After over a year of collaboration, NC State has partnered with Harris Teeter to sell Howling Cow ice cream in grocery stores, which has been exclusively produced at the university’s campus for more than half a century.

On Jan. 8, Howling Cow ice cream appeared on Harris Teeter shelves in 16 stores throughout the Triangle area. Within 24 hours, Howling Cow ice cream sold out of the grocery stores, according to Gary Cartwright, the director of the NC State dairy enterprise system. 

Cartwright explained how Harris Teeter became the first business outside of NC State to sell Howling Cow ice cream to the public.

Until 2005, the Umstead Act prohibited the university from selling ice cream and other dairy products that are produced on NC State’s campus, according to Cartwright. The Umstead Act is a state statute that prohibits a government agency to sell products that would compete with a private industry. This meant that previously, Howling Cow was restricted to being sold only on campus.

Because NC State is a public university funded by taxpayer money, items produced by the campus are considered a government agency. The N.C. dairy industry worked close with NC State’s dairy department and helped them get an exemption from this act.

Being exempt from the Umstead Act lead to two main caveats that NC State must abide by:

1) All dairy products are manufactured on campus at the NC State dairy farm, and

2) All dairy products are sold only on NC State’s campus. 

This means that the Howling Cow ice cream sold at Harris Teeter is technically not an NC State dairy product. Harris Teeter produces Howling Cow using their own ingredients and machinery, which are based off of the same equipment NC State uses in their dairy.

In order for another company to legally sell NC State’s product, they would have to license NC State’s formulas and produce their product under the same standards, in their own facilities and paying royalties back to the university.

Cartwright discussed the process of NC State transforming their dairy products, specifically ice cream, into becoming marketable for outside venders to sell.

“In 2009, we came up with Howling Cow,” Cartwright said. “We developed it right here in this department. We came up with a name and got with the university marketing people, who helped us come up with graphics. Howling Cow was 100 percent born out of NC State University.”

In the past, Howling Cow ice cream was only sold outside of NC State campus once a year at the North Carolina State Fair.

“Other than the alumni that would know of Howling Cow ice cream, the only other public entity that is being sold was at the North Carolina State Fair,” Cartwright said. “And that was the Food Science Club students who would buy the ice cream on campus, and then they would take it to the fair and run the operation there.” 

According to Cartwright, Harris Teeter was the first company that showed interest in teaming up with NC State to make Howling Cow ice cream accessible to the mass public in grocery stores.

“We have been working with Harris Teeter on this for over a year, probably a year and a half, working out the deals,” Cartwright said. “Harris Teeter wanted to test the market around the Raleigh area, where they knew Howling Cow was known.” 

Danna Robinson, communication manager at Harris Teeter, discussed Harris Teeter’s interest and involvement in partnering with NC State.

“Our company was founded in North Carolina in 1960,” Robinson said. “Featuring local and hyper-local specialty products that our shoppers love is just one way Harris Teeter strives to differentiate itself. We are proud to be Triangle’s hometown retailer, and we are thrilled to offer Howling Cow.”

Robinson emphasized that customer feedback has been positive since the presentation of the product in stores.

“We are overwhelmed and thrilled by the excitement surrounding Howling Cow ice cream,” Robinson said. “Our shoppers are sharing their excitement on social media. It is always a wonderful feeling when we can excite our shoppers with a local favorite.”

Both Robinson and Cartwright explained that the Harris Teeter does not plan on expanding Howling Cow outside of the Triangle area at this time.

So far, according to Cartwright, Harris Teeter carries six Howling Cow flavors, but many flavors are still exclusively sold on NC State’s campus, such as Wolf Tracks.

“Wolf Tracks will always be at NC State University, made with NC State milk,” Cartwright said. “That is a promise we made to the chancellor, and we are going to keep that.”