Central Coast #1
Just an hour south of San Francisco, follow Highway 280 toward the coast, then take Highway 1 to Pescadero Creek Road. Three miles in, you’ll spot the goats grazing at Harley Farms on your left. Stroll the gardens, greet the goats through the fence, and watch cheesemaking in action. The farm shop offers its cheeses—famous for their flower-studded decorations—alongside unique handcrafted items. For a closer look, book a guided tour in advance.
If you’re traveling on a Saturday, continue an hour south to Royal Oaks and visit Garden Variety Cheese, a small sheep dairy. Book a farm tour online ahead of time, or stop by its Saturday farmstand to pick up cheese.
Round out the trip in Salinas with Schoch Family Farmstead, an organic cow dairy making the only Monterey Jack still produced in Monterey County. Its cheeses and other dairy products are currently available at the Monterey farmers market on Fridays and the Aptos farmers market on Saturdays. An on-farm shop is planned, so check for updates before you go.
Harley Farms Goat Dairy
Harley Farms is a restored 1910 dairy farm, with 200 alpine goats on nine acres of pasture in Pescadero, California. The Farm makes farmstead goat cheese and offers tours and events.
Open 7 days a week from 11am-4pm
Check our website for holiday hours.
Garden Variety Cheese
The 100 milking ewes at Monkeyflower Ranch which produce the milk for Garden Variety Cheese are fed on fresh pasture, alfalfa hay and organic brewer’s grain from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Each ewe is named after a garden flower and treat
Saturday: 10am-2pm
Schoch Family Farmstead
Established in 1944, Schoch Dairy is located on the famed El Camino Real in the fertile Salinas Valley.
