Tom Seiter, 23, and Jocelyn Nestell, 23 established Rhode Ilin Ice Cream this very year, 2008. We are both Rhode Island natives, and have recently returned to Rhode Island from college, Tom from Denison University in Ohio, and Jocelyn from the University of Hawai’i.

Upon returning to Rhode Island, we decided to start an ice cream business, with the goal of making the best tasting ice cream possible, using the freshest local ingredients possible. Why? We wanted to start a business with environmentally- and socially-conscientious practices, selling food we love to local people. Our products support many local businesses, including farms, a non-profit organization, and small businesses, contributing money toward businesses we want to support, and keeping dollars flowing in this state. Plus, the closer to home our goods are created, the less we contribute to the pollution caused by transportation.

Our products come from many places with which Rhode Islanders might be familiar. Our dairy comes from the Winsor Dairy in Johnston, who gets their dairy from a coop of localized New England farmers. Our peanut butter is made with organic ingredients and is crafted by Cinagro in Providence, RI. Our mint and berries will mostly be coming from the Moosup Valley farm in Greene, RI, although we have used strawberries from different farms, so feel free to ask us where the berries for any particular batch were derived. Our Maple Syrup comes from Charlie’s Sugar House in Greene, RI. We buy Autocrat Coffee Syrup from Autocrat, Lincoln, RI. Our tee-shirts were printed by Riverzedge Arts Project, a non-profit organization in partnership with at-risk youth in Woonsocket. And our ice cream cart even has a history with this state, being here since at least 1982 with the former Big Alice’s Ice Cream in Providence. It’s making its way back on the streets with us this summer.

Though some of the ingredients we use, like chocolate, vanilla, and cane sugar, are not grown locally, we try to use the best-tasting ingredients we can to make the finest ice cream. After all, ice cream is what we are here for to begin with! Please e-mail us with any suggestions, complements, criticisms, or thoughts. We’d love to hear from you.