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Budget Savvy Field Trip to Harley Farms |
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In last month's issue of Sunset magazine, there was an article that profiled Dee Harley of Harley Farms. Harley Farms is a goat dairy in Pescadero, CA, about 45 minutes from Redwood City. Being a farmer at heart and having a soft spot for goats, I looked up Dee's farm on the web. She has a wonderful website (www.harleyfarms.com) that gives you an immediate sense of knowing her, her family, her crew and of course, the goats.
I was excited to see that they offer tours of the farm. Tickets for the tour are $20. If you are a fan of cheese, a fan of goats or a fan of farming, it is well worth the ticket price.
I was joined in my goat adventure by the majority of Budget Savvy's team: Kevin Gibbons, Janna Scott and Mark Parker. Dante also accompanied us as well as my good friends Dreah and Beth.
The farm is on nine acres just a block or two from Pescadero's main street – which consists of about eight buildings.
My first impression of the farm was how neat, clean and organized it is. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. You could tell immediately that the space was efficiently used.
Sam, our tour guide was warm and inviting. She answered our questions and gave us plenty of time to explore the various aspects of the farm. The first stop was to take us out to one of the pastures to meet "the girls". As you can see from the picture, Dante felt right at home with "the girls". The goats were friendly, but not aggressive. They let us pet them and were happy to be scratched behind the ears.
We slowly meandered about on our way to the milking parlor where those who wanted to got to milk a goat by hand. I've milked cows before, but this was my first goat. By the time it was my turn, her milk was flowing freely and it was fairly easy. I need to work on my aim though. Teddy, the farm's dog was an unfortunate victim of my milking prowess, although he didn't seem to mind.
Next we stopped in the cheese making room. I was shocked to see that it is about the size of my living room. Again, small, but efficient. We watched as Sam and some of the children in the tour make a Money Torte. The finished product looks as if it was difficult to make, but in actuality, it is surprisingly easy (that is AFTER you make the actual cheese).
When Dee first started, she made all the cheese herself. A family of four runs the cheese making room for Dee now. In fact, they won't let her help anymore because they say she is too slow. That's an excellent sign of progress!
The garden was another highlight of the tour. Harley Farms' Monet Torte and Van Goat Torte (get it?) are decorated with edible flowers grown right next to the cheese making room. One of my favorite aspects of the farm is the esthetic. Although it is a dairy farm, Dee has gone to great lengths to make it as beautiful as possible, including the set up of the garden.
Toward the end of the tour we were taken to the second story of the "barn" that had been converted to a unique dining room that housed an enormous and gorgeous table which seats approximately 20. The table was hand carved by Three Finger Bill, a local legend. All the chairs were hand carved by him as well. You can see the table and chairs on their website at www.harleyfarms.com.
In the dining room we sat down and indulged in the cheese that Sam and the children made. It was heavenly! Light, creamy and delicious.
The tour concluded in the cheese shop where we made our purchases. I took home the Tomato Basil Torte, a round of Cranberry Walnut and the Chevre Mini button covered in dill. I also couldn't resist the goat milk soap that they sold. They brilliantly market the soap by having bars on hand at the hand washing station after you milk the goat. I am very impressed by Dee's business savvy. There is a lot I can learn from watching her.
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