If you’re looking for more cute animals, see our Adorable Farms and Petting Zoos story.

Educational opportunities at Split Creek Farm

The educational component is a big part of Split Creek Farm’s vision. They offer tours in person, as well as field trips and other opportunities to educate the public on what their farm does, which is a ton. The goats are the backbone of the farm, supplying milk to make their award-winning feta cheese, delicious fudge, yogurt, and other products. The farm also supports the local restaurant industry and breeds nearly-extinct species of goats. They also participate in local and regional goat shows and research.

Sandra and Jessica, the owners of Split Creek Farm, are pioneers in many areas of goat farming. Their non-profit raises funds to further the goals of the farm and integrate them even deeper into the supportive local community.

The self-guided goat farm tour

A self-guided goat tour is available Friday or Saturday, from 10 am – 5 pm. The farm shop is open for purchases Monday – Saturday, from 10 am – 5 pm. The farm employs a small number of people. And as you can imagine, it takes a huge amount of work to run the farm, which includes milking goats; making cheese, fudge, and yogurt; cleaning pens, collecting eggs, taking care of babies, and caring for and feeding the herd.

As much as Sandra and Jessica would like to take every single guest on a personal tour of the farm, they had to find a way to make what they do more accessible and understandable for guests and their families. And so the self-guided tour was born, complete with easy-to-read signs and directions.

The topics are broad and fascinating. Guests will learn about the different breeds of goats and why they’re unique. They’ll learn about how the cheese is made and where the goats are milked and how that process works. They’ll learn about every animal on the farm and why their individual jobs are important to making the farm run smoothly. I’ve personally been to Split Creek Farm numerous times and still learn a lot walking through the tour and reading all the signs.

For my kids and I, learning about where our food comes from and what goes into that process leads to a deeper appreciation for farms and all the work they do. My own love of goats is only compounded every time I learn more about them. And my goodness, they make me happy. And they make my kids happy, which is all the more reason to visit the farm and learn about the goats. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the kids (your’s, not the goats’) because it’s a working farm and guests must respect the rules.

Playing with the goats

Split Creek Farm treats their animals with extraordinary care. I’ve seen Sandra and Jessica speak to these animals exactly like I do my own kids. But the difference is that the goats listen! The animals obviously love the owners and employees, and the female goats are quite literally what makes the farm run due to the sale of the products made from their milk.

It’s no wonder the farm is protective of their animals. However, the animals get a lot of freedom, and you’ll probably run into goats wandering around and Sam the border collie making sure they’re in the right spot. Chickens and two enormous pot-bellied pigs roam around as well.

As long as guests respect the animals, they’re allowed to play with them and pet them. This is glorious. Playing with the goats, especially the smaller ones, is just awesome. They’re super curious (one really enjoyed munching on my daughter’s hair), sweet, and fun. Sam likes to play fetch with his frisbee and the chickens do their own thing.

Sometimes the farm hosts special events where guests can play with the baby goats or participate in goat yoga sessions. Follow their Facebook page for more information. It’s really fun to play with the goats, especially after you’ve completed the self-guided tour. You’ll have greater respect for the animals and what goes on at the farm.

Visiting Split Creek Farm

It’s free to visit the farm, and you don’t need to sign up to do a self-guided tour. Just follow all the posted rules, which include no pets. Once you arrive at the farm, you’ll see visitor parking on your left. The first couple of self-guided posts will be on your right, near the huge penned goat pasture on your left by the open barn. You’ll see the other posts around the farm.

Self-guided tours available Friday or Saturday, from 10 am – 5 pm.

The farm shop is open Monday – Saturday, from 10 am – 5 pm.

For the latest on events and baby goat pictures, follow Split Creek Farm on Facebook.

Split Creek Farm
3806 Centerville Road, Anderson
864-287-3921

Have you been on a goat farm tour? Let us know what you enjoyed most!