It's nippy and pinched outside, suitable weather for woolly socks and looking forward to the future. December was such a party month, with our shop in full holiday dress, and our Christmas bazaar, and our annual staff dinner.

We held our bazaar for both weekend days, and the barn was jammed to the rafters with crafts and shoppers! My highlights were the fabulous goat photographs, and tiny Christmas tree fairies, made by local girls. They both approached me to see if they could bring their stuff to sell, and they both sold out. The bazaar was also honored by a visit from rarely-seen Three-Fingered Bil, of whom more later..

We ended the year with a county sustainability award ' the cherry on the top of a really wonderful 2007. Sustainability is about using the best of our natural resources, and looking to the future. We cherish the past by maintaining our farm buildings, built so well almost a century ago, but we don't aim to horse-plow the pastures, for example. Last summer we perfected a goat cheese paint, and after seeing how it stands up this winter, we'll be ready to offer our paint for sale.

And, our staff dinner was a luscious beef bourguignon, from one of the three cows we raised in 2007. Many of us don't eat much red meat, but this was a real feast and celebration of all we've achieved so far.

Finally, no baby goats yet this year, but we expect them to arrive very soon!

Just after Thanksgiving, we said goodbye to Tony, who'd been here for a month. Tony is a neighbor of my parents in Yorkshire, and, last May, very kindly offered his house to Pescadero ladies when we flew over in a group to surprise my mother on her seventieth birthday. Some of the friends hadn't been to Europe before, and Tony hadn't been to the United States, so he came to try it out! While he was here, Tony built a pen for visitors to pet the baby goats, not to mention painting, and fixing, and generally making things better. He had words of advice on our business, and, on antique-hunting trips, found some of the gorgeous old milkcans you see in our shop. I have to say, I envy celebrities not for their lovely glowing faces, red carpet gowns and babies with Brad Pitt, but for their assistants with clipboards. The sheer joy of being accompanied by somebody who makes things happen is one of the best feelings in the world. We didn't work him to the bone he was allowed off the farm occasionally! - and everybody enjoyed entertaining him, not least the ladies who stayed with him in Yorkshire! We're missing him - and all those expertly-made cups of tea - and look forward to seeing Tony again soon.

That's my accountant on the right, laughing

When I taste our cheese, I know it flaunts our hundred-year-old pastures and the brisk saltiness of the winds off the Pacific, but I'd go further. The French word terroir, about how wine or food expresses the region in which it is made, is all-encompassing: you can taste soil, climate, culture and tradition. And we've got such a tasty town here!

We took a break on Wednesday to watch the town Halloween parade. The sheriffs close the street, there's a stream of witches and devils and ghouls from the local school, all the businesses bring out candy, and the local park ranger always takes the day off to appear in elaborate disguise. It's small-town nirvana.

Of course, when I was seventeen I couldn't wait to run from my parents' small town, but now I appreciate the quirkiness and the conviviality of tradition. We have a vibrant farming community, and you taste that in our cheese.

I have my parents' neighbor Tony here for a month ' though he could probably stay for years given the dollar to sterling exchange rate. It's always fun showing visitors around, and he has milked, pasteurized, and painted the barn with our new goat milk paint. He even likes the cheese!

Blossom and Daisy are two of our most sweet-tempered goats, and always on call for milking demonstrations at the farm. However... as soon as we got to Google this past weekend Blossom made a frantic break for her freedom, capering across the Google lawns in probably the most chaotic action the Google lawns have ever seen. I don't know; she may have fancied the engineering life. It's a Shangri-La for engineers at Google we loved the clean-cut boys doing their laundry early on Saturday morning, and the compostable cutlery in the canteens, and you'll have to check out the bathrooms! It was the delightful Google chefs hosting us, for a DooF-a-Palooza http://www.foodbackwards.com/  kids enjoying real food on a new PBS series.

Katya (left) interviewing me for PBS

The very delightful David Poth, kitchen manager, made us feel hungry describing how the Google food is real they shop for seasonal, local food (within 150 miles if not from their own strictly aligned, immaculate vegetable boxes). After we'd redesigned the straw bale pen, to thwart Blossom, who definitely won't be hired again, we had a fabulous time. We had two of our first baby goats along as well, and most people are surprised at their soft cuddliness. We got to admire the incision of Google offspring (Exactly how many different types of goat are there?), and their parents ('Look! See how the goat's pupils are stadium-shaped?). A great day out!

October mornings are my very favorite time of the year. Crisp or foggy, the smells of the farm are more intense, and there's a palpable bustle in the air as we prepare the goats for winter. They are beginning to put on weight for the California winter!, and so, no doubt, will I, because we've got some delicious food planned. First, it's pumpkin season, neighboring Half Moon Bay being the pumpkin capital of the entire world (if the weekend traffic's anything to go by). It's luscious added to our fromage blanc, with a tiny dusting of cinnamon, and available now! Perfect in a cheesecake. As the dairy has grown, I've become ever more appreciative of local foods and the extraordinary talents of the Northern California chefs whom we've worked with over the years. So, this Thanksgiving seemed the perfect time to organize Fabulous Food at Harley Farms! Three top chefs will each prepare a Thanksgiving lunch or dinner to seat 20, served under the magnificent rafters of our old dairy barn. What better way to celebrate family and the harvest season than on the farm, prepared by those who love and support real food? I can't wait! Menus and booking details on the website very soon!