Purple Cow Ice Cream Is Pure Michigan and ONLY Available at Meijer

One thing I've noticed after moving to Michigan are some of the unique brands of food and drink that you can ONLY find here, or at the very least, only in this region of the country.

One of the most interesting to me was an ice cream company that only seems to be in Meijer stores, and NOWHERE else. They also happen to have some of the best ice cream I think I've ever had from a store.

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Purple Cow Ice Cream and dairy products are almost unmistakable in the freezer sections at Meijer. BRIGHT, PURPLE packaging with the cow on the front, and vivid imagery of the product with in its cartons or box. But why have I never heard of this dairy, and its ice cream products before?

It's because... they're Pure Michigan (and also Meijer stores in other Midwest states).

Fred Meijer, who founded the Meijer stores, was a fan of the product. In the early years of the grocery chain, Fred used to give out cards to "kids" aged 8-80, for a free hand-dipped cone. And on that card was a purple cow, based on the short poem, "The Purple Cow," written by Galett Burgess...

"I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one,
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one!"

Fred used to have Purple Cow Ice Cream shops in the Meijer stores, but many years ago, they disappeared as the grocery chain grew. However, years later, Meijer had the opportunity to bring the ice cream brand back.

In 2012, Meijer bought Bareman's Dairy in Holland, and launched its own brand of ice cream and dairy products under the "Purple Cow" moniker. Since then, Meijer stores have been the only place you can pick up "Scooperman" "Mackinac Island Fudge" and "Traverse City Cherry" ice cream flavors.

It is truly a unique brand, and closely tied to Meijer's home state. So it turns out, contrary to Mr. Burgess' poem, you CAN see purple cows, but only in Michigan.