Deere Valley Farm (DVF) is a local farm located on Dickerson Road. DVF is a family business that has been operational for 100 years and five generations. In the past 18 months, it has opened up a new storefront market. In addition to the market, they opened up a soft serve ice cream shop window last spring, becoming the only soft serve ice cream shop in the Poolesville area. Last summer, the spot got a lot of positive reviews, as locals are glad to have a new dessert spot for their families.
They have introduced new options for this year. There are more flavors of slushballs, and every Tuesday night, there will be food trucks at the farm so people can enjoy dinner with their ice cream. Additionally, the fan favorite summer sunflower field will be back!
The idea for the ice cream window sparked from the owners, Mrs. Samantha Baker and Mr. Rob Baker’s fond memories of an ice cream window that was open in Beallsville when they were growing up.
The Bakers explained that one thing all their customers should know is that they have high expectations for their product. The couple has been selective about what ingredients to use, so the product is the best it can be.
Mrs. Baker stated, “We want all of our customers to know the quality and care that we take in every aspect of the market.”
At all times at DVF, there are four flavors of ice cream. They always offer chocolate and vanilla. The catch is that the other two flavors are only offered for a week, as they switch the flavors every Thursday, and they likely won’t be offered again all summer. If you miss a flavor you really wanted to try, you can buy a frozen pint. In addition, they have a lot of other menu items, ranging from a variety of specialty sundaes, milkshakes, floats, lots of toppings, and, for a dairy-free option, slushballs.
Unfortunately, if you’re in the mood for ice cream on Wednesday, DVF isn’t open. They close this day to clean and switch flavors, and prepare for the next week of specials. They reopen and are ready to serve up ice cream at 11:30 AM on Thursday.
They also sell their farm-raised beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat, as well as all kinds of baked goods, dairy products, eggs, sauces, seasoning, and even a variety of books and trinkets that are all locally sourced.
DVF is a small, family-run business who are big advocate of shopping small. The Bakers are striving to make connections with each customer. Student and DVF employee, Ruby Mercer, claimed that the Bakers are always stopping what they are doing and talking to customers, asking them how they are and catching up, and that they truly care to make sure the customer feels appreciated.
Mrs. Baker said she recently read, “a grocery store never knows if you shop there or not, but shopping at a farm market can change a person’s life.” This is why they value their market and encourage people to shop small, not just with them, but at all small businesses.
Mercer has worked at the market almost since it opened last September. She says working at DVF is like being part of a family. All the team has such a close-knit bond and loved each other so much that often after work we would go get food or go shopping, because they would be having so much fun working together.
