DARLINGTON, Wis. — As we continue to highlight the contributions of incredible Wisconsin women for Women’s History Month, one Lafayette County gelato store created a flavor to honor a dairy industry pioneer.

What You Need To Know

  • Lucky Cow Gelato honoring Women’s History Month with new flavor ‘Lady Howie’

  • Milwaukee socialite Adda Howie became turn of 20th century dairy expert

  • Long forgotten leader championed cleanliness and humane practices inside the milking parlor 

Lucky Cow Coffee and Gelato owner Amber McComish has the scoop on Adda Howie. She created the ‘Lady Howie,’ a decadent treat with lots of sweet peanut butter, bourbon and caramel goodies inside.   

 She says Howie, the turn of the century dairy producer, revolutionized the business of milking. Howie championed cleanliness in the milk parlor and  made the practice humane by playing the mandolin to her cows, putting curtains in the barn and something else:

"She was almost like a woman dairy activist, I mean she went to conferences she went to universities and talked about the things she does at the farm to help her cows perform better and to help her dairy perform better," McComish said.

In fact, the Milwaukee socialite's legacy lives on across internationally, but sadly long forgotten by most in Wisconsin.  

"She [Howie] could have been the Dairy Queen!" McComish said of her fame.  "She's [Howie] really was known in her day is to be one of the best women dairy farmers in the world," she added. 

25% of the proceeds from the new gelato flavor this month will benefit two charities McComish believes Lady Howie would approve of. They include Second Harvest and Madison’s Adopt-a-Cow Program.