A visit to Sweetwater Valley Farm at Philadelphia introduces children to farm life where work is hard, days are long and milk doesn’t come in plastic jugs. The 700-head (dairy cows, that is; total cows can be anywhere from 1,800 to 2,500) milking farm is one of the few Tennessee dairy farms to open its doors to school tours and families alike.
“Visitors can see our dairy parlor, where the cows are housed, what type of feed they eat and our cheese-making facility,” says Kent Goforth, “the complete sequence of events that we call ‘from cows to cheddar.’”
After watching the cheese being made, visitors can purchase some to take home at the cheese shop. The tour lasts about 45 minutes.
Year-round walking tours are available by appointment. 1-877-862-4332; www.sweetwatervalley.com. Location: 17988 West Lee Hwy., Philadelphia.
—Gail Fleenor
