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Update #5: Ba - Doom!
Well, it's happened. Outside of Kickstarter, we've gotten financing for our commercial ice cream machine AND our ice trike! Part of the trike money came from our intrepid Kickstarter fans, who sent in a number of pledges directly, allowing us to keep moving onward and upward into ice cream nirvana.
As we make the leap into making more ice cream, and (hopefully) into opening a shop within the next year, we wanted to say - again - thanks to all our fans, family, friends, and supporters.
Give us a lick!
Stuart & Emily
Update #4: Sad Ice Cream Face
For backers only,
Posted on March 2
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Update #3: Moving on, moving up
For backers only,
Posted on February 22
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Update #2: Ice Cream Days, Ice Cream Nights
Being the continuing story of our intrepid ice creamers.
Once Emily and Stuart (with the help of family and friends) had the recipes, Cuisinarts, little red wagon, and (most essential), a trailer hitch on the 1990 Volvo, they needed a spot to sell their wares.
The selling began on a cold, rainy April day (what a surprise in Oregon) in Kesey Plaza. Next, we expanded to the Springfield Farmers Market, where we not only gained customers, but made friends.
Among those friends were Tom and Rachel, owners of SLO (Sustainable, Local, Organic) Farm. Over the course of the summer, they ended up becoming our top supplier of everything from blackberries to apples. That's the kind of connection we really value--where you buy something from someone you know, someone you can count on to have raised good stuff in a sustainable way.
We also made friends with Mark and Tiffany from the Party Cart, and started Thursday nights out there. A band would come, people would gather--it became a "thing."
Over the course of the summer, we found out something. People really, really LOVE our ice cream. Sure, they moaned as they stood in a line 10 people deep only to see us cross out a flavor (SOLD OUT). But they kept coming. And coming.
While this was super from a business standpoint, it was hard from a personal standpoint. Why? Because (as previously alluded to) we make this wonderful stuff 2 quarts at a time. To sell 40 gallons in a week meant scooping for 8 hours, then churning at least three hours every night. And so we did.
Our summer passed in a blur. Wake up, drink some coffee, go load up the cart, scoop, go to the kitchen (grab dinner somewhere on the way), churn, stagger home, sleep. Press repeat.
What made it worthwhile? The smiles. The laughs. The amazing feeling of seeing someone's face literally light up when they tried the ice cream. Rewarding doesn't even begin to describe it. Plus, Stuart gets to wear his straw boater.
Next update: Making plans for nigel.
Update #1: Red Wagon Creamery gets a start
How do you start a small ice cream business? With the help of family and friends.
In our case, we first had to have a product. So, Emily spent hundreds of hours researching and testing recipes, including blind taste tests with our neighbors. Once she hit on the recipe, it was time to get on the internet, searching for a cart to sell from. We found one. In Pasadena. So, Emily's step-dad, Elias, drove from Palm Springs to Pasadena and manhandled the sad little cart into the trunk of his behemoth mobile.
On spring break, Emily, Ellie and Stuart drove down to Palm Springs to rehab the cart, which had been "decorated" with silver duct tape. Let's keep it classy, Pasadena.
Elias and Stuart worked on making the shelves, while Sarah, Emily, and Ellie painted them.
After a lovely drive all the way back up I5 in our 1990 Volvo, towing the cart, Emily's mom supplied some of our horde of Cuisinarts, and her Dad supplied some extra bowls.
Now, all we needed was a place to make the stuff, and a place to sell it.
