradition became their inspiration!
Another favorite is Paul Bunyan. The winner in 2024 includes vanilla ice cream, a maple swirl, chocolate-covered pretzel “logs,” and peanut butter “sawdust.” It’s a playful tribute to Wisconsin’s logging heritage and maple syrup production. And for the 4-H members behind it, the Pesobic Pathfinders, this year’s win marks their second championship in three years, making them something of a flavor powerhouse.
Communities rally around their winners
Winning the contest brings more than bragging rights. Simon says each year’s champions receive an outpouring of support from their hometowns. Friends, families and neighbors are eager to scoop up the winning flavor.
“It’s a really prideful sense that’s brought to each community,” she said. “People are saying, ‘My daughter helped create this,’ or ‘This is our 4-H club.’ Everyone wants to buy it, share it and celebrate together.”
There’s still time for a scoop
Hold Your Horses isn’t disappearing anytime soon, even though National Ice Cream Month is coming to a close. The flavor will be available in 48-ounce cartons throughout August at retailers carrying Cedar Crest Ice Cream, including Festival Foods, Piggly Wiggly, Sendik’s Food Market, and Woodman’s.
Young ice cream inventors won’t have to wait long for another chance to see their ideas frozen into reality. The next Flavor Creation Contest is expected to open in mid-September. Entries will be accepted through mid-November before Cedar Crest selects the 2027 winner.
One thing seems certain. If the past winners are any indication, Wisconsin’s next great ice cream flavor is probably already being imagined by a group of creative 4-H kids.
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