A Farm for All in Knoxville
My Happy Place
Since I was a girl, RiverView Family Farm has always been my happy place. Hay season brings back so many memories from my childhood.
The sounds of the rake and baler moving around the field, the smell of the hay drying on the ground, and the feeling of the sun beating down on me, all transport me back to those earlier days. And while the equipment and my role on the farm have certainly evolved over the years, I always look back on this season with sweet memories. The farm was my home, and there was no place I loved more. I still feel that way today.
A Family Legacy
The farm has been in our family for more than 220 years. For seven generations, our family has called it our home and our work. Over that time, the farm has grown and shifted in what it has produced, but has always remained steadfast in its commitment to the East Tennessee community. Crops like wheat, corn and other produce filled the fields in the early days, replaced years later by beef cattle. In fact, cattle began as a 4-H project for my father, Lafayette Williams, in the 1940’s. The family always welcomed others onto the farm who wished to visit, knowing many relied on our beef for their freezer.
Reasons to Visit
We remain one of the oldest operating farms in Tennessee. Located in the heart of the Choto community, and just minutes from Farragut, RiverView Family Farm is a hidden gem on the banks of Fort Loudoun Lake. We specialize in raising Black Angus grass- and grain-fed cattle on our 265 acres. And to this day, we welcome families to visit. Only now, they come for a variety of reasons, not just the meat.
Beginning in 2012, we opened the farm up for events: weddings, corporate retreats, celebrations of life, and parties. We also host events of our own, including our annual Holiday Barn Sale and Spring Festival. We welcome hundreds of guests to the barn around the holidays to purchase gifts and treats from local vendors and artisans and then at Easter celebrate the beginning of the spring season with us in the pasture by the water. RiverView may be a Williams family farm, but as far as we’re concerned, this farm is for Knoxville.
Most recently, we opened the RiverView Farm Market. The market provides an opportunity for folks from the community to shop right at the farm and visit more regularly. On any given day, you might find my mother on the porch in a rocking chair talking with guests as they enjoy what has become known as “RiverView’s famous ice cream.” You might also find us catching up with customers coming by to purchase some RiverView beef or the other local products we sell, such as Benton’s bacon and Sweetwater Valley cheese.
A Sanctuary for All
Whether we’re spending time with a family enjoying ice cream, swapping a recipe with a beef customer, or witnessing two families joining in marriage in the barn, in these moments, I’m transported to the lifetime of memories I hold dear on the farm. RiverView has become a sanctuary, not just for the cattle, but for all who visit its historic land.
Whether it’s someone’s first visit to the farm, or a family we’ve known for decades, all are welcome. We invite you to come to the farm, sit a spell, and enjoy the visit.
12130 Prater Ln | Knoxville, TN 37922 | (865) 603-9347