Lively Run Goat Dairy

Our group was excited to stop in for some goat cheese. We shared two platters which were the perfect amount for our group of 5. While visiting we had two cats hanging out, apparently they like to steal cheese when you aren't looking. The staff warned us so we were ready. We were able to see kittens that had been born a few days earlier that the staff were caring for along with a bunch of goats. You can buy goat feed for $3 in the shop.

Love, love, LOVE Lively Run! Life is just so much happier with a CHEESE FLIGHT!!! ALL of the cheeses were amazing. It was hard to pick which were our favorites. The feta is out of this world. Lovely little gift shop with charcuterie choices- a lot to come home with. And a visit with the adorable goats topped it all off! Thank you for a lovely visit!

The owner was so nice! She gave our group such a great cheese tasting. It was awesome listening to her stories and how they make the cheese. She is funny and so incredibly kind. Worth the visit! Thank you!

So glad we stumbled upon this farm. The goats are adorable. They had both adult goats and baby goats when we visited. For $3, we were able to buy a bag of feed for them to indulge on. I tried a deluxe cheese tasting while there as well. 100% worth it. Absolutely recommend a visit!

We LOVE Lively Run Goat Dairy. This is our second year coming for the cheese flight and petting all the babies. The staff is knowledgeable and super helpful. The cheese is so amazing that I loved types of cheese that I typically avoid! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check this place out. Don't forget to snag a bag (or two) of goat feed! Bonus: they will ship cheese to you. So if you're not local (like us) you can still get your cheese fix!

Loved being able to see the goats, sheep, horses and chickens. Adorable spot to visit. I didn’t try their cheese but it looks delicious

We tried their cheese at a winery nearby and loved it, so we came to buy some. To our surprise, the store had more than just cheese. The goat cheese cheesecake was both interesting and very tasty. Bonus: you can buy some corn pellets to feed their goats!

Lovely and cute place to stretch your legs and meet some goats. Goat food is available for $3 a bag inside the shop. Great cheese selections as well as other goat-related products.

This place is really cool. Not only do they have really good goat cheese that you can do a tasting of, but they also have goats you can pet! Great combination for families with kiddos. When we've been here there has typically only been one person working, but it's never been a big deal because all the staff does is prepare the cheese tasting and then there is seating outside and upstairs. The ambiance is fine... it's never been too busy or loud when we've been here. Definitely a cool spot to stop if you like goats and goat cheese!

We had a fantastic time meeting the goats and cheese tasting! On a gorgeous day, I brought my daughters, husband, and mother and aunt to explore the farm. As soon as you park, you see the goats outside. There's a barn a short walk from the parking lot. All of the animals looked healthy and well looked after. We walked into the shop and purchased two deluxe tasting trays. We loved most all of the cheeses! The woman that assembled the tasting was kind to my daughters. We bought two goat stuffed animals and she followed up before we left to ask what they named them

I love this place. It's a farm with goats you can feed for a small price. We were there for the cheese but enjoyed the farm ambiance! It's a very laid-back place. We loved all the goat cheese and the cow cheese as well. Goat Cheese is not for everyone; you either like it or hate it. Hubby is not a fan of goat cheese, so he enjoyed the cow. I also purchased the goat cheese chocolates from Hedonist, and they were to die for! I need more! Fun place to bring the family!

I stumbled across this goat dairy farm and decided this would be the perfect place to try fresh, locally sourced goat cheese. Coming from someone who didn't like goat cheese due to its musky taste, Lively Run produces phenomenal cheeses that are creamy and if anything, sweet. The cheeses are not musky and they're very enjoyable with crackers and high quality meat they sell. I got the Dill Goat Cheese with Soppressata meat. I wish I got more cheese! The farm itself is very calm and quaint. I loved how I could just walk in without reservations and enjoy the ambiance. I enjoyed petting and spending time with the goats and sheep- one of them named Ruby Tuesday even escaped! I got to talk to the owner and discuss the works of owning a dairy farm. I wish more farms like this existed- the world needs to embrace small, local farms more. Overall, an incredible experience I'll never forget. Can't wait to come back and visit.

