Foodwise & The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

New at La Cocina booth this month! ⭐ Find .sf popping up at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays in September with up tamales, birria, and more.

Tonantzin is a Mexican food business focused on Chilango and Oaxacan flavors rooted in culture, tradition, and, above all, a lot of love. Born in Mexico City, Amalia and Saul built Tonantzin with a dream to bring culture and tradition from their Mexican roots to the Bay Area. Currently, Tonatzin offers catering services for events such as weddings, quinceñera, birthdays, and family events.

Join us in welcoming Tonantzin! We are grateful to partner with to offer market opportunities and support for early-stage entrepreneurs through our program.

What’s for lunch? Savor the sunshine and at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market today! 🌞🥪 Skip the long lines at this gourmet rolling rotisserie truck on Saturdays, and stop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays to try their famous juicy spit-roasted chicken, potatoes flavored with all the rotisserie drippings, and more. Share this with someone you want to grab lunch with this week!

Pick up seasonal empanadas from today at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market! 🥟 In the early 1900s, Nilda “Nucha” Bottazzi’s family migrated to Argentina from Parma, Italy, in search of a better life. Her family brought with them the rich traditions of Italian cooking and soon discovered the flavors of South America. Now her great niece, Vanessa, continues Nucha’s legacy and all of the traditions that their family have passed on generation after generation. Stop by Nucha Empanadas on Tuesdays for spicy pork empanadas, kale and butternut squash empanadas, peach cobbler, and more!

Get Bronx grapes from Lagier Ranches at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market today, while they last! 🍇 With a deep-rosy hue, this rare grape variety is recognized on Slow Food USA's “Ark of Taste” as an endangered product you rarely see outside of a farmers market. It is a cross between the Thompson and the Black Concord, with a very delicate skin that makes them difficult to ship or store, which is why you won’t see them in grocery stores. Pick up a bunch from John and Casey at Lagier Ranches, one of only two growers in Northern California to cultivate this endangered seedless grape, today or next Saturday before they’re gone.

Partner Spotlight! 🌟 Foodwise is honored to partner with and their incredible community of chefs at Foodwise farmers markets through our program.

🌺 Oakland Bloom launched in 2015, with a focus on providing training and opportunities for Bay Area immigrant and refugee food entrepreneurs. Almost a decade later, the organization continues to advance economic equity in the food industry, while also reimagining what that industry can be.

“A lot of what we do is really about designing different pathways for business ownership for the population we serve, which is poor, working-class, migrant, and BIPOC chefs,” says Claudia Luz Suarez, Program Director for their Open Test Kitchen incubator program and co-founder of Café con Cariño. 🔗 Visit the links in our bio for the full story!

📣 Be sure to try ’s cold brew and Quesadilla Salvadoreña and Asukar ’s spice blends, hummus, and empanadas at the Oakland Bloom tent at on Thursdays. And stop by Oakland Bloom’s new restaurant at 528 8th Street in Oakland, opening this Saturday, September 7!

This week we’re excited to welcome Foodwise Kids back to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market! 🎉🥕 Thanks so much to all of you who donated to our August Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market campaign to help make these free field trips possible for thousands of students every year. With your generous contributions, we exceeded our fundraising goal, with 113 community members donating $30,397 in support of our & education programs.

🌱 Whether you donate, volunteer, or help make the market a welcoming space for our students (including our farmers like .ranch), we could not offer these programs without your support! Thank you for helping make farmers markets a place of learning, community, and joy for San Francisco youth, and empowering the next generation of healthy eaters. Learn more and get involved at foodwise.org/kids

Dahlias are blooming today at at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market! 💐🌞 Stop by on Tuesdays, 10am-2pm, to say hi to Elizabeth and pick up a bunch of the official flower of San Francisco to brighten your space.

Howard McGinnis started McGinnis Ranch in Watsonville in 1968. When he decided to retire, he began mentoring his daughter, Sandi, and his granddaughter, Sara, continued the legacy and transitioned the farm to organic. They have been certified by CCOF since 2019. Support next-generation organic family farms at the Ferry Plaza today!

