By Jim Buice
Enterprise Record

Wayne Thomas, president of Sterling Events Group, remembers his first look at Win-Mock Farm Dairy’s majestic loft.
It’s the centerpiece of his company’s overhaul of the historic property that is being turned into a unique facility to host corporate meetings, weddings and social events.
“Our first trip up here was through a small ladder on the side,” Thomas said of viewing what will eventually be a ballroom with more than 6,000 square feet of flexible space. “Hay, bugs, birds, snakes, an indoor soccer goal  … and we’ve heard many, many stories that we probably shouldn’t put in print on how this loft has been used over the years. It really was designed obviously to store hay. We’re hearing between 7,000 and 8,000 bales of hay.
“There used to be 800 cattle running around here, and this was one of the premier dairy farms in all of North Carolina. This and Biltmore were really the two finest farms in the state. It was a major business that was being run out here, and it just sat here for all those years …