‘Beloved’ local goat farm to be transformed into farmer’s market, gardens

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A well-known goat farm on Highway 274 at Highway 49 in York County has been purchased in an effort to save greenspaces and create uses for public access.

The Bethel Lake Wylie Preservation Park District closed on the 6.8-acre goat farm that sits near the entrance to the Bethelfields neighborhood for $1.4 million.

The BLWPPD was formed after voters in 2020 approved a special tax district to acquire and preserve greenspaces in the fast-growing Bethel Lake Wylie area.

Currently, a house and barn sit on the property but it will become a farmer’s market and community garden. The family that owns the property will be moving in a few months and the goats will move with their owners.

“The Bethel Lake Wylie Preservation Park District has closed on possibly the most beloved property in the area -- the goat farm,” said District 2 York County Councilwoman Allison Love. “The current use will make way for a farmer’s market and community gardens and the residents have surely dodged a bullet because this likely would have become a gas station or apartments had we not been able to preserve it as a desirable destination at 5 points.”

Last month, the BLWPPD bought its first property, the Van Every Estate, which sits on 87 acres along Highway 557 outside of Clover. That large greenspace will eventually be opened for hiking, special events, and an art gallery.

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