CHEROKEE CABINS NC SMOKY MOUNTAINS BRYSON CITY - NORTH CAROLINA     |     home

CHEESE
  Discover hand-crafted cheeses in the north Carolina Mountains.  Visitorsto the North Carolina mountains have the opportunity to discover some of the freshest, tastiest, hand-crafted cheeses in the region. Made from the milk of goats and cows lovingly raised on small mountain farms, these cheeses are sought after by some of the region's finest restaurants, as well as discerning individuals.


Yellow Branch Farm, in Robbinsville, NC, creates mild, buttery, full-bodied farmstead cheese from the fresh milk of their pet dairy cows.
Yellow Branch Cheese and Pottery
Bruce DeGroot, co-owner
Karen Mickler, co-owner
136 Yellow Branch Circle
Robbinsville, NC 28771
(828) 479-6710
Yellow Branch Cheese and Pottery is located on 50 acres in a mountain cove near Fontana Lake. Our aim is to live from the land in a sustainable way. Our passion is to grow as much of our food as we can. We acquired a jersey milk cow in 1981 and within a few years and a few more cows, shifted from growing organic vegetables for the restaurant trade to becoming licensed in 1986 to produce and sell the cheese we originated and were making for ourselves. The dairy is pasture-based, and the pastures and hay fields are managed using sustainable organic practices. No herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers are used. Growth hormones are not given to the cows. Yellow Branch Cheeses are made by hand in small batches following an original recipe that Karen developed and Bruce has refined. Whole unpasteruized milk is used along with microbial rennet, lactic culture, and Celtic Sea Salt. The distinctive flavor of the handcrafted cheese results from the high-quality fresh milk flavored by the nutritious pasture grasses and hand-cut, fresh greens consumed by the cows. Yellow Branch Farmstead Cheese has a mild, buttery, full-bodied flavor and is a versatile table cheese that goes well with many foods. Award-winning Yellow Branch Pepper is made with jalapeno peppers organically grown in the vegetable garden and ripened to bright red. The creamy flavor of the Farmstead cheese is enriched with a mildly-hot, ripe pepper taste. Yellow Branch Basil is made with basil grown in the vegetable garden and the herb compliments the creamy, flavorful Farmstead variety. Yellow Branch Natural Rind is unwaxed and is a sharper, drier version of the Farmstead with cheddar overtones. The pottery is a working pottery studio established in 1983. The studio which was built by Bruce, is located down the hill from the farm on land which is being gardened to provide food and habitat especially for butterflys and hummingbirds. Benches and a picnic table provide pleasant places to sit and enjoy the sounds and sights of the water, birds, butterflys and garden. Karen has been making pots for over 30 years. She produces distinctive funtional stoneware on the potter's wheel and makes some hand-built items as well. Table ware, oven ware, planters, lamps, luminaries, sculpture, ornaments, along with the work of neighboring artisans are for sale in the gallery. Cheese is available at the pottery studio to sample and to purchase.
We welcome visitors to our farm.






Spinning Spider Creamery in Marshall is a family operation that hand crafts selected artisanal fresh, bloomy rind, and raw milk aged cheeses. Both their cheeses and their goats have won awrds regionally.  
Spinning Spider Creamery
4717 East Fork Rd
Marshall, NC 28753
(828) 689-5508
Spinning Spider Creamery is a fully licensed farmstead dairy offering a variety of fresh and aged goat cheese. We hand craft selected artisanal fresh, bloomy rind, and raw milk aged cheeses. Our cheeses and our goats have won recognition regionally. We are a family business dedicated to our lifestyle of raising healthy children and goats on our family farm. Look for Spinning Spider Creamery farmstead goat cheese at local restaurants and specialty stores. Come visit with a family member and sample our cheeses at local tailgate markets.

Dark Cove Pottery and Farm in Cullowhee, NC
Dark Cove Pottery and Farm
Cullowhee, NC 28723
(828) 293-3791
Dark Cove Goat Cheese is made only from the milk produced by our small herd (10 milkers) of Alpine goats. We take pride in the individual care our animals receive because we believe that milk from happy, healthy goats makes the best cheese. We are a licensed cheese-making facility.


Yellow Wolf Farm
Yellow Wolf Farm
7154 Three Top Rd
Todd, NC 28684
(336) 709-6541

We welcome visitors to our farm -- please call first.




Cheeses from these farms and others are available at farmers' markets and tailgate markets throughout Western North Carolina. You can ask for them in area restaurants and grocery stores.