Each year at the Got to Be NC Festival, we recognize three young farmers between the ages of 18 and 40 through our Young Farmer of the Day Program, presented by AgCarolina Farm Credit and AgSouth Farm Credit. These young farmers work hard every single day to further the N.C. Agriculture industry and build upon it as the next generation of leaders. Come out during the Got to Be NC Festival this year, May 16-18th, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds to help us recognize them and say thank you for all their hard work!
The Got to Be NC Festival Young Farmer of the Day for Sunday, May 18th, is Stephanie Carter with Ithika Acres Creamery in Raeford! Stephanie and her family have owned goats for over 20 years. In 2005, Ithika Acres Creamery was started with a passion for something new in the dairy products industry. “We found a need for an alternative to common dairy products,” Stephanie said, “and through our experience with goat farming, we launched Ithika Acres Creamery to educate the public on goat farming and provide unique goat products to the industry, including goat cheese, goat soap and goat milk lotion.” Although the farm was established in 2005, their first products didn’t launch until 2018.
Located on 101-acres of beautiful farmland in Hoke County, Ithika Acres Creamery not only raises goats and provides a plethora of goat milk products to customers, but they also offer a variety of agritourism events throughout the year to invite the community out to the farm. “We love educating the public – old, new, and in between – about the integral part that agriculture plays in all of our lives,” Stephanie said. From goat yoga and farm tours to classes at the local extension office and textile petting experiences through the Silver Lining Program, Stephanie is constantly providing opportunities for the public to learn about agriculture, specifically goat farming. “Today, according to the U.S. Labor Department, the average farmer is 58 years old. We want to teach the younger generation about what a wonderful career and lifestyle farming can be,” she said. “In the future, we hope to implement an internship program in which young, aspiring farmers can learn about what we do on a daily basis and what it takes to run a farm. By enriching future farmers with the knowledge we hold, our goal is to watch young farmers fall in love with the industry just as we did.” Farm tours and goat yoga can be booked on the farms website.
Ithika Acres Creamery is home to three breeds of goats: Alpine, Saanen, and Anglo-Nubian. “We chose these breeds strategically because we knew that we wanted to make cheese from the start,” Stephanie said. “These goats also have a great personality, they will come right up to you and love on you, which makes them good for agritourism and community events.” From Plain Jane Goat Cheese to specialty flavors like Cranberry Honey Walnut Goat Cheese and Raspberry Jalapeño Bacon Goat Cheese, Stephanie and her family work hard to produce a variety of products to appeal to everyone’s taste buds. “One of our favorite things is visiting the local farmers market, meeting with our customers, and seeing the fruit of our labors as people try the goat cheese and fall in love with the flavor,” Stephanie said.
In addition to their goat cheese, Ithika Acres Creamery also produces a variety of bath and beauty products, including Goat Milk Soap and Lotion. Products from their farm can be purchased online through their website, onsite at the farm in Raeford, or at local farmers markets, including the Holly Springs Farmers Market and the Moore County Farmers Market.
We are so thankful for all the hard work that Stephanie and her family do through Ithika Acres Creamery. From providing fresh, local products to educating the community on the importance of agriculture, they are a staple in the industry that will continue to make a difference in the years to come. If you see them on the festival grounds today, be sure to thank them in person, and purchase some of their products for yourself this week!
