The HEAL Farm
Welcome to our flagship Learning Center and Community Hub
At The HEAL Farm, we create memorable opportunities for students to immerse themselves in nature and cultivate a connection to food and where it comes from through planting, harvesting, cooking and preparing produce directly from the field.
Visitors to the farm are offered the opportunity to explore our fields and the surrounding hiking trails of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Through field trips, camps, and project-based learning experiences, we weave science lessons with hands-on learning to create an outdoor educational environment that fosters curiosity, a love of fresh food, and connection with our natural world.
Launched in partnership with San Mateo County Health in 2009, the farm is now a vibrant community hub that:
Provides tens of thousands of pounds of produce donations to community food banks and those in need
Host agroecology experiments like breeding a tomato that thrives in Coastal fog! 🍅
Welcomes organizations and community groups to host events in our space, enjoying the nourish digital detox of a day in nature
Connects directly to hiking trails in thousands of acres of open space, which are integrated in our programs with lessons on the importance of preserving natural land
Thank you to our land sponsor, generously donating our space since 2009:
Ecological Restoration
Since 2009, we have been actively working to restore the land The HEAL Farm stewards. We began with an empty 2+ acre field that was low-production soil with regular flooding. Using fully regenerative farming practices, we have gradually restored the land and soil. Vibrant native hedgerows, healthy soil, and a flourishing ecosystem now play host to not just the healthiest local crops on the Coastside, but also returning species like hawks, bobcats, and herons.
Indigenous Garden and Ceremonial Talking Circle
Beginning in 2024, The HEAL Project has been stewarding a portion of our land together with the Muchia Te’ Indigeous Land Trust as an Indigenous Garden and Ceremonial Talking Circle. Fully integrated into all educational programs on the farm and home to other events and ceremonies, the space is a small step that better connects our community with its roots and history.
The Native Garden
Planted with over 200 species of medicinal, ceremonial, and edible plants
Designed and built by leaders of the Rammaytush community who have called this area home for thousands of years
Ceremonial Talking Circle
A sacred space for hearing the voices of others, used for ceremonies, meetings, and discussions
Oriented to honor the four directions, with wooden benches made by hand by a local artist, from locally-sourced coast Redwood
What we grow and how we grow it
Our 2-acre market farm turns out lots of produce: a diverse mix of vegetables and fruits that range from leafy favorites like lettuce and kale to hearty fall crops like pumpkins and squash. We have berry plants, the best tomatoes you’ve ever eaten, and strawberries that are the pride of the Coastside.
We sell our produce at the Coastside Farmers Market in Half Moon Bay on Saturday mornings from May through November, and we also offer a CSA-Style Farm Share Program for local friends who get a box each week that shares in the bounty of our land.
Our farming philosophy
There are lots of buzzwords in farming and food production, but we think it’s best to just lay out the facts of how we grow our food. We strive to use the most sustainable and regenerative farming practices possible, reflecting our desire for farms to be community hubs, wildlife habitat and vibrant sources of food for the local community
🚫 No Biocides
We pledge not to use chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides) that kill, harm or repel living things.
🍃 Soil Health
Soil is the heart of our farm. We keep growing plants and/or mulch on as much of our soil as possible, and avoid mechanical disturbance like tilling to the greatest extent possible. This feeds the soil food web, sequesters carbon, and keeps our soil healthy.
🐝 Farm Ecosystems
Every part of the farm has an ecological function: Perennial crops, row crops, rainwater catchment, bioswale, pollinators, native species, and more! We encourage natural systems to work as they are designed, with minimal human input.