From simple classics to unique options like Bourbon Crunch and Cherry Althea, Kuegel’s Creamery is serving more than a dozen flavors of Kentucky-made ice cream from a cow-spotted trailer that’s quickly becoming a familiar sight at Owensboro-area events.
The new business, launched this spring by fourth-generation farmer Joshua Kuegel with help from his girlfriend, Ella Bewley, features premium ice cream handcrafted by fellow Kentucky farm family Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green. The partnership pairs two well-known agricultural names while giving Kuegel a new way to remain rooted in the industry he has always called home.
The idea, however, predates the trailer by decades.
“This started a long time ago,” Kuegel said. “Mom and Dad looked into doing this long before I was born. We talked about putting a storefront up so we could take our milk and make ice cream with it, but it just never came about.”
After earning his master’s degree in agribusiness from Murray State University in 2025, Kuegel began exploring business opportunities that would allow him to return to the family farm full time. While he considered several ideas, including drone spraying, he kept coming back to one that combined agriculture with something nearly everyone enjoys.
“I’ve always loved ice cream,” he said. “I haven’t met somebody who really doesn’t love ice cream.”
He purchased the trailer in March and spent the following weeks working through the permitting process before holding a soft opening on the family farm in late May for friends and relatives. A few weeks later, Kuegel’s Creamery made its public debut.
The response has exceeded his expectations.
“We’ve had a good turnout at most events,” he said.
The trailer will continue making appearances throughout the holiday week, including Friday at Panther Creek Park and Saturday at English Park during local Independence Day festivities.
Although Kuegel’s own family no longer produces dairy, he wanted the ice cream itself to remain deeply connected to Kentucky agriculture. That led him to Chaney’s Dairy Barn, a Bowling Green dairy owned by longtime family friends.
“We went down, met with him and wanted to talk to him about whether he’d be willing to work with us,” Kuegel said. “He’s been wonderful.”
Every scoop sold by Kuegel’s Creamery begins with milk from Chaney’s herd of Jersey cows before being transformed into small-batch ice cream in Bowling Green.
“It’s Kentucky milk turned into Kentucky ice cream,” Kuegel said. “It’s nice to have a product that was sourced here in the state.”
Depending on the event schedule, Kuegel makes trips to Bowling Green to restock the trailer’s freezer, often purchasing enough inventory for several events at a time.
For now, the menu remains intentionally simple, with hand-dipped ice cream served in cups and cones. Waffle cones are expected to be added soon, while milkshakes and other offerings may come later.
“I’m still trying to learn more,” Kuegel said. “The main thing is I want to put a product out that people are happy with, and I want them to be happy with what they’re paying for.”
The trailer offers familiar favorites like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry alongside specialty flavors unique to Chaney’s lineup.
Cow Tracks features vanilla ice cream with Snickers pieces and a caramel swirl. Bourbon Crunch blends bourbon-flavored ice cream with a chocolate swirl and vanilla wafers. Wow Now Brownie Cow layers chocolate ice cream with brownie chunks, chocolate swirl, and chocolate flakes.
Cherry Althea, meanwhile, was named after one of Chaney’s cows and combines cherry ice cream with cherry pieces and chocolate flakes.
Among customers, banana pudding has quickly become one of the biggest sellers.
“If you’ve ever had banana pudding, it tastes like you’re eating banana pudding,” Kuegel said. “It’s some of the best ice cream I’ve had.”
While the trailer offers a sweet treat, Kuegel hopes it also sparks conversations about agriculture.
One reason the trailer was designed to resemble a Holstein cow was to encourage visitors to ask questions about farming and dairy production.
“We’d have people come out on tours, and you’d ask kids where their milk comes from, and they’d just say the grocery store,” Kuegel said. “When people ask questions, we love getting to talk to them about where their product’s coming from. It’s nice knowing people are able to ask questions to farmers who are able to answer them.”
The mission is also personal.
Kuegel represents the fourth generation of his family to farm the same land. His great-grandfather moved from Indiana as a tenant farmer before eventually purchasing the property. His grandfather’s generation farmed together as Kuegel Bros., and Joshua’s family continued the dairy operation after the others moved into different areas of agriculture.
“We started milking here in 1937,” Kuegel said. “I’m the fourth generation on our farm.”
For him, Kuegel’s Creamery is about more than building a business.
“I got back from college with a master’s in ag business, and I’ve always grown up on the farm,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to farm, and I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else. This trailer was another opportunity to give me a better chance at being able to stay on the farm and do something within the ag industry, and to help support the ag industry and give a voice to it.”
Kuegel’s Creamery posts its upcoming locations and event schedule on Facebook, where most customers have discovered the business through social media or word of mouth. As the trailer continues making the rounds this summer, Kuegel hopes every scoop serves as both a taste of Kentucky and a reminder of the farm families behind it.