Apple season has started at , with early varieties like Gravensteins and Pink Pearls starting to pop up! 🍎 Based in Sebastopol, Stan Devoto and his family have been growing heirloom apples and field-grown flowers since the 1970s, and now grow more than 100 varieties of certified organic apples, cut flowers, and wine grapes. Keep an eye out for these rare heirloom apples, many of which have a short season, and try them while you can. And be sure to say hi to Stan!

Your farmers market guide to tomatoes is here! 🍅 Solid, striped, or speckled and in red, yellow, green, purple, and every shade in between, tomatoes present an overwhelming choices, while the names of the varieties are as intriguing as they are colorful: Black Prince, Early Girl, Mortgage Lifter, Green Zebra, Ivory Pear, and Pineapple. We’ve put together some tips to help you navigate this juicy dilemma and make the most of peak tomato season. 🔗 Read more at foodwise.org or the link in our bio.

Celebrate local Black-owned businesses and feast your way into fall at Fall Kickoff on September 28, 9am-2pm! 🍂🍎 Join us for a day of delicious food, crafts, and community at the Embarcadero Ferry Terminal Plaza and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Along with grabbing delicious bites, enjoy music, harvest-themed family activities, and craft market, plus seasonal cooking demos. Entry and activities are free, with food and drink available for purchase. 🔗 Visit foodwise.org/pop-ups for details!

🌟 Participating Businesses:

🌉 Fall Kickoff is part of , a series of events celebrating Bay Area Black entrepreneurs, brought to you by ’s program,

Cool off with poke and peach iced tea from at today’s market! ☀️🐟🌺 Popping up on Tuesdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Mekem’s Kitchen serves mouthwatering Polynesian cuisine and refreshing beverages. Chef and owner Tracy has been cooking since childhood, when she learned the ropes of cooking Polynesian food from her dad, who ultimately inspired her to start her business. Mekem’s Kitchen is popping up through October on Tuesdays in partnership with ’s as part of Foodwise’s program.

Supporter Spotlight! 🌟 Thank you to community members like Chef of for donating to our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market campaign. In addition to supporting our farmers market each week for more than a decade, Gaby gives to our food education programs and (and has even done a cooking class with our students!).

Chef Gaby shares: “Being a teenager in Hawai’i was such a blessing. We were exposed to our own local farms through the farmers markets, restaurants, and grocery stores that carried those ingredients. However, not everyone has the chance to have access to those ingredients and that is still an ongoing issue around the country. I believe that Foodwise provides tools, experiences, and exposure to so many people, including the young students of the city. Everyone should have the chance to experience what a perfect summer tomato tastes like or how the stone fruit varieties change over the course of 3-4 months. The students should also have access to learn from the people that are doing the job of farming, selling, and cooking. I started cooking professionally as a teenager and have been influenced by those very people. It brings a lot of joy to see students show a sense of pride after completing a cooking task or tasting the final dish. That’s where inspiration starts.” Thank you, Gaby!

⏳ We’re less than $3K away from our Back to School fundraising goal, with 6 days to go! Join Gaby and 100+ community members so far in investing in free food education for San Francisco youth. Any amount makes a difference! 🔗 Help us reach our goal by August 31 by donating at foodwise.org/backtoschool

Look for .antojitos popping up at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at the tent! This month, find them in the back plaza on Saturdays to pick up frozen pupusas and freshly made curtido.

In 2023 Adelita’s Antojitos took to the streets of San Francisco serving classic Latin antojitos, revisiting generations-old techniques and a handcrafted approach. Today, Adelita’s continues to feature a menu influenced by regions in El Salvador and Mexico, led by cocinera Adela Romero and her daughter-in-law Alejandra Arenas. The base of their menu focuses on nixtamalized, heirloom corn, made to order pupusas, tamales, fresh aguas frescas, and other antojitos.

