Running a successful ice cream business while maintaining a dairy farm in today’s world is no small feat. With roots deep in the Long Green Valley, Prigel Family Creamery, established on Bellevale Farm, has been able to uphold traditions while adapting to modern times. “Our family has been farming in the Long Green Valley for over 100 years and five generations,” says Mandy Castillo, co-owner of Prigel Family Creamery.
The family’s legacy began in 1895 when John Mathias Prigel moved from Germany to Baltimore. “His youngest son, John Mathias II began his work on Bellevale Farm as a sharecropper. He later purchased the farm and we have been dairy farmers in Baltimore County’s Long Green Valley ever since,” Mandy says.
Since then, the Prigel family has remained committed to dairy farming even through tough times. “Small farms were — and are — dying, and we needed to figure out a way to diversify to keep the farm,” Mandy adds.
One answer to this was to launch Prigel Family Creamery in 2009. Mandy and her husband, Kelvin, run the creamery, while her brother, Matt, and father, Bob, manage the farm. Their collaborative effort ensures that the farm remains productive and the creamery thrives. Despite the rising costs of ingredients like eggs, cream and sugar, they have adapted by purchasing a mix for their ice cream. “If we were still making our mix from scratch, I’m not sure if we would be in business,” Mandy says.
The creamery has become a popular stop in Glen Arm known for its delicious flavors such as Bobby’s Black Mud, which is a chocolate and coffee combination and seasonal fave, lemon. According to Mandy, customers always comment on how creamy their ice cream is. Along with this tasty treat, they also produce bottled milk, cheese and butter from their dairy cows. They even host Cow Picnics where guests can enjoy ice cream and handmade cheeses while viewing the Jersey cows in the pasture.
So next time you savor a scoop or two from Prigel Family Creamery, remember you’re tasting more than just ice cream — you’re experiencing over a century of dedication and the pure joy of farm-fresh goodness.
Hungry for more? Take trip on Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail. Read about Broom’s Bloom Dairy. Learn more about National Ice Cream month.
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