UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — One of the silver linings — or scoops, so to speak — of the coronavirus pandemic for the Penn State Berkey Creamery has been its growing outreach to the University community through virtual speaking engagements, team-building events and membership drives.
“Penn State Berkey Creamery is more than a dairy manufacturing facility; it is a philanthropic landmark promoting hope, joy and richness throughout the entire University and greater community,” said Jim Brown, manager of sales and marketing. “This past year tested our mettle, but we pulled together to bring a part of Penn State to every corner of the country.”
Before the pandemic, Brown and creamery staff engaged with clientele in the retail store and through in-person speaking engagements. In the wake of COVID-19, academic units, clubs and organizations transitioned from physical to virtual events.
“These groups were looking for ideas to make their remote get-togethers feel not so remote,” Brown said. “They turned to us for inspiration.”
With that, the creamery brain-trust developed a virtual speaking/tour program and expanded its e-commerce product offerings, including custom product boxes and electronic gift cards, to complement online events.
One of these happenings — a virtual ice cream party hosted by the Penn State York Women’s Philanthropic Network — took place in August. Attendees and their families enjoyed their favorite creamery ice cream flavors, which were shipped to their homes in advance, while listening to Brown’s presentation via Zoom.
“The Women’s Philanthropic Network prides itself on providing members the opportunity to learn and network together while having fun, and Jim Brown’s presentation was a perfect match for those three ingredients for success,” said Di Hershey, director of alumni relations and development at Penn State York. “We received great feedback from our members, and we are looking at opportunities with campus community cohorts to ask Jim to present in the future.”
Another example is the creamery’s support of the Penn State Alumni Association’s 150th-anniversary celebration this past year. Staff members from each organization brainstormed ideas on how to combine that celebration with another love of alumni, creamery ice cream.
The collaboration resulted in the “150th Alumni Anniversary Mini Edition,” which features the creamery’s Alumni Swirl flavor. Initially, the plan was to distribute the minicups at alumni events and gatherings, explained Tom Hammond, executive director of engagement for the alumni association. However, a few months into 2020, in-person events were no longer a reality, so the association and creamery reshuffled their plans. They decided to offer the special edition minis for purchase in packs of 16, 32 or 64 on the creamery’s e-commerce site. The packs also can be found in the retail store.