Houseplants, floriculture, Christmas trees, pumpkins and artichokes are the Coastside’s main crops, and greenhouse nurseries have long been part of the landscape. Bay City Flower Company, founded by Nobuo Higaki in Redwood City in 1910, moved to Half Moon Bay around 1960. His family survived internment during World War II because a local grower leased and cared for their greenhouses.
Competition grew after tariff changes in 1991 and the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. County flower production fell by 45 percent between 2001 and 2011 after adjusting for inflation. Bay City Flowers announced in September 2019 that it would close in November, putting some 195 workers out of work, and its owner cited labor costs as the biggest factor.
Online vendors, a shift toward tourism and rising land and supply costs added to the strain.
More on this site: farms and pumpkins