52
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Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on March 3.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
A warm feeling in your heart, guaranteed not to melt our ice cream, even if you stand really, really close to it.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
See your name in print - cyberprint, that is. We'll give you a by-name shout out on our illustrious Facebook page and Twitter feed. Literally HUNDREDS of people may evidence your generosity. *Everyone who contributes over $5 gets this.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Experience the lost art of receiving correspondence, as we send you, via the actual Postal Service, an honest-to-goodness personalized Thank You card. You're not only helping us, you're saving the Postal System.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
It's a two-fer. You can have one of our ultra-hip "Give us a lick" stickers (yes, we can mail it). If you're local, you also get a DOUBLE SCOOP of our handcrafted ice cream. We'll even throw in a waffle cone--just don't tell anybody.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Kerzowie (we just made that word up--feel free to use it). This one gets hard-you have to make a choice. You can rock the block in one of our AWESOME t-shirts, or, if you're local (or willing to pay exorbitant shipping costs) you get a PINT of our ice cream. Which will it be, hmmm? Smoked Salt Caramel? Heart of Chocolate? Frozen Goat?
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
We're talking good loot here -- for a pledge of $100 you get a thermal bag decked out with our super-cool logo, designed by our own captive graphic artist. You can use it to carry the numerous pints you buy at our cart. Guaranteed to self-destruct if you put any other brand of ice cream in it.
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
Just like going on the other side of the velvet rope, this gets you entrance into the exclusive, members-only area. In this case, the Pint of the Month Club. Each month we hand-craft an exclusive flavor exclusively for the exclusive members of this exclusive club. You also get a thermal bag to lug a full twelve months' of loot.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
You're firmly on the other side of the velvet rope. Not only do you get membership in the Pint of the Month Club, you get an exclusive Pint of the Month Club t-shirt. Do you HAVE to wear it while eating your monthly pint of frozen amazingness? No. Will you want to? Yes. *If you live out of town, we'll send you TWO POMC t-shirts, a thermal bag, a sticker, and a thank-you card. We'll also put you on our Wall of Fame - a special page on our website that we haven't yet designed. Or built.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
You move in rarified ice cream circles, and it isn't enough to just eat good ice cream -- you deserve to know HOW it's made. So, for this pledge, you will host an ice cream party at your house for up to 10 people. Emily will take you through the making of two flavors step by step, and (of course) you get to eat what you make. If you're out of town, you get a custom DVD with step by step instructions on making two flavors, along with a rockin' t-shirt to wear while you make it. You also get a spot on our website's Wall of Fame.
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
This is for the true ice cream benefactor, someone who wants to spread the gospel of Red Wagon's all-natural ice cream. Emily will come to your home and host an ice cream party for up to 10 people. At the party, you will work with her to design YOUR OWN flavor. We will then sell your signature flavor at our cart for at least six months (so, yeah, we will make sure the flavor ROCKS!). If you're out-of-town, you can either pay for her to come to you, OR, we'll design the flavor with you via Skype, then send you a custom DVD explaining how to make your flavor, along with the same ice cream machine we use now. Not only do you get a spot on our website's Wall of Fame, we'll even put your photo there. Or a photo of your pet. Your choice.
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The little red wagon—is there anything more emblematic of childhood?
Chef Emily Phillips was first introduced to the world of handcrafted ice cream as a little girl in North Carolina. She and her sisters would make ice cream with their Mom using fresh, local ingredients. It was so good, Emily begged to take it around their neighborhood in her little red wagon to earn spending money.
That’s the inspiration for not only the name – Red Wagon Creamery – but the mission. After ten years as a chef, including stints at the 5-star Matakauri Lodge and Carrington Golf Resort/Karikari Estate Winery in New Zealand, Chef Emily decided to take her chef experience and combine it with her love of locally-sourced, all-natural ice cream.
With her culinary background, Chef Emily is able to make ice cream that combines fresh, local ingredients with responsible exotics to achieve flavor profiles that are a far cry from what we’ve settled for in ice cream. Using fresh, local, hormone-free milk and cream gives the ice cream a robust flavor and mouth feel that takes you back to when you were a kid—when ice cream was made from real, honest ingredients.
All our ice creams are handcrafted in our commercial kitchen in Eugene, Oregon, by Chef Emily and her husband (and lackey) Stuart.
Together, they’re saving ice cream—one scoop at a time. So, give them a lick!
