Field Trippin' to a Field

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The walls were closing in on Cubeville.
It was definitely time for a break.
I pulled @ out of his summer program and took off Friday from work.

FIELD TRIP!!!
Destination: Harley Farms Goat Dairy, Pescadero.

I figured it would be a neat experience for @ and I'd get some amusement out of it too. You know -- breathe some good coastal air, get close to some goats, learn how they make goat cheese, add an answer to the logarithmically expanding "how do they? how does it work? where does it come from?" list.

How did we do?
  • Breathe good coastal air: check
  • Get close to some goats: check
  • Learn how they make goat cheese: check
  • Add an answer to the logarithmically expanding "how do they? how does it work? where does it come from?" list: check, check, check
But really, how did it go?

@'s trip report:
"I milked a goat!!! It was so AWESOME!"
My trip report:
"I milked a goat! It was great fun!"

And, no need to brag, but according to our absolute rockstar tour guide goddess Colleen, I may in fact be a natural at goat-milking. (My dad's response was "Good thing. The news is full of your company's impending layoffs. Maybe you can get a job with the goats.")

My head is full of all sorts of factoids and new-found knowledge.
  • Dairy goats are like big happy, cloven-hooved puppies. Curious, friendly, gentle, and affectionate. Dare I say even a bit snuggly? Banish the image of aggressive little petting zoo monsters.
  • With a good business, ecological, and community-minded mind, Dee Harley has created an amazing sustainable farm that's more than just a business. (Sure, everyone likes to say that's the fact of their organization, but... sometimes it actually IS.)
  • The cells in goat milk are round vs. oblong cells in cow milk, which contributes something in the complexity of why lactose-intolerant goofs like me can handle goat milk and cheese vs. the moo-moo variety.
  • Llamas are great goat guard dogs mostly because they don't like dogs, namely the coyote form of dogs. And although Bart the llama has a funky grin, he's fabulous.
  • After hugging goats like crazy in a field, kids will still attempt to milk them using a single pokey finger when faced with a loaded udder.

Next step?

Convince LD he needs to adopt a couple of milk-goat retirees up in G'town.

Hmm... Or research local city ordinances...

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