Stensland Family Farms, dates back over a hundred years. Jason Stensland says his great great grandfather homesteaded the farm near the Northwest Iowa town of Larchwood.
The Stensland’s are grain farmers, and they ran a dairy operation for 20 years. However, in 2015 they started their own creamery, which currently involves 10 family members. Jason says they added the creamery by necessity. “Our story is trying to survive on the farm and vertically integrate ourselves so then we can keep the the heritage going and our family farm going and providing for our families.”
The ice cream production is done right on the farm and is overseen by Jason’s twin brother, Justin. “We’ll make about 1,400 quarts today and we do that two to three times a week roughly.” The family produces 70,000 to 80,000 quarts of premium ice cream annually using a small batch process. Justin says it starts with their base ice cream mix. “You dump that into an ice cream machine and then depending on the flavor you’re making and then you add your ingredients. You mix it all up and it takes about 10 minutes to make a batch and it comes out like soft serve.” He says it then goes into the freezer for 18 to 24 hours at -25° to harden.”
Stenland’s originally offered a long list of dairy products when their father Dave kick started the creamery ten years ago. However, with their flare for ice cream it quickly became their focus. Jason says their ice cream is a premium product. “It’s a fuller fat and we really focus on good quality ingredients and it’s a lactose free base. So then as long as you stick to the simple ice creams, you’ll kind of you can tolerate the ice cream with the lactose free situation.”
Stensland’s make over 80 flavors of ice cream and while their Mom is the GOAT of new flavors everyone in the family plays a role. This time of year they expand their flavor offerings to include some holiday favorites like eggnog, cinnamon stick, ginger snap and white chocolate peppermint. These and other flavors are sold at their retail store in Sioux Falls as part of their 12 days of Ice Cream Christmas promotion says Jason, “So, it’ll be 12 different flavors and somebody can come in and have a different flavor throughout their 12 days of Christmas.”
Justin says they also feature holiday shakes and other novelties. “We also do different pies like cheesecake pies. We’ll do so we’ll do like a white chocolate peppermint cheesecake pie. Then we’ll do a pumpkin cheesecake pie also.”
Plus, Stenland’s incorporate their cheeses, curds and products produced on local farms to create holiday gift offerings. They assemble corporate gift boxes, and anything for individuals.
And Jason says at Christmas and all year long they pride themselves in producing local products fresh from the farm.
“We take passion and pride in what we do and if we can do that uh as a family and also give people the ice cream like that and serve that to them it’s it’s just it’s rewarding.”
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