Meet the Farmer
Root Down Farm
Dede Boies
Established In 2013
Location Pescadero, CA
Acreage 62
What they sell Pasture-based poultry and pork
When they began working with KTA 2016
Advising Focus Production planning; financial management; capital access; visioning; hiring
Support our ongoing advising work with Root Down Farm by giving to KTA.
Root Down Farm is grounded in a humane, animal-focused approach to raising their chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs. Owner and rancher Dede Boies, a self-proclaimed animal lover, runs the farm with care and compassion. After learning about how animals are raised in the U.S. for meat consumption, Dede was driven to bring more intentionality to animal husbandry as well as more transparency to production practices. In letting all of their animals roam on pasture, Root Down is not only supporting their natural rhythms and behaviors but also restoring soil health through biological processes. This means happier animals that have more nutrients and an incredible flavor.
Dede’s story as a farmer is intimately tied to the Pescadero community. She subleases to other small farm businesses, including Steadfast Herbs and LeftCoast GrassFed, cultivating close-knit, symbiotic relationships with other farmers and ranchers. Dede also deeply invests in land stewardship alongside her animal husbandry, helping to restore the soil and build upon the land where she farms and lives with her wife and their children.
Learn more about Dede in KTA’s 10th Anniversary Film, “A Decade of Growing Community” (2023) and in The Soul Pilot’s KTA-produced film about Root Down Farm (2016).
Where to Find
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (Saturday, SF)
Stonestown Mall Farmers Market (Sunday, SF)
Clement St. Farmers Market (Sunday, SF)
Bi-Rite Market (SF)
Good Eggs (Online)
Home Delivery (SMC, South Bay)
For more stocklists, visit the Root Down Farm website or check out KTA’s Love Local Guide
Advising Snapshot: 2023
Dede’s business has grown immensely over the 10 years since she started ranching, with support from KTA staff including Ecosystem Building Director David Mancera and Regional Director Sarah Gearen. In the beginning, we collaborated with Dede on production planning and the preparation of financial statements to establish a strong foundation for her operation. Over the years, we’ve supported her in visioning and strategizing for her business to realize goals of hiring her first employee and applying for loans.
In the midst of evolving her operation and marking these milestones, Dede has had to explore how ranching and family come together, working to find a balance that feels resonant. Now, with supportive systems and tools in place, Dede is able to turn towards opportunities that promote long-term stability for her farm and family. After leasing land from KTA partner Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) for several years and working collaboratively with them to complete some major restoration projects, Dede is now poised to buy the property. This land purchase combined with the years that Dede has spent growing a viable and sustainable business means that she can continue to raise her children on the farm while still caring for the animals, land, and community that define Root Down.
