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The Rural Voice, 2000-07, Page 28^S� �� ,*.�,.fi lneke Booy ice cream cones from their • Mapleton's Organic dairy to her husband Martin De Groot (left) and plant manager Maurice Lambrecht. COMPLETING THE CIRCLE Mapleton's Organic ice cream isn't any ordinary dairy product. It's made right on the farm and for some, it's also consumed right on the farm, letting consumers see where the rnilk is made Story and photos by Sarah Caldwell 24 THE RURAL VOICE It s ice cream and trozen yogurt the way it used to be made, milk straight from the cow, no artificial ingredients, no hormones, no genetically engineered products, no colouring agents or chemicals. Sales are taking off for the homemade taste. Mapleton's Organic, Canada's first line of Certified Organic Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt, has taken a sweet bite out of the retail market since starting last year. They've just signed a contract with Loblaw's to supply frozen yogurt and ice cream in 500 ml. containers in a special organics section located in the larger stores. Around 200 independent health food and fine food stores also carry their product. Right now they are doing market testing of their product on the menu of the Valhalla Inn in Toronto. Their low fat, high protein frozen yogurt is being used by a few health professions in low fat/high protein weight loss programs. In addition to their sales off the farm, they also operate an ice cream store at their farm located on Wellington County Road 7 between Teviotdale and Rothsay. A large sign with an ice cream cone reading "Mapleton's Organic — Made Right on the Farm," greets visitors. As customers pull up the drive, a store with the pastoral country mural tells visitors "Small is Beautiful." Brightly decorated inside in shades of blue, the store contains an ice cream and yogurt freezer and a few tables to stop and eat at. On the back wall are windows that look into the processing room with its silver tanks. Seating is also available outside and the Holstein cows can be seen