What kid wouldn’t love the chance to explore an awesome playground, try their hand at cornhole, get up close with cows, sheep, and ducks, and top it all off with an ice cream cone or cup? Hopkins Farm Creamery may be a local “go-to” for ice cream, but it has grown into so much more. Today, it’s a family-friendly destination at the corner of Route 9 and Sweetbriar Road, complete with a produce pavilion and a market coming soon.
The addition of Smokin’ D’z Barbecue has also added a popular lunch option. Previously located at the corner of Cave Neck Road and Coastal Highway, Smokin’ D’z serves up hearty portions of baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, barbecue chicken, and hot dogs. Live music is featured on weekends, making it an inviting spot to grab a bite and stay awhile.
Both Smokin’ D’z and Hopkins Farm Creamery are locally owned family businesses. Six generations of the Hopkins family have worked the farm, and family members see themselves as “stewards of the land, the keepers of the harvest,” with a deep belief that their “connection to the farm is sacred.”
The Hopkins family legacy dates back to 1867, when William Hopkins purchased the farmland. He later graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in agricultural engineering and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era before returning home to lead the family farm.
Over the years, the farm, known as Green Acres, maintained a herd of approximately 600 milking cows and, at its peak, produced more than 12 million pounds of milk annually. Walter C. Hopkins played a pivotal role in expanding the farm’s offerings, collaborating with his late son, Walter “Burli” Hopkins Jr., to launch the on-farm Hopkins Farm Creamery in 2008. Today, Walter’s grandson, Michael Hopkins, owns and operates the farm.
Other family members remain actively involved, including Amy Hopkins, a fifth-generation farmer and president of the American Center for Farming Heritage.
Amy began her “second career” after working in national security and the defense and aerospace industries. She started her professional life in public service, first working on the staff of Senator William V. Roth Jr., the Delaware senator best known for creating the popular retirement account now known as the Roth IRA.
In 2025, Amy returned home to Lewes to continue the Hopkins family’s farming legacy. She founded the American Center for Farming Heritage with the goal of “connecting people with the story of the American farm family, fostering a deeper understanding of where our food comes from, and inspiring future generations through experiential learning,” according to the farm’s website. Future plans call for a multi-species Livestock Learning Center featuring educational exhibits, heritage livestock, and seasonal programming designed to engage children, families, and visitors to the region.
Entrepreneurship seems to run deep in the Hopkins family. Rounding out the current generation of family innovators is Lewes native Ingrid Hopkins. A graduate of Cape Henlopen High School, Ingrid earned a degree in Equestrian Science and Veterinary Nursing. After more than two decades working as a veterinary nurse and training horses, she returned to Hopkins Farm to create a business of her own.
Ingrid renovated the original 1837 Hopkins farmhouse into The Covered Bridge Inn, a bed-and-breakfast. She later shifted her business focus toward weddings and now operates Hopkins Heartland, a farm wedding venue.
You might say the Hopkins family runs a business that cares. Their approach is rooted in honoring the past while looking toward the future. As the family puts it: “We do this to not only honor the generations that came before us, but for every single farmer and agriculturalist that has worked, sacrificed, and educated others in an attempt to slow the progress of the vanishing family farm.”
By Mary Jo Tarallo, Resident Journalist
Mary Jo Tarallo spent much of her career in public relations with various non-profits and spent 40 years involved with the ski industry as a journalist, public relations director for a national trade association and as executive director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative. Prior to her ski industry involvement she worked for the Maryland International Center in Baltimore and United Way of Central Maryland. She won a Gold Award for TV programming for a United Way simulcast that starred Oprah Winfrey. She has been cited for her work by numerous organizations. Mary Jo grew up in Baltimore, attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, lived in Washington, DC for 21 years and has been a full time resident of Rehoboth Beach and Milton since May 2019.
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