White Tree Farm, a family-owned working dairy goat farm and artisan cheesemaker in Statesville, North Carolina, is now welcoming visitors through a bookable Airbnb Experience that gives Charlotte-area residents and travelers an opportunity to experience life on a working farm firsthand.
The approximately 90-minute guided experience, “Pet the goats and taste farm fresh goat cheese,” takes guests beyond a traditional farm visit. Visitors meet and interact with White Tree Farm’s dairy goats, learn about the animals and daily farm operations, visit the farm’s processing area to see where the goats are milked and cheese is made, and finish their visit with a guided tasting of cheeses and other products made on the farm.
“We want people to experience the whole connection between the animals, the farm and the food they eventually see on the table,” said Heather Goforth, owner of White Tree Farm. “Guests get to meet the goats, learn how we care for them, see where the milk becomes cheese and then sit down and taste what was produced right here on the farm.”
The experience offers an accessible day-trip option for families, couples, food lovers and travelers looking for something different to do while visiting the greater Charlotte and Lake Norman region.
White Tree Farm produces small-batch artisan goat cheese using milk from its own dairy goats. The farm’s European Goat Cheese earned 2024 Fresh Cheese of the Year honors in both the Southeast Farmstead Dairy Products Competition, presented through the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, and the Got To Be NC Dairy Competition.
The Airbnb Experience has already welcomed visitors from Charlotte and beyond, with guests highlighting the opportunity to interact with the animals, learn about cheesemaking and sample the farm’s assortment of cheeses and other products.
Unlike a petting zoo or self-guided attraction, the White Tree Farm experience is hosted on an operating dairy farm. Guests learn directly from the people who raise the goats and produce the cheese, offering a closer look at the work behind small-scale local food production.
“Most people buy cheese without ever meeting the animal that produced the milk or the person who made it,” Goforth said. “We can give them all of that in one visit.”
Farm visits are available by advance reservation only. Current dates, availability and booking are handled through Airbnb.
- Book the White Tree Farm Airbnb Experience: airbnb.com/x/whitetreefarm
- Learn More About White Tree Farm: www.ncwhitetreefarm.com
- Public Information: 704-380-4528
About White Tree Farm
White Tree Farm is a family-owned dairy goat farm and artisan cheesemaker located in Statesville, North Carolina. The farm produces small-batch goat cheese from the milk of its own herd and offers visitors an opportunity to experience the connection between farming, animals and locally produced food through guided farm tours and tastings. White Tree Farm products are available locally and online for nationwide shipping.
