When friends gathered around their grandfather’s pool table, they enjoyed a good game and a good batch of hand-cranked ice cream.
Located on the road in Schuylerville that was named after him, his grandsons are again making ice cream. At King Brother’s Dairy the hand-cranking has been replaced by state-of-the-art machinery but the sincerity is still alive in their service.
“It’s easy to make something you enjoy yourself,” said co-owner Jeff King.
In the Land of Milk
Ice cream is the newest product Jeff and his brother Jan King have added to their farm’s menu of offerings - which includes a variety of milk goods sourced from their century-old farm.
As a mid-level size farm serving 400 home delivery customers, they are still at a size flexible enough to try new things – which this year means expanding their on-site retail space from a 300 sq. ft. shed to a modern 3,000 sq. ft. building.
“I hope we’ll have a healthy flow of customers through here,” said King.
The clean country style store will have spacious 15-foot high ceilings, enough seating for 35 people and industrial ceiling fans. Built by D & L Construction and designed by the architects at Saratoga’s Olsen Associates, the Kings strived to work with many local companies.
Delving In
Guests can watch the process of how their products are made through a glass window while enjoying both hard and soft-serve ice cream in a variety of flavors.
“People really enjoy the opportunity to come to the country and experience what a farm is all about,” said King.
Bottling milk happens on Monday and Thursday mornings while ice cream production typically occurs on Tuesdays.
“We’re revving up the production and I try to make as much as I can when things are quieter,” said Store and Retail Manager Sarah Zdobnikow.
A long-time employee at the dairy farm, Zdobnikow graduated from Siena College in May and only recently added ice cream production to her list of responsibilities.
“There’s so much that goes into making ice cream, you wouldn’t even believe it,” she said.
Bravely experimenting with new flavors has proven successful. The Triple Chocolate Black Raspberry swirls fudge, chocolate and fudge brownie chunks into a premium milky blend. Other top sellers include the Butter Pecan, Coffee, and Leprechaun (mint brownie) flavors.
The Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl is Jeff’s favorite, although he does like the traditional mint chocolate chip…
Taste the Craving
In addition to selling their dairy products, King Brothers Farms sells their own beef cuts, processed by Eagle Bridge Custom Meats, as well as favorites from regional producers including Oscar’s Smokehouse, New Skete Cheesecakes, Thomas Poultry eggs and Sammy Cohen’s crave-worthy pizzas.
Because the new space will also have its own kitchen, the Kings are planning to offer prepared meals, as well.
“We’re not just supporting our family but 15 other families depend on this business for their livelihood. More and more people are making their connection every day,” said King.
King Brothers Dairy is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.