When Scott and Melissa Holt moved to Hot Springs, their plan was to retire. They started as a small farmer’s market selling meat, farm produce and homemade ice cream. Soon they saw the demand for their specialty ice cream grow – even in the dead of winter.

People would come to the farm for various business and ask, ‘do you have any ice cream?’ Following a fire that destroyed the local ice cream shop, the Holt’s decided to open a shop in Hot Springs to offer a selection of cold treats. Two Cows Creamery and Bistro was open for business.

Scott credits West River Foundation for helping make the creamery dream a reality. The $200,000 Intermediary Rending Program loan helped purchase the building and startup costs like the freezers and other necessary equipment.

Each year the bistro offers a flavor challenge. They take suggestions from customers to come up with new flavors like Green Tea, Rum Raisin, or Toasted Black Sesame. In all, the bistro offers more than 100 flavors of ice cream, gelato, sorbet and vegan treats. Two Cows Creamery also offers “farm to table” lunch and dinner service.

“We pride ourselves on offering farm fresh foods on every plate that comes out,” said Melissa. “If 70 percent or more of the food isn’t from our farm or somebody else’s in the area, we don’t serve it.”

Scott shared that he made a recent trip to a farm in Nebraska to buy 1,500 pounds of potatoes. Two Cows Creamery staff then cut, soak and fry them for fresh cut fries. The beef, pork, chicken and yak are all raised right on their farm. A nearby farmer grows cucumbers in a greenhouse, providing a year-round supply of pickles.

“It’s about supporting local farmers and providing quality food that our customers have come to expect,” said Melissa.

Supporting the local community goes beyond the products they buy. Melissa said they’re fortunate to have great staff that are dedicated to making the bistro successful.

Whether they’re coming from the farms to work during the summer, or high school kids looking for work, Two Cows offers more than just a paycheck.

“We retain most of our employees year-round. We do profit shares for our employees, and only close for three weeks of the year at Christmas,” said Melissa. “The employees still get a paycheck and usually get bonusses around the same time.”

This last year, Two Cows Creamery also received $87,000 from Dairy Business Innovation Alliance to build a milk plant to process locally produced milk into ice cream mix for their shop as well as other wholesale buyers. This addition makes Two Cows Creamery a one of a kind “cow to cone” operation.

But why the name Two Cows Creamery? “Because we have two cows – Ruth and Mary Ann - that provide milk for the creamery,” Scott said with a laugh. “How many ice cream shops can tell you the names of the cows the ice cream came from?”

Two Cows Creamery and Bistro received the $200,000 Intermediary Relending Program loan in 2021.