California Notebook: Harley Farms

I have to get some goats someday.

By Tuesday I had mostly completed my Mom's website . She rewarded me with a drop dead gorgeous drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Pescadero. This is where, or how I would live. The beach is marvelous, but I would want a farm, or at least acreage. This was an agricultural town, with a tiny main street and a few charming little houses with nice gardens and fun architectural accents. We went to Harley Farms; a goat milk farm nestled into a green valley about 2-3 miles in from the coast. The skies at the beach were a heavy low white, but here they shared at least half of the sky with idyllic blue.

the view from the top of the barn

The youngest kids this late in the summer were in a smaller pen, and getting lots of attention

Beside the goat pen, a flower and herb garden to flavor and decorate the cheeses

The sign says it all

I was completely smitten with this little fellow

Every inch of this farm was meticulously maintained 

There was an awesome soundtrack for the farm coming from the barn: classic rock, heavy on CSNY

Farm-to-table dinners are held in the hayloft of the barn. 

Whatever the goats give,  the farm uses; a respectful, inspiring approach to animal husbandry

The goat shop had classic (and prize winning) cheeses; I bought the sun-dried tomato blend

Before leaving Pescadero, we had a snack at this gas station/taqueria

I had the carne asada; but the chile and cheese burrito was even better

The drive home was delightful, the spectacular coastal vistas and the farmland stretched out before us. I was greatly inspired by Harley Farms. We joked about how in the world could I add goats to my menagerie; I already haul 4 hens and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks back and forth in a car. One day, there won't be any "back and forth" and I can flesh out my little homestead with a few goats. I learned how to make goat cheese a few summers ago at the Sustainable Arts Society and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was shocked at how hard I had to tug on the teat and how forcefully the milk shot out. But even if they didn't give milk; I would love goats. They are beautiful creatures and loaded with personality; the crazy positions they would get themselves in cracked me up. I never got a photo I was truly satisfied with, because I couldnt get in the pen with them. As it was, if any other visitor came, I would leave for a little while and only return to the pen when I had it to myself. I wanted to be "alone" with the goats.

I cannot wait to get back to Chickory and see my own garden again. Im sure that all I have left growing are winter squashes and watermelons. Im guessing the tomatoes have burned up and that the summer squashes are exhausted. But I look forward to prepping the soil for fall crops and finally getting the long overdue garden shed built. One day, I hope a visit to Chickory delights guests with the sweetness and goodness of life that I felt at Harley Farms.