Wow! If you are truly looking for something off the beaten path, and maybe you are looking for some cheeses to pair with your wine haul from the Cayuga lake wine trail, then this is an excellent spot to visit. Parking is in a field next to the fence where the goats are kept in the barn. This might be a good place to take the kids (pun on goats), as there are many in the barn, and you can feed them for a small fee. The cheeses are all delicious. There are cows cheeses and goat cheeses. A tasting of 6/7 cheeses is 5 dollars which is very reasonable. The blue Cayuga is a cheddar that is excellent. There are a couple of excellent aged cheeses that have won awards. The lady who served me was very cordial, and explained the processes of how each cheese is made. That is a plus. They have raw honey for sale,!as well as goat cheese truffle chocolates. Very airy and refreshing to be way out in the countryside off the beaten path.

Horrible and unsanitary conditions for animals. No water in troughs except slime. Chickens no water, filth. Horses covered in nuts, every bit of mane and tails. No excuse. This did not happen over night. Told owners who blankly stared back at me saying they are aware. With conditions this poor I would not trust cheese to be healthy.

A Goat farm with phenomenal Goat milk and cow milk cheeses. Oh yes, sign me up!. We went towards the closing time on a Saturday evening and quickly got their famous Goat milk cheddar. We liked it so much that we returned the next day, got their cheese tasting with 5 each of Goat milk and cow milk cheese. All of them were so good. The farm had goats, sheep, horses and chicken and we can feed them too. Good tasting and experience. I wouldn't miss this if you like cheese.

Wow I love this place. From the cute little goats to their wonderfully delicious cheeses. Definitely need to visit. Sit relax and get the cheese tasting platter. We visit Lively Run each time we visit the Finger Lakes.

My friends and I came here during our trip up to the finger lakes and we were planning on doing wine tasting but saw a sign on the road for cheese tasting. This was really the highlight of our trip because not only did we get to taste incredible cheeses, but we also got to feed & pet the goats in the barn! The cheese tasting was an amazing deal and they were even able to accommodate my friend who does not like certain cheeses by replacing one of the tastings with another option. The hot sauce they included in the cheese tasting plate was so good that we each bought a couple of bottles to take home. Overall 10/10 experience, service was wonderful, highly recommend stopping by if you can.

While visiting the area from Southern California, I wanted to experience something I couldn't do at home- enter cheese tasting. My friend and I both got a tasting and at only $6 each, it was a STEAL. They give you a little card that tells you about the cheese you are eating so it's completely self-paced. Everything was so delicious, and it was really nice to be able to sit outside and eat and not feel at all rushed. We also visited the goats who were very cute! I would definitely recommend this farm!

I always have to visit Lively Run when we head to the Finger Lakes. Be sure to get a cheese tasting! If the weather allows, have it outside! This weekend we were there they had live music. There is a tent and a covered patio in case the weather isn't cooperating. Be sure to bring some wine from the local wineries to enjoy with your cheese! After your tasting, be sure to visit the goats! We got to watch them get bottle fed this trip. So neat!

Found this gem of a farm and I love it! Everything about this place was perfect! I loved seeing all the farm animals that they have here such as goats, horses, etc. I definitely recommend the cheese board tasting to dive into all the cheeses that this farm creates! I love their goat cheese! Grabbed a couple and now in need of more cheese. I will have to go back and restock on the cheese

This is a cute farm that we stopped by in between visiting wineries. There is a cheese sampling for $5 a person with 10 types of cheese (5 goat and 5 cow). It's not much and it would have been nicer if it were plated better, but I can't really complain at such a small, family-owned farm. We were able to go in the barn and see the goats. They were adorable! The owner let us hold the goats and gave us a quick explanation about them.

This is a must stop when in Ithaca. My fiance and I did their cheese tasting ($10 for two) and everything we tried was amazing. We ended up going home with some cheese and regretted not buying more. We also spent some time with their goats. There is plenty of space here to social distance outside.

