Sweetwater Valley Farm
Meet John and Celia Harrison, the dynamic dairy duo behind Sweetwater Valley Farm, a dairy farm since the turn of the twentieth century, the Harrisons became sole owners in 1992. Shortly after, John started crafting farmstead cheese using milk from the farm’s cows. And throughout the 2000s, both the herd and cheese operation continued to grow.
In 2018, Sweetwater Valley Farm became Tennessee’s first Lely XL Dairy Farm, using automated systems to tend to the more than 500 cows. This allows the cows to be cared for on their own terms. They can get milked in the middle of the night — or whenever they want. Not only does this improve cow comfort, but the Harrison’s can monitor the herd’s health thanks to all the data the system collects.
Today, the farm is home to more than 1,500 dairy cows and its famous farmstead cheese operation. To share their passion, John and Celia have opened up to visitors. “We love showing our customers visiting the farm how the dairy industry feeds the world,” Celia says. “How we care for the cows. Make our cheese. And how Sweetwater Valley Farm plays a vital role in the local and regional economies.”
We spend countless hours a day making sure our cows are comfortable and happy so they can produce high-quality milk.