Old Mill Creamery

The pastoral image of rolling green hills and dairy farms speckled with cows is quintessentially Pennsylvania. The state is a leading producer of milk in the United States, much of which comes from small-scale farms. All of which is to say, the Susquehanna River Valley is ice cream country, and Pennsylvanians take their cups and cones seriously. 

The longtime dairy farmer John Nolt knew this in 2017 when he bought an abandoned 190-year-old mill on a corner lot just outside of Mifflinburg. The former Cowan Mill has had many iterations, variably as a sawmill, paper mill, and chicken farm. The mill suffered multiple fires and remained dilapidated until Nolt got his hands on it. His plan was to maintain a small herd of 50 dairy cows, and to rehab the historic building and its grounds into a working creamery. 

A few years and a pandemic later, Nolt opened the doors of the Old Mill Creamery. That same herd of 50-ish cows, who graze land just down the road, supply the milk that is processed into ice cream at the locally beloved shop. Rather than being trucked for long distances on interstate highways, Holt’s milk gets sent just a half mile down the street from farm to creamery. 

Business has been good, and Nolt has been able to expand his operation into a retail store featuring hyper-local products from his community. At the shop, find value-added dairy products like cheese curds and yogurt from a neighboring dairy operation alongside Nolt’s own milk, which he offers in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and classic plain. 

But enough about the cows and the history—it’s the ice cream that people flock to Old Mill for. At the creamery, hand-dipped waffle cones are the specialty of the house, and seasonal flavors keep locals coming back to experience limited-time bites like fresh pineapple, “spiced cinnaburst” (cinnamon ice cream with Red Hots), and peanut butter brownie swirl. The creamery publishes its current flavors on its Facebook page, which has featured green mint chip, paw-paw, salted caramel truffle, and—yes—Playdough, but check back before your visit as flavors rotate often.