Beautiful farm and friendly proprietors. They allow access to their goats for petting, viewing and feeding. The goats are clean and seem so happy w their lives. Their gift shop stocks their home made cheeses as well as a variety of local foods. I got the pink peppercorn Chevre - it is outstanding. This is an excellent place - visit with kids or not - nice experience.

my family and I were visiting from north jersey and this was one of the more fulfilling and heartwarming parts of our trip upstate! we tried the cheese board and it was so delicious and at a very affordable price at that ($6 / person) ! the man working the store was so friendly and helpful in assisting us with the cheeses on the board and the sauces provided on the board that we eventually bought (so delicious!) we also bought some t-shirts as a fun souvenir of our visit to the farm, as well as a goat stuffed animal they had! we also bought a bag of corn ($3) to feed the adult goats! there is also a porta John as well as a hand washing station to use after petting / feeding the goats. there were tons of outdoor seating and the overall atmosphere was so wonderful! would love to to visit again some day!

OMG! How the heck did I not find this place when I was doing research on stuff to do around Cayuga Lake? I learned it existed from one of those tourist brochures in a nearby shop (yes, they do work sometimes), and realized I had to visit the next day, which I did, and it was pretty much awesome. It's $6 to just taste cheese, or if you have the time, $9 to first learn all about their goats, hang out with them, including at the moment two babies (one of them was 3 days old, and already jumping around! So cute!), and then taste the cheese. I learned a bunch about goat cheese, and making artisan cheese in general, and the cheese itself was, as you might expect, excellent all around. They also serve the samples with honey and a couple different jams, which were also great. If I lived in the area, I'd probably buy cheese from them all the time, but we're only here for a couple days, so I stopped myself from buying a bunch. Did buy one, though, as well as trying a slice of their goat cheesecake, cause I was super curious how that would taste (excellent, unexpectedly - just as rich as regular cheesecake, but a little less dense, so I didn't feel sick after eating it. The cheesecake is $7 for a container, but that container will most likely serve two people if you aren't a total glutton.)

I just finished the last of my cheese from a couple weeks ago...sort of bummed, won't be able to get back until the spring. They have cow cheese too. Pick up the Sheldrake Moon, buy more than you think you need. Trust me.

If you're in the finger lakes you'd cheddar goat here. The delicious cheese will send a chèvre down your spine and I'm not kid-ing! The $5 tasting gives you the chance to taste several varieties of both cow and goat cheeses, what could be feta? They give you two samples of every cheese so you can try each on its own at first and then can dip it in some delicious jelly or honey or oil for even more flavor fireworks. The dips are particularly Gouda. Maybe the best part of this place is the chance to visit with their goats while they prepare your tasting. The shop itself is pretty small and doesn't beg you to stay for very long: just long enough to see some goats, eat some cheese, and get ready for the next vineyard or brewery on your itinerary. Brie there or brie square.

This place is so stinkin' cute! My cousins and I were chasing a concert down to Ithaca and made this place a stop on our way down. The farm is very nice. We went and visited the goats first, and fed them. Then after a good hand washing, we went inside the creamery and tried all of the cheese varieties that Lively Run makes. The cheese tasting was only $3, and of course I had to buy some after that. They do carry some of their varieties at Wegmans, so I would recommend asking them which ones they do not, and getting yourself a special treat that is more difficult to have! The guy that was working the creamery is an Italian-American who was very knowledgeable about the process, and what to pair each item with. This is a must stop on the FLX trail.

Great farm with goats, roosters and horses Enjoyed the cheese tasting and brought home several of their homemade cheeses. Also recommend the goat milk hand lotion. Owners were very friendly A must stop if you are in finger lakes area.

Our party of three went for the 2pm tour. For $9, you get a video on cheese making, a tour of the farm which includes interaction with goats and a taste of the goat and cow cheeses they produce. Not bad that our tour was led by the owner, herself. She really cares for her animals and she relies on the cheese maker to come up with the specific cheeses based on the milk. We enjoyed feeding the goats and actually getting to interact with some babies (kids) on the grounds. The cheeses we tasted were delicious and, of course, we had to purchase a few. A great experience for young and old and a learning experience as well. Worth the travel.

We were looking for good cheese tasting place, This was a great match, Delicious produce, lovely goats awesome ice cream!!! Highly recommend

I had such a great time visiting Lively Run. I mean, what can be better than playing with baby goats and eating delicious cheese? You can tell the goats are well taken care of. Staff was super knowledgeable and gave an excellent tour of the farm. I learned a lot about goats and will have to return when I visit the finger lakes again!

