Slide Ranch

I went on my sons' class trip the other week to Slide Ranch in West Marin. Nestled in the hills right next to the Pacific ocean, the Ranch is an agricultural learning center for kids. We watched chickens lay eggs, reveling in the gorgeous palate of colors (my favorite is the green blue eggs layed by Araucana chickens). We gawked at the amazing wattles on the Turkeys, and ate fresh sorrel from the garden. But the highlight of our day was milking Hilda.Hilda is a goat, and she's a patient beast. While she was fed a mixture of alfalfa and molasses (the equivalent of a Milky Way for goats), dozens of kids worked her teets to try to get milk. Most eventually succeeded. I was last and on my first try, milk spewed forth. Her teets were warm, she was patient, and the milk was a lovely, creamy white.We've become so separate we from our food sources. Getting closer to how food is grown and raised deepens my own appreciation of what I eat. If you live in Northern California and have kids, try to get to Slide Ranch. It will open their eyes, their palates, and their hearts. Your own too.