1. The caring owners of Oak Moon Farm and Creamery in Bakersville believe at least one thing: happy goats make good milk, and good milk makes good cheese.

2. Visit the Alpine and LaMancha dairy goats at Round Mountain Creamery in Black Mountain for cheese tastings and farm tours.

3. The best way to enjoy the cheese at Goat Lady Dairy in Climax is by attending their “Dinner at the Dairy” series, offered one weekend per month in the spring and fall.

4. Every proper turophile will appreciate a visit to Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery in Fairview for their cage-aged cheeses.

5. Stop by the cheese shop at Looking Glass Dairy in Fairview to taste a variety of their cheeses alongside a few other Asheville-area accoutrements, like Hickory Nut Gap Meats and Lusty Monk Mustard.

6. You may go for the cheese at Buffalo Creek Farms in Germanton, but stay for the small group tour to talk about the importance of local food and life on a goat dairy farm.

7. Be sure to reserve your spot on a tour at Homeland Creamery in Julian where you’ll take a hayride around the farm, hand-milk Miss Betty, the simulated cow, and sample their ice cream.

8. For nearly 87 years, English Farmstead Cheese in Marion has been producing cow’s milk cheese. One bite and you’ll see why it’s just as popular today as its ever been.

9. With a vision for developing and sharing sustainable and energy efficient agriculture practices, Cultured Cow Creamery in South Durham is producing some of the best cheese in central North Carolina on their 135-acre farm.

10. Escape the city for a night away at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City. Stay in the farm’s inn, enjoy a locally-sourced breakfast, and meet the goats who produce the award-winning cheese.

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