Possum Kingdom Kreamery: A Grade A goat milk dairy and a Who’s Who of the animal kingdom
It’s a family joke that Scott and Tanya Clinton started a dairy so Tanya could have more goats.
Once a horse farm, Possum Kingdom Kreamery is now home to 70 Lamancha goats and has evolved into a Grade A raw goat milk dairy offering popular products can be found at retailers and farmers markets across the Upstate.
While goats are the feature, the farm family at Possum Kingdom Kreamery is a Who’s Who of the animal kingdom including pigs, chickens, a llama, horses, a donkey and a mule, sheep, cows and deer. Matter of fact, the farm operates a fawn rescue service that takes in several fawn each year for rehabbing.
“A goat farm is a natural candidate for taking in orphans of many species,” Tanya says. “After all, we have a ready supply of milk.”
Technically located in Belton, SC, the small family farm known as Mariah Farms for more than 40 years is situated in a small community referred to by locals as Possum Kingdom. Tanya’s parents moved to the community 46 years ago when she was a child. Having grown up with horses, the Clintons for several years focused their farm on horse breeding.
“We decided to change when we became tired of factory farming practices and not ‘knowing’ our food and what went into it,” Tanya said. “The gardens we grow and the livestock we choose advance us toward our goal of being self-sufficient.”
A working farm, Possum Kingdom Kreamery operates a cheese creamery and houses a farm store that features its products, along with those of other local producers. Offerings include soft fresh Farmstead Goat Cheese’s in several flavors, Feta style cheese, Kefir, caramel sauce and farm fresh eggs.
A member of the South Carolina Agritourism Association, Possum Kingdom Kreamery is included on the South Carolina Farm Fun tour that welcomes individuals and groups. The Kreamery also participates in WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farms), a global movement that places volunteers to live and work alongside host farm owners, allowing WWOOFERs to experience life as a farmer.
The public is invited to visit Possum Kingdom Kreamery, meet the goats, and try the milk and cheese.
Want to visit?
Possum Kingdom Kreamery, 520 Acker Road, Belton, SC 29627, (864) 423-4048,
Open to the public on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Tour season runs from March to October, weather permitting, with hours subject to availability. A minimum of 10 people is required for a tour, but if you don’t have that many, no problem. Your group can be combined with another age appropriate one. Tours last about 90 minutes. The cost for a guided tour is $5 per person. Under age 3 is free. To schedule a tour, email info@PKKreamery.com.
