Seeds, Soil, and Resilience: The Growing Impact of Brisa Ranch

Whenever I find myself atop Cloverdale Bluffs on a crisp autumn day, I take a moment to soak it all in. Pigeon Point Lighthouse rises to the north, dignified as ever, keeping watch over the churning Pacific. With such a stunning view, it’s no wonder that plans are in motion to add a footpath here, a crucial link in the California Coastal Trail. But that’s not the only change on the horizon. Look inland and you’ll spot a green tractor parked on the field, a quiet clue that row crops will soon return to this windswept stretch of coast. And if the tractor’s in motion, you can bet that one of the visionary and capable farmers from Brisa Ranch — POST’s latest tenant — is behind the wheel.

WHY WE LOVE WORKING LANDS

Here at POST, we protect farmland that’s rich with potential. We care for these properties by entrusting them to farmers who uphold our shared values, ensuring that each acre produces not only nutritious food, but also clean water, healthy soils, wildlife habitat, and ecological health for the surrounding community. We see ourselves as partners in this effort, working in tandem with tenants to phase the stewardship of the land over time. 

When we met the enterprising co-founders of Brisa Ranch — Veronica, Cristóbal, and Cole — their approach immediately resonated with ours. In addition to growing crops, they aspire to cultivate resilience, equity, and connectedness on the San Mateo Coast.

Here’s a peek at what’s happening at two of the properties where Brisa Ranch works! This includes footage of POST-protected Cloverdale Bluffs, where these farm business owners are just getting started on a new farming adventure:

FROM HALF AN ACRE TO A THRIVING FARM

How do you build a farming operation from scratch? For Veronica, Cole, and Cristóbal, it started with a shared dream: to one day run their own farm together. The trio met in 2018 while working at Pie Ranch — a working organic farm and education center in Pescadero — and bonded over their love of growing food and caring for the land.

Cole and Cristóbal both grew up around farming, while Veronica came to it on her own, moving to the San Mateo Coast in her twenties to learn the trade. “It feels daunting when you don’t have land you own, a business you inherit, or equipment you can use right away,” Cole reflects. “But meeting those milestones has allowed our vision, motivation, and practices to evolve.”

Their journey began as a side project on a leased half-acre, where they grew pumpkins, winter squash, beans, tomatoes, and one humble bed of potatoes. Between shifts at their other farm jobs, they handled everything themselves: planting, harvesting, washing, selling, and delivering their produce.

Then came 2020. Between the pandemic and the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, their young operation withstood the ultimate test. “Going through all those challenges, we realized, ‘wow, we are a resilient trio,’” Veronica says. “We show up for each other. We have the same values. We care about soil, growing food, and feeding our community. And because of those values, we’re working toward something bigger than ourselves.”

What began as a tiny venture has grown steadily year by year. Today, Brisa Ranch cultivates about 40 acres across four sites between Año Nuevo State Park and Pescadero. The once three-person operation now employs five full-time and several part-time staff. As the team expands, the founders are turning their attention to what it means to be thoughtful employers.

A FOCUS ON INSTITUTIONS

From the start, the Brisa Ranch team knew they wanted to make healthy, sustainably grown food more accessible. Their vision was to get produce from small farms into the places where people actually eat. Think restaurants, schools, hospitals, universities, grocery stores, and food banks. While many small farms focus on farmers markets or CSAs, Brisa saw a chance to reach larger institutions without compromising their values. That goal has since become central to their mission.

As their list of buyers grew, the demand outpaced what Brisa could supply alone, especially with limited land security. To meet that challenge, they began working with partner organizations like Kitchen Table Advisors, TomKat Ranch, and the San Mateo Resource Conservation District. Together, they started exploring a bigger idea, one they would soon christen the Coastside Local Food Hub. They began to imagine a robust network where local farms could pool and distribute their harvests to nearby institutions. The model would not only strengthen supply chains but also ease the marketing and logistical burdens small farmers face.

Another goal of the food hub: to make farming more navigable for first-time farm business owners. “We want to see more farmers — more young people — enter these fields,” Veronica reflects. “Right now, there’s not a real clear pipeline for someone who doesn’t start off with that background.”

SECURING THE RIGHT RESOURCES

A USDA grant provided the early support they needed to plan the hub, interview farmers and buyers, and learn from others doing similar work. Nearly two years ago, through the Farms Together program, Brisa launched a pilot version and it’s already making an impact. They now collaborate with nearly 20 farms and five Bay Area food banks, delivering as far north as Sacramento.

That work has real meaning in a state where 1 in 5 Californians experiences food insecurity. Meanwhile, California farms produce nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. Brisa has helped bridge that gap by supplying local food banks with collard greens, cilantro, and bok choy. These nutritious, culturally familiar foods can be hard to source. “The right we all have is to access food that is delicious, nutritious, and true to who we are,” Veronica reflects.

With their pilot phase complete, Brisa Ranch is preparing to scale up. Looking ahead, the team hopes to expand these offerings to K–12 schools, the University of California system, and local hospitals. They recently received a California Department of Food and Agriculture Farm to Community Food Hub Grant — a nearly $2 million investment over five years. The funding will help them expand their infrastructure, equipment, and staffing to bring the hub fully to life. Best of all, they’ll be building a more connected, equitable food system with the help of farms all along the coast.

WORKING WITH POST

Farming on POST-protected land marks a turning point for Brisa Ranch. “We can really invest in the land for the long term in a way we haven’t been able to historically,” says Cole.  Until now, Brisa has operated on short, year-to-year leases. “At every property, we’ve invested heavily in the soil and infrastructure, but it’s always been risky,” Cole adds, noting that now they can make those long-term investments with confidence.

The team has plenty of work ahead. The field at Cloverdale Bluffs has been fallow for years, so they’re busy rejuvenating the soil, eliminating weed seeds, improving water systems, and adding 200 tons of compost before planting cover crops.

Together, Brisa and POST are shaping a shared vision for the property: one that supports sustainable agriculture, meets conservation goals, and provides public access. “This is a great opportunity to show that collaborations like these are possible,” says Veronica. “And as our relationship with local food banks grows, we’ll need even more organizations and farmers to join in.”