I love this cute little farm!!! The cheese is amazing and the goats are so darn cute!!! They have both cow and goat cheeses available to try and purchase

What a lovely dairy farm. For three bucks you can taste all they have to offer and learn about each cheese. There are also tours which we didn't do. Their cheeses are delicious. I've been to several goat dairies and this is one that is very ambitious with the varieties they make. They also make cow milk cheeses. You're welcome to meet their goats in the barn. Added bonus: they are very welcoming to well behaved dogs.

We were checking out a couple of the area wineries when we happened to see Lively Run Dairy on our map. So glad we stopped! While our cheese sample was being prepared, we visited the barn to see the goats, chickens, and even two horses who came in from the rain. Back in the shop, we were given samples of 10 cheese, half from goat's milk and half from cow's milk. The cheeses showed a rich variety from creamy chèvre, to rich cheddar and gouda, to tangy blues. We walked out with four cheeses and a quince paste to go with it. They have some interesting tours and special activities that would be worth checking out also.

We picked a beautiful September Sunday to visit. Nice facility, really good cheeses, excellent presentation of the tasting. Wonderful place to stop.

We stopped here on May 1, their first day open for the season. The cheese tasting was a great value, there were 10 cheeses, 5 goat and 5 cow cheeses with pairing items. They were very generous with portions! We got to meet and snuggle the 10 day old goat and learn about the goats who produced the milk for our cheese. This was a highlight of the trip. We will return someday, hopefully with our niece and nephew as this would be good for kids.

A yummy and relaxed stop. We enjoyed the cheese tasting with both goat and cow cheese samples. The cheesecake is also delicious! Fun to go in the barn and see the goats whose milk is used to make the cheese.

We had Lively Run cheese at Wegmans and went out of our way to drive here to pick some up for our son who is studying at Cornell as he loves goat cheese ... and we were not disappointed! Loved the cheese tasting experience and the goat cheese ice cream. Am hoping I can post a photo of the young woman who helped us ... she was interesting, knowledgable and very nice. They had a nice assortment of other little things you could buy too like crackers and snacks and logo'd items. Lots of fun!

Let me just say, that Lively Run Goat Dairy does absolutely nothing to make itself easy to find. The website doesnt even include a street address. And, though it is part of the "Fingerlakes Cheese Trail", said trail has not really been developed, or promoted as part of the regions tourism. Lively Run is difficult, if not impossible, to find unless you are trying very, very hard to find it. The dairy itself is small, with only 26 fully grown milking goats, and about the same number of kids and yearlings. However, the owner, a German woman and her husband, also own several other farms in the region, for a total of nearly 300 goats. Each of those other farms is also run in the Amish tradition. While touring, the goats will try desparately to eat long hair (mine goes down to my bottom) and you probably will not be warned of this in time by the guide, so I am warning you now. That, plus the overwhelming smell of goat and goat dung, means you might want to skip the tour, though seeing the rooms where they make cheese is pretty great. The cheese itself is heavenly, the $5 tour includes a tasting, or you can purchase a tasting alone. We personally prefered both the Blue cheeses, one a standard firm blue cheese, and the other their famous Chevre which have been given the blue cheese mold Penicillium as a rind. The blue cheese Chevre is a limited production, and not available for sale though the website. Other Chevres include Garlic and Pepper, Herbs de Provence, Lemon Thyme & Rose Pepper Corn, and other herbal blends. These were more popular with the other guests. I have never cared for blue cheese, but the incredibly creamy texture of the goat's milk really complimented it well. While in the Fingerlakes, I would call Lively Run a must-visit. Be aware however, their season is limited; running only from Memorial Day though Labor Day, and weekends in the remainder of September and October. Edit: they have changed and expanded their website, it now includes a location and directions

Sweetest cheese tasting experience for only 5 dollars! Delightful! The goats and horses were also enjoyable to pet after tasting the cheese.

Arrived on Sunday afternoon at 4:59 for a 5:00 closing, STILL got an enjoyable cheese tasting by a kind gracious host. Awesome visit!

If you're anywhere near this slice of upstate New York, stop by Lively Run. I was there last summer and went on the tour, which included a rather interesting video on how cheese is made and a visit to the goat pens. The best part of the tour was getting to interact directly with the baby goats. I was fortunate enough to go during a time when they had two kids out an about, a 15 day old kid and an amazingly cute 3 day old pure white kid. They let the kids out and gave you about 20 minutes to hold them and play with them. Seriously, it was the highlight of my day. Also be sure to buy a slice of the goat milk cheese cake. It's quite tasty; not as sweet as a normal restaurant cheesecake (though still plenty sweet). The goat milk imports a very subtle nutty highlight,almost gamey (but in a good way).

