It’s been a while since I posted anything here on Life With Mack. A lot has happened in life since my last posts, and the blog needs a huge overhaul! But I’ll worry about that later. First, we need to talk about one of my favorite things… local farms!
Every year in our area of North Carolina, the CFSA (Carolina Farm Stewardship Association) hosts the Piedmont Farm Tours. This is where 30+ farms local to the Triangle area open their pastures to anyone who wants to shop local and learn more about the farms, farmers, and what they do. I moved back up to Raleigh in 2020, and I have been wanting to get tickets ever since.
Finally, this year I remembered! The farm tours typically take place around the last weekend in April every Spring, rain or shine. This year, it happened to fall on my 6th anniversary with my boyfriend, so we decided to make a weekend of it! On Saturday, April 26th, the “kickoff” farms open at noon and close at 6pm. This meant that if we were going to see as many farms as possible, I needed to make a plan. I got on Google Maps, and I didn’t stop until I had a plan to see 5 farms on Saturday and then 5 farms again on Sunday. This entailed making notes of how long we could stay at each farm and how long the drive was from one to another. I later realized this was quite ambitious and didn’t allow us to spend the time we wanted at each farm, so on Sunday, we only made it to 2 of the farms on the list.
Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm
2025’s list had some amazing farms to choose from, and one that I was intrigued by was the first on my list. Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm was our first stop on Saturday, and we live an hour and 10 minutes away, so I made sure we arrived right when they opened to maximize our farm touring abilities for the day.
The owner of the farm welcomed us aboard a tractor-pulled wagon for a guided tour through the beautiful, rolling pastures where their bison herds rotationally graze. As we rode along, he shared insights into the benefits of bison, from their low environmental impact to the nutritional advantages of their meat compared to other options on the market. The tour lasted about 30 minutes and was interactive with plenty of opportunities for questions along the way. Sunset Ridge also offers tours for those interested in a deeper look at life on a bison farm.
After the tour, they were selling bison sausage and different cuts of bison. We brought home some bison ribeye and spicy sausages that were delicious. If you’re interested in purchasing bison meat from Sunset Ridge, you can find they’re meat for sale at the Carrboro and Durham Farmers Markets. They also have a beautiful event venue on the property overlooking a pond and their pastures.
Boxcarr Handmade Cheese
Next stop on the list was the very charming Boxcarr Handmade Cheese. They are a dairy goat operation that makes amazing and delicious handmade cheeses with goat and cow’s milk. They have a herd of momma goats that they milk twice a day. With the farm tours being in spring, of course, many baby goats are bouncing around. Boxcarr has a handful of goats that they keep each year, and then the rest of the lil’ cuties are for sale. The babies were super adorable, curious, and sweet. We each got to hold a baby goat, which was probably the best animal interaction we got to have all day! ❤
Boxcarr was also selling the most amazing fried cheese balls and lemonade to keep us going on our farm day adventure! If you have littles or you just love goats or cheese or cute farms with lots of animals, I highly recommend Boxcarr on your next NC Farm Tour! We also left with some of their spreadable herb and garlic Freshen cheese that was delicious on sourdough toast, in pasta, and as a spreadable option for a cheese board.
Check out their website Boxcarr Handmade Cheese for more delicious types of handmade cheese and where you can find their cheese for sale. They also have shipping options!
Minka Farm
Tucked away in the peaceful countryside of Efland, Minka Farm is a beautifully managed pasture-based meat operation that’s all about ethical and sustainable farming. Rolling green hills stretch as far as the eye can see, where contented cows graze freely and happy hogs roam in wooded pastures.
What stood out most to me was how intentional their setup feels. Each animal gets room to engage in natural behaviors, from rooting in the woods to frolicking in lush fields. Their focus on rotational grazing helps regenerate the soil and keeps the land healthy.
Minka’s offerings include pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb, and goat, all sold directly to local customers. They consistently emphasize transparency; each cut comes from animals that have lived a life rooted in care, respect, and space to roam. If you’re looking for high-quality, ethically raised meat in the Triangle area, Minka Farm is a gem worth supporting.
Plowgirl Farm
Nestled just west of Chapel Hill, Plowgirl Farm is a vibrant model of sustainable, small-scale farming. The farmer cultivates a diverse assortment of organic heirloom vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and even culinary ginger across a cozy 2-acre plot, where hives of honeybees are hard at work. You’ll also find mushroom log kits and ginger pots for sale; perfect for bringing a bit of farm life home. My ginger is happy growing on my apartment balcony!
The farm’s heart beats not just in its crops, but through its awesome zero-waste partnership with Dingo Dog Brewery, where “ugly produce” that doesn’t make the market gets brewed into beer and cider, and the spent grain finds new life as fertilizer. You’ll also find Dingo Dog selling their delicious cider and beer during the tour.
