Founded in 1897 by George Washington Vanderbilt II, Biltmore Farms has evolved from one of the Southeast's largest independent dairy producer to a community development firm.

[1] Based on his passion for creating sustainable forestry and agricultural practices, Vanderbilt launched Biltmore Dairy Farms as an internal operation on his estate, with surplus milk being donated to local Asheville hospitals.

As productivity increased, the company expanded into home delivery and wholesale supply to area hotels, then part of Western North Carolina's nascent tourism industry.

Due to changing trends in the market, the dairy business was sold to Pet, Inc. in 1985, though Biltmore Farms still maintains a herd of Jersey cattle in Mills River, North Carolina, just south of Asheville.

The company's present day divisions, operated by more than 140 employees, focus on hotels, commercial real estate, home building, and master planned communities.