This is one destination you can enjoy without alcohol in the fingerlakes region. It is a small goat farm with a small cheese shop. They offer goat cheese tastings for a small tasting fee. They sell various cheeses and fresh cheese cake made with goat milk. We were able to spend some time with the goats while other friends were doing the cheese tasting. They didn't offer a farm tour when we visited, but we had plenty of time to spend time with the goats. I think it's nice to drop by during wine tasting trip especially if you like goat cheese. I'm not a big fan of goat cheese but their cheese cake was delicious.

I love this place and the people that work there. They offer you for $5 a sample of 10 of their Cheese's on a nice plate. So much better than having to eat out of a universal dish that everyone samples from! We love their cheese and we love their goats.

Great little family run farm with unique cheeses. They mostly make cheddars, goat cheeses and bleu cheeses.

For vegetarians this is a cheese heaven: Gouda, chèvre with herbs, and their special cheddar. The staff is wonderful the sight is delightful and buy extra so u can sit outside and have a picnic. On my list of cheeses to have always!

I just finished the last bt of Lake Effect Cheddar we have. Yumm! Everything everyone else says here is true. Go pat a goat, sample a variety and take home lots (we did!).

Ok this place is a little deceiving at first... but I promise you it's worth it. The samples of the cow and goat cheese are definitely enough to find out what you like. And they are amazing! Thankfully they had plenty of vacuum wrapped cheese to buy and take home. They are so so good. I especially liked the chevre, and gouda. Brought some home and ate it all by the next day. And of course, the goats are adorable and friendly, too! You can just walk into the barn to say hi to them. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you're a cheese fanatic!

We visited last year just to see the goats and were delighted with a cheese tasting. Left with a few delicious cheeses

This place is amazing! As an avid cheese eater I was in love with the idea P there being a "cheese trail" in the Finger Lakes Region. This place was on our way back to the inn we were staying at and it didn't disappoint! All of the cheeses were great - you can immediately taste the freshness in them. Make sure you visit this farm if you are in the area - you will not regret it.

Such a fun little farm! If you appreciate real artisan cheese, this is a must-visit spot. Their goat cheeses are delicious - I especially loved the gouda and the blue - and now they're making some really yummy cow cheeses as well. My favorite thing about this farm is that it's got the goats and the cheese-making facility all in one spot, so you can see how the whole process works, from the birth of the goats, to the milking, to the production and packaging. They give a great tour. All of their milk comes either from their farm or other local farms, and even the merchandise in their store is all local stuff. So if you like to support local, sustainable economies like I do, this is a good fit. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly, and visiting the goats was great fun. Apparently they'll have babies in early May, so I'll definitely be back for that!

Fantastic place. Super kid friendly, yummy cheese, great tour and value for the money!

We were disappointed. We had timed our visit to arrive for a light lunch followed by a tour. The website boasts of a café and invites guests to stop in for lunch to enjoy a cheese or charcuterie board. There was no such thing. The salesperson had no explanation other than "it's a bone of contention." Make your website a true reflection of your business. The cheese is very good. For $20/lb... Yes, $20/lb, it should be. The coolers, however, were sparse, so selection was limited. The goats were adorable and the horses friendly. They were the highlight of our visit to the dairy. Glad we went but not likely to return.

If you're visiting the Finger Lakes region, make sure to check out Lively Run Goat Dairy! After a day full of wineries, we were looking for an alcohol-free way to indulge in the region's plentiful food offerings. This farm is a great visit and makes excellent goat cheese. Literally everything we tasted was excellent. I tend to gravitate towards more pungent cheeses and was not disappointed at all. The tour + wine tasting is very reasonably priced and totally worth it!

Tastings of goat and cow cheeses across a range: feta, cheddar, bleus. Some other products like goat milk soaps. It was a nice little stop, and we got a few cheeses to bring home.

Katie M. said it all. Adorable place and excellent cheeses. The young girl who served us was from France. She spoke excellent English with a heavy French accent. Too cute!