When you see a flock of sheep, is the first thing you think of ice cream? Don’t worry; it’s not weird.

At least it’s not weird to Negranti Dairy and Artisan Creamery owners Wade and Alexis Negranti.

In December 2010, Alexis decided to leave her desk job to milk sheep at the crack of dawn. Neither Negranti had ever milked an animal before, let alone made ice cream from that milk. Still, the two drove 18 hours to pick up their starter flock of ewes, and the rest is history.

The Negranti ice cream selection features fresh sheep’s milk and organic cane sugar. The best part of sheep’s milk is that it’s one of the only milks capable of retaining all of its vitamins and minerals when frozen into ice cream.

Not only does sheep’s milk have awesome staying power when frozen, it’s packed with more vitamins A, B, and E, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium than the cow version.

The Negrantis’ original ice cream flavors include vanilla bean, black coffee, and raw honey.

Coming July 6, you can find their ice cream at SLO’s Farmers’ Market. In the meantime, their mouth-watering dairy offerings are available at New Frontiers, DePalo’s Market, Nature’s Touch, Whalebone Winery, JoeBella Coffee, and Vivant Fine Cheese.

If you’re eating out and need to polish off a fine meal with the perfect summer treat, several restaurants are now serving the Negrantis’ ice cream, including McPhee’s Grill, Thomas Hill Organics, and FIG Good Food.

The Negrantis have dug their heels into every part of dairy farm life. From milking to mucking to delivering the goods, the duo does it all.

And that’s why Alexis will be honored at the seventh annual “A Taste of the Future” event happening at Hearst Ranch on June 23. The event benefits the Cal Poly Center for Sustainability.

Alexis is a recent Cal Poly grad and a great example of home-grown-done-right.

“A Taste of the Future” will feature Woody Tasch, founder and chairman of Slow Money, along with the opportunity to try some of the best local culinary offerings.

The Negrantis will also be taking their ice cream to the June 24 “Pallet to Palate” event at Turri Ranch in SLO.

There are plenty of opportunities to stretch your palate this summer with some delicious sheep’s milk ice cream.

For more info on the Negranti Dairy and Artisan Creamery, visit negrantidairy.com. For more info on “A Taste of the Future,” visit cfs.calpoly.edu. And for more info on “Pallet to Palate,” visit google.com/site/pallettopalate. ∆

 

Calendar Editor Maeva Considine compiled this week’s Bites, and it was delicious. We want a Bite! Send us your food, wine, and related news at [email protected].