Meet the Farmer
Blue House Farm
Ryan Casey
Established In 2005
Location Pescadaro, CA
Acreage 75
What they sell Mixed vegetables, strawberries, flowers, dry beans, preserves
When they began working with KTA 2017
Advising Focus Land access; capital access; business planning
Support our ongoing advising work with Blue House Farm by giving to KTA.
Ryan Casey is a first-generation farmer who became interested in farming while taking agricultural courses at UC Santa Cruz. Since 2005, he has owned and operated Blue House Farm, expanding from four to 75 acres across two locations in Pescadero and San Gregorio. Throughout the years, the farm has produced over 50 types of organic mixed vegetables, fruits, and cut flowers for Bay Area communities, selling through farmers markets, restaurants, and wholesalers as well as an onsite farm stand and U-pick. Ryan actively commits to fostering community through his farm both among customers and farm employees; Blue House Farm is staffed by over 30 folks year round who keep the cycles of production and sales flowing on the farm. Alongside this, Ryan is deeply invested in soil health, understanding how resilient ecosystems are crucial to a thriving regional food system.
Where to Find
U-pick and farm stand in Pescadero
College of San Mateo farmers market
Oakland (Grand Lake) farmers market
Mission Community farmers market
Santa Cruz (Westside) farmers market
Stonestown farmers market
Clement St. farmers market
San Carlos farmers market
Advising Snapshot: 2024
When Ryan joined KTA as a client in 2017, he initially worked with Ecosystem Building Director David Mancera as his first business advisor. Their focus was on completing his new lease with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) — a lease that gave him the option to purchase the property in the future. With David’s guidance, Ryan was able to prepare capital resources and organize his business to scale up for the opportunity, marking a major growth milestone for Blue House Farm. Since this time, Ryan has completed several key projects in a joint effort with POST, local conservation agencies, and San Mateo County Department of Housing to improve the land for both his business and the people it supports. With POST’s partnership, Ryan has replaced the irrigation pond on the property, developed a washing and packing facility, built a beautiful timber frame barn and tractor shed and, most notably, built vital on-farm housing where the majority of his employees reside. Given that housing in San Mateo County is incredibly unaffordable and, thus, inaccessible, it has been important to Ryan to care for his employees by providing safe and stable housing.
As Ryan has transitioned to being an alumni client since completing KTA’s three-year advising program, Director Sarah Gearen remains in touch with him, checking in periodically to hear how the business has been faring while offering a space for thought partnership and reflection. By the end of 2023, Ryan began looking to formally purchase the land from POST. As of March 1st 2024, Ryan officially bought the property from POST, affirming a long-term home for Blue House Farm, good jobs and secure housing for farm staff, and an even greater abundance of produce and flowers on local tables.
