Pequea Valley Farms Yogurt
Sue's Produce, 114 S. 18th St. 215.241.0102
Metropolitan Bakery, 262 S. 19th St. 215.545.6655
Farm to City, www.farmtocity.org
First: Pequea is pronounced Peck-wah, according to Bob Pierson, program director of Farm to City, a Philadelphia-based initiative that promotes locally grown food. Second: I'm sorry, I'm too busy shoveling spoonfuls of strawberry yogurt in my mouth to pronounce anything correctly. Pequea Valley Farms' yogurt is so freaking delicious, the only sound you'll be able to summon is a deeply satisfied "mmm." As Pierson says, "Many people who taste this yogurt think it's the best they've ever had." I certainly did on the day I stumbled upon it at Sue's Produce on 18th Street. Those glorious Amish folk have done it again, creating a yogurt that's so rich and flavorful, it puts our sorry little Dannon and even "gourmet" Stonyfield Farm to shame. Pequea Valley Farms, owned by Abner King in the miniscule village of Ronks in Lancaster County, turns out a product that's densely creamy, with a zippy tang and a melt-in-your-mouth quality that you don't normally associate with yogurt. Although yogurt's health benefits are often touted--high in calcium and B vitamins and good for digestion--its flavor profile tends to underwhelm, and it too easily gets shuffled into the category of snooze-inducing diet foods. Yogurt, like its friend cheese, is an ancient fermented farm product that was developed as a way to preserve an excess of milk. And like cheese, when yogurt is made in an artisanal way, with respect for the product and the process, it can be wonderfully complex, delicious and a world away from the mass-produced impostors that occupy many supermarket shelves. This yogurt is made from the milk of grass-fed Jersey cows--Jersey as in the British Island, not Turnpike--which are prized for the quality of their milk. And "grass-fed" means the cows are allowed to graze freely, not fed a processed feed mix, which often includes ground-up bits of other dead cows and has been pinpointed as a source of the spread of mad cow disease. Pequea Valley Farms' yogurt comes in a variety of flavors, all of them luscious. I can personally recommend the strawberry, black cherry and blueberry. There's also a plain version, which is a great substitute for sour cream in a pinch. Or if you don't mind a little tartness, it's tasty on its own topped with a little black pepper. Pick it up at Sue's or Metropolitan Bakery, or order it through the Farm to City website. (Kirsten Henri)
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1. stelvis said... on Sep 22, 2009 at 11:39AM
“First of all, that's not how you pronounce Pequea. At least that's not how we actually pronounce it in Lancaster County. We say PECK-way.
However, you're right, the yogurt is delicious. Try the lemon.”
2. Theresa said... on Nov 11, 2009 at 10:08AM
“Hi! I just wrote saying we enjoy the yogurt and wondered if they ship it out of Pa.? we won't be back till next summer and would love to get more. My daugther-in-law and I love it!”
3. Anonymous said... on Nov 11, 2009 at 02:41PM
“5 years later this yogurt is still the best in town ! Only now you can get it in more places - like Milk & Honey Market in West Philly.”
4. Anonymous said... on Dec 4, 2009 at 11:54AM
“it is BY FAR the best yogurt this side of he Atlantic! it is the only one i have found so far that compares to the "Joghurt" i used to get in Switzerland - so the cows are really fed naturally? away from the highways?”
5. Anonymous said... on Dec 15, 2009 at 03:39PM
“This is the most amazing yogurt I have ever tasted... travel over 40 minutes just to buy it each week.... The maple flavor reminds me of creamy cheesecake.... yummy!”
6. Anonymous said... on Dec 21, 2009 at 01:32AM
“i wish i could this yogurt out west. honestly i never loved yogurt until i had pequea valley yogurt. breakfast just isn't the same without it. nothing else i've tasted even comes close.”
7. Anonymous said... on Jan 19, 2010 at 11:36AM
“i live in delaware county . does anyone know where to get pequea valley yogurt out here??? i do buy it at booths corners farmers market but if i cant get there are there any other stores to buy it in the area?”
8. Anonymous said... on Feb 8, 2010 at 03:25PM
“Best. Yogurt. Ever.
We buy ours at the Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market.”
9. Maggie said... on Mar 16, 2010 at 04:48PM
“Can anyone tell me the calories and fat content in Pequea Valley Farm's Chocolate Yogurt.”
10. Bear said... on Mar 19, 2010 at 10:19PM
“This Pequea Valley Farm Yogurt sounds delicious. Does anyone know where I can buy it in Northern Lancaster County? I live between Ephrata & Adamstown.
”
11. Ginnywise said... on Apr 21, 2010 at 12:55PM
“I'm looking to find it somewhere out on the Main line? Anyone found it out here?”
12. Todd V said... on Jun 22, 2010 at 05:45PM
“Essene Market has it at 4th and Bainbridge. I just found this stuff and it is the best I've ever had. Now I'm sort of sad that I've been eating substandard yogurt my whole life.”
13. anonymous said... on Apr 1, 2011 at 07:42AM
“Please...available anywhere near west chester, pa? I don't even care for yogurt, but LOVE Pequea Valley! I wish it weren't so difficult to find.”
14. marcela said... on May 17, 2011 at 03:06PM
“Got the yogurts this past weekend, in Hillsboro, Virginia. Our family lives in Ashburn ,Loudoun County, and we promise ourselves to return next week to get more. It is sooo,like in Switzerland!!!”
15. Anonymous said... on Jun 15, 2011 at 10:53AM
“Discovered yesterday in Vienna, VA -- Maple Avenue Market... www.mapleavenuemarket.com... I'm not a big fan of yogurt, but I do buy Fage and other quality Greek yogurts... Pequea's beats them all as it is rich and only slightly tart.”
16. Diner said... on Jul 11, 2011 at 08:02AM
“This great yogurt can be purchased at Sharp Shopper in Leola, Forry's on Ivy Drive in Landisville or small containers at SKH (Stauffer's of Kissel Hill for out of town folk)”
17. Anonymous said... on Aug 2, 2011 at 07:10AM
“I *LOVE* this yogurt. Just finished some vanilla. I get it at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. It's getting easier and easier to eat locally!”
18. Wilbur said... on Sep 16, 2011 at 11:52AM
“We buy it at two different locations. One is at Horning's Market just south of Myerstown, PA on Rt. 501 in Lebanon County. The other location is at the other Horning's Market just south of Bethel, PA, again on Rt. 501 in Berks County. I have loved most kinds of yogurt for many years, however, this beats all! For those that are wondering about calories, I have the Rasperry Yogurt in front of me right now, and that is set at 260 calories per every 8 oz. serving! Yes, it is a little on the high side, but so is cheesecake, ice cream and all the other goodies!”
19. Johanna said... on Sep 20, 2011 at 09:37AM
“It's available at Weavers Way Co-op in NW Philly. I know the Mt. Airy location stocks it, and I think the Chestnut Hill one does as well, but I'm not sure.”
20. Anonymous said... on Nov 21, 2011 at 10:35PM
“Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market & King's Country Store in Booth's Corner Farmers Market in Delaware County. http://www.boothscorner.com/directory.asp”
21. Jon said... on Jan 26, 2012 at 05:08PM
“Just got some lemon today at Reading Terminal Market. It is so fracking good, it tastes like a dessert!”