Molly the mule hits the treadmill to make ice cream for summer crowds

People in the Calgary-area are getting a chance to sample a different kind of sweet treat — ice cream created by mule power.

A mule named Molly is hitting the treadmill to help produce the summer favourite at the 50th Annual Show at Pioneer Acres, a western heritage centre just outside of the town of Irricana, Alta., about a 45-minute drive northeast of Calgary.

Molly’s owner Joe Jeffray knows just what to do if she’s “stubborn as a mule” when it comes time to make ice cream.

“We tempt her with some oats,” Jeffray said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We tempt her with some oats," Jeffray said.

Shaking some into a bowl, Jeffray managed to coax Molly onto the treadmill which is connected to a rod that turns an old-fashioned ice cream churn.

This is the fourth year Jeffray has taken his mule to help make ice cream at the Pioneer Acres show.

According to Jeffray’s friend Charles Pedersen — also along to help wrangle Molly — it’s always a big hit with visitors to the event.

“When they know what’s coming, they line up for quite a ways here,” Pedersen said.

And Molly seems to enjoy her time on the “treadmule”.

“She’s in her element,” Pedersen said. “And she likes the attention, too.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "She's in her element," Pedersen said. "And she likes the attention, too."

This year’s edition of the Annual Show features horses and horse-drawn equipment, including devices like a grain-grinder and a large saw used to cut firewood.

“Just to keep the heritage going, get people interested in carrying this on,” Pedersen said. “And seeing what they did many years ago.”

“They get a better sense of how much physical effort it was in that era to actually make a living and generate enough food for themselves,” Jeffray said.

The two men are also looking forward to again sharing a joke with visitors watching Molly on the treadmill.

“The reason we have vanilla ice cream is because Molly is white,” Jeffray said. “If we had a brown mule we could make chocolate ice cream.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The reason we have vanilla ice cream is because Molly is white," Jeffray said. "If we had a brown mule we could make chocolate ice cream."

The 50th Annual Show happens Friday Aug. 9 through Sunday Aug. 11 at Pioneer Acres.

More information is available at the Pioneer Acres website.

Molly will be helping make ice cream each day at 3 p.m., providing visitors a welcome cool treat during the heat of the afternoon.

“They obviously seem to like the ice cream,” Jeffray said. “Because they keep coming back until it’s all gone.”