The Jefferson Scoop
UPDATE: if you arrived at this page looking for Joe Holland’s winter adventures in Maine, you can find him on his YouTube Channel: Joe Holland Fishing.
When the ice fishing season is over, Joe turns his attention to serving ice cream. That story is below…
It didn’t take long to decide which Maine town I should feature on Independence Day 2019. I planned a trip to JEFFERSON. After some research, I selected the Jefferson Scoop as my destination. But I had one concern: how much can you possibly write about an ice cream stand? Would this be my shortest blog post?
(that isn’t a plane or a drone you might spot under the sign, but a passing dragonfly)
Not a chance. I ended up with an abundance of subject matter. As you will learn, the Jefferson Scoop is so much more than “just” an ice cream stand.
Owner Joe Holland took time out of his busy day to tell me their story. He represents the second-generation in the business. His parents opened the ice cream stand twenty years ago. This is Joe’s second season at the helm. Things look quite different than they did two decades ago. The original space was so small that the freezer took up most of the room. Like good Mainers, the family “made do” until they had the opportunity to buy one of the former outbuildings the local school had used when dealing with a shortage of classrooms. In fact, as a boy, Joe attended 4th grade in it. The building was transported a mile down the road to the Holland’s property and transformed into an ice cream stand. How many other people in the world can say they serve ice cream out of their childhood classroom?!
The Jefferson Scoop is open five months out of the year. For three of those, the local community makes up the primary customer base. The other two months they are joined by those “from away.” Jefferson is home to only about 2,500 people, but the roads get busy during the summer. The Damariscotta State Park — which had over 30,000 visitors last season — is a short walk from the ice cream stand. Additionally, two popular camps for children — Wavus Camp for Girls and Camp Kieve for Boys — are in the area. And, seriously, who doesn’t need ice cream when they’re sad about leaving summer camp?
Since their beginning, the Hollands have had only one supplier for their frozen deliciousness: Gifford’s Ice Cream out of Skowhegan, Maine. Customers should be prepared for a potentially challenging decision when they get to the counter and find sixty flavors to consider! Dietary restrictions? No problem. There are dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free options (though calorie-free is nowhere to be found).
One of those flavor choices is “Moose Tracks.” Customers are reminded of this when they see the walkway. While laying the cement for the path, Joe created the impression that a moose had stepped in it before it dried. I can only imagine the stories children are told about that one!
“Moose Tracks”
There is a fun book series for young readers that has catchy titles like, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” and “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” If the author, Laura Numeroff, visits the Jefferson Scoop, she’ll be ready for her next book: “If You Give a Chicken an Ice Cream.” Joe has a chicken that was rescued from an unpleasant situation. “SCOOPy Doo” (I’m not making this up) roams freely and comes running when her owner calls. I have a long way to go before I reach my goal of visiting every Maine town, but it feels like I’ve seen it all after watching this hen peck away at a soft serve cone with sprinkles.
Owner Joe Holland with his chicken, Scoopy Doo.
Visitors have several seating options to enjoy their treats and observe Scoopy Doo doing the same. A screened-in seating area is available, along with tables in front of the building or chairs in a garden behind it. When the chicken finishes her ice cream, you can watch a variety of birds at the feeders (with seeds, no sprinkles) that are set up. Some locals spend extra time here as Joe has space for community gardens. Cucumbers and pumpkins, along with many other vegetables, are being grown in the raised beds.
It seems unusual to find gardens at an ice cream stand until you learn how many other things happen at this spot on the map. As so many Maine family businesses, the Jefferson Scoop is heavily invested in the community…
They stay open until midnight on high school prom night so the students have a fun and safe place to hang out.
A summer free lunch program is hosted on site.
Fundraisers are held for the Jefferson Fire Department and the food pantry. And once a year, you can find Slugger from the Sea Dogs on site as the Jefferson Cone supports the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.
The classic community bulletin and photo board
Does Joe get bored when winter arrives, and Mainers start scooping snow rather than ice cream? Not this past year. He took a massive road trip to see the other Jefferson towns and cities around the country. There are 28 in the United States; Joe visited two-thirds of them, including locations as far away as Texas and Oregon. I’m sure the Maine Jeffersonians are pleased he made it back home again in time to open for a new season.
The Jefferson Scoop is located at 271 Waldoboro Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348. Map is below. If you’re on Instagram, be sure to snap a photo of your ice cream when you visit and tag @MaineFeatures.
I’m on a mission to visit every town in Maine. Check here to see if I’ve featured yours yet: All The Visits. To learn more about this adventure, see the about page.
