by Alyssa O’Brien

Driving north on Route 1 from Route 92, you’ll pass a cluster of chain hotels and wonder if there is  a nice place to stop for coffee. Suddenly, you’ll see an oasis with a charming wood building, green plants — and a sign inviting you to stop for a cup of coffee, some baked goods or a meal.

Welcome to Blue Sky Farms, the newest restaurant, nursery and meeting place on the coast. Situated between Mirada Road and La Familia Restaurant close to the Half Moon Bay Board Shop, Blue Sky Farms provides easy parking, indoor and outdoor tables, and even a special drive-in lane for commuters seeking coffee. 

Step inside the architecturally stunning building and you’ll see original artwork, old tools and garden implements on the walls. Classical music streams from the beamed ceiling, and chalkboard menus tempt you with delights such as a hummus or pork sandwich, the homemade soup of the day, or a healthy salad. Friends gather at the café tables, enjoying free refills of iced tea or single-estate coffee, while others walk through the plant stands, picking up a basil plant or filling one of the red wagons with native coastal flowers to bring home.

Sally Coverdell’s delicious vegetarian pumpkin soup is perfect for fall. Photo: Alyssa O’Brien.

On sunny days, you’ll find owners Ken and Sally Coverdell eating lunch on a wooden bench in the garden, greeting visitors, explaining composting and sustainable garden practices, and sharing stories that make you want to stay a while. 

Ken Coverdell will tempt you to try one of his original gorp cookies. A delicious blend of chocolate, oatmeal, cashews and coconut, the cookie melts on your tongue and gives you enough energy to hike Montara Mountain. “You know those trail mixes?” he asks. “Here’s  a cookie that takes the best ingredients with enough calories and sugar to keep you going.” Coverdell claims the cookie has saved friends from starvation while cross-country skiing. Now it’s available to coastal weekend warriors or for endurance on the commute. Coverdell agreed to share his “top secret” gorp recipe, a handwritten paper that has lasted several decades.

Coverdell’s story of building Blue Sky is inspirational. Thirty years ago, he moved to the coast with no money and a broken car. In 1977,  he says, he “bought a used Checker cab, piled it full of lawn equipment, four guys, and a wheel barrow,” and launched his landscaping business over the hill. Today, Blue Sky Designs Inc. runs a successful operation off Route 92. “We don’t drive the cab anymore,” Coverdell says, but he keeps the business going to support his new passion: Blue Sky Farms café and nursery, which he runs with his wife, Sally. “The name Blue Sky comes from the Allman Brothers song,”  says Coverdell. 

The café has Ken Coverdell’s careful attention to detail. Built on green design principles, the building uses structurally insulated panels so it naturally heats and cools itself. It relies on recycled water by channeling water through deep rock layered under permeable concrete rather than having the water run off to the ocean carrying impurities. In construction, the Coverdells used sustainable forest materials and soon they’ll house 30 chickens in order to offer farm-fresh eggs for breakfast and lunch.

Ken and Sally Coverdell proudly serve free-trade organic coffee. Photo: Alyssa O’Brien.

Behind gleaming steel counters, Carol Brehm and Lisa Beattie prepare sandwiches and explain that they enjoy the people and the atmosphere of the café. There’s live jazz on weekends, and the café is open until 4 p.m. daily for those who wish to socialize, write, or read the many helpful resources on green gardening. The café supports local entrepreneurs, carrying the Honey Bee Tea made by neighbor Roslyn Ramsey. Soon it will offer wine and beer on weekends. Aspiring gardeners will appreciate honest advice, while everyone can learn from the green design of this new bright building.  

So whether you are a surfer in need of gorp-cookie energy (see below for top secret recipe), a commuter wanting free-trade coffee in a hurry, or someone seeking a pleasant place to have lunch with a friend, be certain to stop at Blue Sky Farms. You just might linger to taste Sally Coverdell’s soup, pick up a native plant, or hear one of Ken Coverdell’s stories.

On the Web:

See a video on the green design of Blue Sky: tinyurl.com/4ulkew

Visit the café’s Web site: www.blueskyfarmsltd.com/