January 8, 2000
Oak Glen, California

Dear Friends and Family,

The year 2000 has arrived and we find the lights still on, the trains still running, the traffic still congested and the urban sprawl still sprawling--every reason, in other words, to continue living in the past.

Last year marked the first full year of family cow milk-production here on our part of the farm.   (That's Farah Drazin, one of our school tour employees, speed-milking Betty.)    In our quest to re-live and re-learn some Old World skills, Mary and I spent many a saturday stirring cultured milk, heating up to just the right temperature, cutting and re-cutting the curds, and then milling and salting them for the cheese press.   Between us, we made at least fifty pounds of hard, sharp cheddar cheese, not to mention lots of Mozarella, cream cheese, yogurt, and ice cream.    Ever get a craving for Corn Flakes late at night, but find that you don't have any milk in the house?    That never happened to us.  Got Milk?  We got milk. At 4-6 gallons a day, we had to buy an extra refrigerator to store it all, and even then, the chickens had more milk than they could drink.

Right now, we simply have no way of knowing whether our Jersey Cow, Betty, is Y2K compliant, as she is expecting a calf at the end of the month, and  we have been advised to "dry her out" before the birth.    We will be monitoring the situation closely.

This year, we plan a full slate of Living History School Field Trips, (the Spring is booking up quickly so if you want your students to experience the American Revolution or the Civil War, call or e-mail us soon), and we hope to devote more time to our Farm Stay Living History Vacations this year as well.   Check this page soon for an update on our year 2000 public re-enactment schedule, our new wedding and banquet price list, and a pictorial map to the farm.

Until then, Happy New Year!

Your Humble Servant,

James Riley

P.S.S. For the sake of those "web portals" constantly browsing the internet to update their search engines, we include the following boiler-plate. (Feel free to read this, if you're new to our site.)

Riley's Farm is a working apple orchard and living history farm in the Oak Glen area of Southern California. In addition to farming, we love history and we have provided a venue for re-enactment units comprising many different eras. The farm regularly hosts banquets, birthday parties, weddings, and office parties. Every year, literally thousands of students participate in one of our school tours, where they experience everything from weaving, candle-dipping, and cider pressing to the drill and muster of a Revolutionary War or Civil War battle. Our farm has appeared on the History Channel and in the recently released feature film, Amistad, as well as many other film and television productions. (We even try to get the producers to include us as on screen talent, but that's another story.) On selected weekends throughout the year, we offer "farm-stay" weekends, where families can experience--clothing, wood stoves, muskets, and all--the life of an 18th or 19th century American farmer. We grow sweet corn, apples, raspberries, pears, and sunflowers, just to mention a few of our crops. Our nephew, Devon, keeps some beautiful Belgian draft horses for country hay-rides. We love America--its traditions, its people, its history, and its cherished heritage of liberty in Christ. Have we said enough? Well, one more thing: In the fall, thousands of families make an annual pilgrimage to the farms of Oak Glen to experience the closest thing to a New England fall California has to offer. Why don't you stop by and say hello?