Finding Independence in Washington County

See related: Essentials: Finding Independence in Washington County

One morning recently, a young tour guide was steering a group of visitors through the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, explaining the ways that the company makes the dream-food that Time magazine has called "the best ice cream in the world." Her descriptions were going smoothly until she made a statement that dropped the jaw of a man in the group. "Beg your pardon, young lady," the man interrupted. "Did you say it takes the milk of FIFTEEN THOUSAND cows to make one day's supply of ice cream?" He sounded incredulous and skeptical at the same time. He was having trouble getting a mental picture of that many cows. "No, sir, I'm sorry if it sounded that way," she replied. "It's FIFTY thousand cows."

That fact is one of the wonders of a visit to Washington County. Think of it: 50,000 cows being milked twice daily to serve our "sweet tooths" for just one day. How that milk gets delivered to the plant on a dawn-to-dawn, 24/7 schedule, then mixed into dozens of flavors of ice cream, packed into various-size containers or put on sticks, purified, frozen, and tasting just dandy, and then delivered to stores near and very far, is another wonder to ponder while eating a glob of Homemade Vanilla or Cookies 'n Cream.

From the March 2006 issue.

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