It’s a place where responsible stewardship meets community spirit: you can tour the veggie beds, learn about mushroom cultivation, sample farm-brewed drinks, and take home beautifully grown goodies. You can find her selling beautiful produce on the weekends at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market.
Chapel Hill Creamery
Our last stop on Saturday could not have been sweeter (or more delicious). Chapel Hill Creamery is a small but mighty dairy operation known for its award-winning, pasture-raised cheeses made from the milk of their beautiful Swiss cows.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by lush pastures full of milk cows. We spent some time feeding fresh handfuls of grass to the cows and walking along pastures where the herd members were lounging in the spring sun. As we made our way towards the dairy, there was a pasture full of heifers and a couple of young bulls grazing. They also had a handful of adorable curious calves that had been born within the last week.
Inside the farm stand, we picked up two cheeses to take home: Calvander, their asiago-style aged cheese, and Dairyland Farmer’s Cheese coated in fresh dill. Both cheeses are perfect for snacking, melting in an omelette, or adding to a spring salad. And just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, we grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich made with their melty, homemade cheese. It was the perfect way to end a long day of touring and tasting.
Chapel Hill Creamery is a gem for any cheese lover and a beautiful example of how thoughtfully raised animals can create incredible food. You can find their cheese at farmers markets local to the triangle, as well as a few select grocery stores in North Carolina.
Stoney Mountain Farm
On Sunday morning, we headed out for the hour drive to our first farm of the day, Stoney Mountain Farm, where Olga is raising her flock in Burlington, North Carolina. She has been there for about 20 years and raises three different breeds of sheep, mainly for wool but also for meat. We were lucky enough to get a private tour of the farm from Olga. She taught us a lot of information about the wool, lambing, sheep health, pasture rotation, and flock protection. The tour group was small, so we were able to ask many questions as well as hear the questions of the rest of the tour group, which included a couple who previously raised sheep.
Olga attributed some of her success to her location between the Triangle as well as the Triad areas in North Carolina. This has allowed her to get her products to where the demand is easily. She has also done a great job of marketing her wool dryer balls, sponges, felting wool, and lanolin products.
We ended up grabbing some lunch here; they were serving beef and chicken empanadas. Of course, we couldn’t leave without grabbing some large wool sponges as well as smaller ones that are gentle enough to be used on your face, as well as some wool yarn. We also grabbed 2 packs of mutton sausage, which was delicious.
We ended up spending a couple of hours at Stoney Mountain Farm touring, walking around, shopping, and eating. We were also pretty tired from driving and walking, and a couple of the farms I had planned to tour on Sunday were similar to ones we visited the day before.
Haw River Mushrooms
For our last stop, we ended up choosing a farm unlike any other we had seen on the tour. Which was Haw River Mushrooms in Saxapahaw, NC. This innovative farm is run by a wife-and-husband duo who’ve streamlined the process of growing gourmet mushrooms for markets across the Triangle. We received a guided tour from Laura, one of the owners, who walked us through each step of their process, from mixing and sterilizing the substrate to inoculating grow bags in a clean room on the farm.
Once the spores colonize about 90% of the substrate, the bags are moved into a fruiting room. A small incision is made in the bag to expose the mycelium to oxygen, encouraging the mushrooms to fruit where the bag is cut. (Fun face: like humans, mushrooms take in oxygen and release CO2!)
Laura shared so much helpful insight about their operation, including how she got started and what she’s learned along the way. It was inspiring to hear her speak so candidly and genorously with advice.
They had all kinds of amazing products for sale: mushroom coffee, jerky, tinctures, and even grow bags you can take home to grow your own mushrooms. We picked up some teriyaki mushroom jerky, a lion’s mane grow bag, and a lion’s mane tincture (which I now add to my matcha daily). Needless to say, they’re running an impressive operation at Haw River Mushrooms, and I’m already looking forward to going back for more.
Ready to Go Next Year?
The Piedmont Farm Tour happens every April, and you can grab a pass to visit all participating farms over the weekend. It’s $35 per car in advance online and $40 per car on the weekend of the event.
Spending the weekend touring these farms was such a grounding, inspiring experience. There’s something really special about walking the land, meeting the farmers, and seeing firsthand how much care goes into producing the food we eat. From the bison pastures to the baby goats to the cheese tastings and mushroom talk, every stop gave me a deeper appreciation for local agriculture and the people behind it.
If you’re curious about where your food comes from, dreaming of a slower, more intentional lifestyle, or just looking for a fun and meaningful weekend activity, the Piedmont Farm tour is for you! Whether you’re planning your own homestead someday or simply love connecting with your community in new ways, these tours are a beautiful reminder that change starts with knowing your farmers, supporting local, and asking good questions.
Thanks for being here and coming along for the ride! I can’t wait to share more moments like these, and hopefully the next update won’t be so long in the making.
Life With Mack 