Spring is here, bringing new births and new beginnings. Last weekend I headed over to the coastside to see the new kids born at Pescadero's Harley Farms. The farm dates back to 1910, when it was founded as a cow dairy. It fell into disuse in later decades. That is, until it was bought by Dee Harley in 1982. A native of Yorkshire, England, she restored the property and grew her herd from six goats all the way up to 200. This is the only working dairy in San Mateo County. They sell a variety of products in their farm store, but the main attraction is the cheese.
Cheezer Cheezer!
Oh so many varieties! Chevre rounds pressed with lavender and honey, or various other wildflowers. It's also great mixed with garlic and dill. Or be a purist and try their fromage blanc (it reminded us of cream cheese).
My favorites, however, are their feta and ricotta. I'd never even seen these made from goat milk. Maybe I remember goat feta one time from Whole Foods, but goat ricotta? I daresay never, probably because, as a fresh cheese, and thus has a short shelf life. As a ricotta lover, I could not pass this up. And it was delicious.
Come and stuff yourself with samples. Bring a cooler though, as you won't be leaving empty handed.
Baby Goats
We arrived soon after the new kids had been born. The herd has already given birth to over 100 babies since the second week of March, with more on the way. The males are given away or sold to other operations, and the does kept to grow up and become part of the dairy.
Visitor Information:
Harley Farms 205 North St, Pescadero, CA 94060 Phone: 650-879-0480, open 10-5pm
Read more about Dee Harley here, or at the Harley Farms Website.
Equipment Used in this Post
I shot these with a Nikon D90 18-200mm, using an SB700 for fill flash. Clicking below helps support this site.
