North Carolina State Has Its Own Ice Cream. Here's How To Get It.

From the East Coast to the West Coast, Americans seem to have an almost fanatical love for ice cream. That said, it's nearly impossible to find the single best ice cream shop in one state alone. 

Food and Wine, for example, claims that the best ice cream shop in Pennsylvania is Bassett's Ice Cream in Philadelphia, while Delish declares The Franklin Fountain, also located in Philadelphia, to be the most popular. Eat This Not That gives the honor of the best creamery in Nevada to Steve's Homemade Ice Cream in Fernley, although Best Things Nevada hails Grandma Daisy's Candy Store and Ice Cream Parlor in Boulder City as the champ. Point is, all fifty states have their own coolest ice cream shop — and in North Carolina, ice cream isn't just a delicious treat, it's a college lesson. 

North Carolina State University is home not only to the NC Wolfpack basketball team, but to their very own ice cream brand. Boasting a wide variety of flavors and a state-wide cult following, Howling Cow Ice Cream is a treat produced by students, for students. That's right — students at North Carolina State make their own ice cream, with their own personal creamery located on campus. But now, it's not just students and faculty who can enjoy a cup of Howling Cow in their dorms and offices. You can enjoy some Wolfpack-made ice cream too — if you know where to go, that is.

Started in the 1940s as part of an experiment that combined North Carolina State's sprawling 329-acre dairy farm and the university's food science program (via Howling Cow's history), Howling Cow is one of the crown jewels of the Old North State's campus. Created at the college's very own Feldmeier Dairy Processing Lab, the ice cream was originally limited to just the campus, meaning you'd have to be either a student, a faculty member, or willing to visit the Wolfpack to get your hands on a pint of strawberry ice cream. In 2008, however, a partnership with Harris Teeter meant that Howling Cow could finally be offered state-wide.

While Howling Cow can be purchased on campus or at the school's Dairy Education Center and Creamery, it can also be ordered via Harris Teeter stores across North Carolina (via North Carolina State News). Harris Teeter licensed the Howling Cow trademark from the university, along with 6 of its famous ice cream flavors, to sell at their stores across the state. Proceeds from the licensing agreement will go back to North Carolina State to help fund student scholarships and new programs for the school's dairy and agricultural fields.

Although plans to sell Howling Cow nationwide are a bit farther off, North Carolinians will be happy to know that it's a bit easier to purchase their beloved ice cream — as long as there is a Harris Teeter store nearby.