Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties
STORRS, CT — This week's Hidden Gem is about as secluded as it was back in Colonial times, despite the booming academic metropolis that is the University of Connecticut just a short distance away.
Welcome to Mountain Dairy in Storrs.
At 758 acres, Mountain Dairy is the largest expanse of privately-held open space in the town of Mansfield, of which Storrs is a part, but it is also tucked away in the rolling hills of Tolland County.
The farm itself can be traced back to 1772, when Boaz and Lydia Stearns first worked the land. The conversion to milk and dairy took place in 1871. See a timeline here.
Much of the land is protected as a farm by the state and the milk is arguably the best tasting in the area.
Here's the full line of dairy products.
Mountain Dairy features a throwback look with throwback trucks. It stopped the delivery service in 2012 after 140-plus years, but recently revived the old milkman concept as folks became increasingly encouraged to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.
See more on Mountain Dairy and ordering here.
____
The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.
Other columns in this series:
This article originally appeared on the Mansfield-Storrs Patch
