Welcome to the Blain, Pennsylvania Informational Website
Community Spotlight
Meadow Brook Creamery, LLCLocated in Blain, PA
- There is no doubt about it that when Mother Nature turns up the heat during the summer months, one way we enjoy cooling down is with a delicious cone or dish of ice cream, a flavored milkshake or a gigantic sundae or banana split…. Especially if it is homemade ice cream. The Blain community is lucky to have two creameries to satisfy the sweet confectionery cravings of everybody. In our spotlight this month, we are highlighting the Meadowbrook Creamery, LLC owned and operated by Kenton and Ranita Nolt and their daughter Kiana. When I chatted with them, they also had a young helper, Angela, who is Kenton’s sister and watches Kianna…but admitted to enjoying some ice cream now and then!
- Kenton is no stranger to the dairy business, having grown-up here on the Conoco View Dairy farm owned and operated since 2011by his dad and mom, Linford and Mabel Nolt. The dairy itself specializes in many items, such as raw and pasteurized milk, seven or eight types of cheese, butter, cream, and various flavors of milk and yogurt drinks.
- As a young man, Kenton left the farm and worked away from home for several years, but then his dad asked him to come back and help run the dairy portion of the farm because they also specialize in beef, turkey and chickens. Managing the dairy portion of their operation, Kenton had a dream to make and serve homemade ice cream. His dad encouraged him in this endeavor and April of this year, Meadow Brook Creamery opened for business. Kenton said that they have been pretty busy since they started, visiting various venues and he even set up at the Blain Lions Club Park on Friday nights during July.
- At the present time, they have nine flavors but are constantly expanding with new seasonal flavors. It takes Kenton 12 minutes to make a two and a half gallon batch of ice cream using a commercial batch freezer that uses Freon as cooling instead of ice like a small ice cream maker uses. Kenton says his favorite is cookies and cream but he enjoys a good peach milkshake! Ironically, his wife, Ranita, is lactose intolerant so she can’t even sample the goodies!
- Meadow Brook ice cream is sold in half gallon, quarts and pints at the Conoco View farm store or you even book their ice cream trailer for an event that you are hosting! To check out any of the other dairy products from either Meadow Brook or Conoco View, you can locate their website at www.conocoviewdairy.com or call Kenton at (717) 636-1892.
Community Spotlight
Blain MarketLocated in Blain, PA
- For our featured business this month we are shining the spotlight on the Blain Market, owned and operated by Conrad Wenger and his wife Lillian. Since the founding of Blain, there have been quite a few general stores listed in its history but the Blain Market building has been a fixture in Blain since the 1800’s and has gone through quite a few renovations! At one time it even served as the town’s post office!
- Conrad grew up working for his dad in kitchen cabinet door manufacturing and then spent a few years working for a tech support company before purchasing the market. He says he envisioned the store being “part of a small thriving rural community of neighbors that care about each other and go the second mile to provide the best for each other”. Who hasn’t been impressed watching shows like “Little House on the Prairie” or “The “Waltons”, where folks went into town to the General Store and could purchase everything from food and baking items to garden seed and cloth goods? Well, you might not be able to get garden seed or cloth goods at Blain market but you would be hard pressed to not find what you’re looking for (and lots of things you might not have thought your needed!!!)
- The store is also a stopping off place for many hunters in fisherman who come to our beautiful area to relax in the outdoors, hunting and fishing, so the Blain Market also features hunting supplies, some ammo and can set you up with your fishing license.
The store features a full deli with numerous meats and cheeses, as well as freshly prepared items in case you get home from work and are not sure what to have for supper! The lovely ladies behind the counter are very adept at making all kinds of breakfast items, subs and sandwiches for lunch or dinner and numerous homemade salads! - There is a marvelous fruit and vegetable section with all kinds of locally grown items as well as unique items that are not necessarily found in Perry County! If you are really into baking, there is a whole section featuring bulk items like sugar, flour, seasonings etc. Many of our local folks do a lot of canning, and the Blain Market has an extensive selection of canning jars, pickling spices and other essentials to put away those fresh grown goodies for the winter!
Then market also has a “house label” section where all the items bear the Blain Market logo and you can find jams, jellies, spreads, sauces, beef jerky and more. You can even grind your own fresh peanut butter and coffee or grab a “to go” cup from their featured flavors of the week!
And speaking of featured flavors… There is always room for ice cream and during the summer months, you have the unique chance to climb on the old feed truck at the side of the store and order a milkshake from about 30 different flavors as well as soft serve ice cream, sundaes, lattes, banana splits and much more! When fall comes the feed truck is stored for the winter, but you can still get great ice cream inside and right now we are getting close to pumpkin spice season!
AND if you still didn’t get that sweet tooth satisfied, as you walk toward the register with your goodies, the last 10 feet contain shelves of many varieties of whoopie pies, cakes, pies, homemade breads, sticky buns and other baked goods. - Conrad and his wife Lillian not only keep busy with the store, but also raising their five children: Caitlyn, Christopher, Cambria, Chadwin and Casper. The store employs many local young folks who will always greet you with a big smile and a friendly “hello” and of course as you are checking out, they ask if you found everything you wanted, which prompts me to go back and grab one more whoopie pie!
Over the years, Blain Market has had a few uplifts, many of them came under the watchful eye of Conrad. I think this comment from him really sums it up…”One thing that has stood out to me in the store that many of the customers really care about the improvements to the store and appreciate it, the neighborly community is a special thing I hope continues for generations!”