Urban green spaces can take many forms: lush and biodiverse farms where neighbors grow food together, school gardens that engage young people in nature, and land projects that restore Indigenous culture and foodways. These spaces are essential for community health and healing, especially for people living in cities who have limited opportunities to connect with the land.

🌳 At a recent talk cohosted by Foodwise and Reimagining San Francisco at , Ted Fang , Sara Moncada , Tiffany Chung , Jamie Chan , and community members convened to share efforts to cultivate climate-wise, biodiverse, and equitable urban green spaces.

“We are based on principles of diversity,” shares Ted Fang of Florence Fang Community Farm. “We have all these people farming together. It’s also intergenerational, having the kids work with the elders. Each party is learning from the other at the same time.” 🔗 Read more and watch the video: https://foodwise.org/articles/how-san-francisco-is-reimagining-urban-green-spaces/

Shown here, high school students visit Florence Fang Community Farm.

Get your midday pick-me-up with ’s Café de Olla, made by Aaron and Luna at today’s market! ☀️☕ Café de Olla is a traditional Mexican spiced coffee with panela (unrefined sugar), brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

Grab some produce and lunch at the Ferry Plaza and “caffeinate with purpose” with Proyecto Diaz Coffee, an Oakland-based multi-generation roastery with roots in the Diaz family coffee farm, El Carmen, in Oaxaca.

Blackberry season has begun at Yerena Farms! 💜 Pick up a flavorful basket at today’s market until 2 pm. One of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market’s original farms, Poli and Silvia Yerena are familiar faces at the market, with their deliciously ripe strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, plus shelling beans, squash blossoms, and other veggies.

A multi-generation farm with Poli and Silvia’s children now involved in the business, the Yerenas began growing conventionally in 1982, but in response to market demand, they began transitioning to organic. Visit them on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and on Thursdays.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Black Creators Craft Market last Saturday celebrating ! 🖤✨ We were honored to host 10+ Black Bay Area food crafters and designers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, in partnership with In The Black. Here are just a few highlights from the day, and you can find more on Facebook.

⭐ Much gratitude to our participating businesses and community partners! A Girl Named Pinky, Avocurl, Baby Bean Pie, Bismillah Boutique, CIK Apparel, Cocoacentric, Gourmonade, Ice Body Skincare, In Real Life Apparel, Stash Candle Co., and That's My Jam.

📣 Save the date for our next Pop-Ups on the Plaza event on September 28, Fall Kickoff. 🍂 is a series of events celebrating Bay Area Black entrepreneurs, brought to you by Foodwise’s program, The Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Human Rights Commission, Dream Keeper Initiative, and San Francisco Ferry Building.

"The thing I feel most proud of is my social and customer service skills," says Foodwise Teen Max Hildalgo, who worked at McGinnis Ranch at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this summer. 🍓 "Participating in the fellowship has helped me feel more empowered to participate in my community. It kind of opened my eyes and helped me see that even though I’m just one person I can still make a difference."

This summer, 16 high school students worked jobs in the farmers market as part of our Summer Fellowship program. You may have met some of them, assisting customers at the Foodwise Info Booth, leading summer camp field trips for our program, and supporting local farmers and food makers in the market.

While building their resumes, students expanded their food knowledge, grew in leadership and confidence, and felt a sense of belonging and empowerment as active participants in their city and their local food system. Five of our Foodwise Teens shared what they’re most proud of and what they’ll carry with them from working in the farmers market. 🔗 Read their reflections: https://foodwise.org/articles/foodwise-teens-cultivate-community-through-summer-jobs-in-the-farmers-market/

📣 Support free food education for San Francisco youth! Donate now to our Back to School campaign: foodwise.org/backtoschool

Thank you to our Intern of the Month, Christian Rodriguez! 💚 Driven by his interest in food and working with youth, Christian has been interning with our program since August 2023, guiding farmers market field trips and cooking classes with San Francisco youth.

“Growing up as a first-gen kid with immigrant parents, I didn’t get to see my parents very often. I started to find that cooking their meals made me feel closer to them,” Christian shares. “I believe I can create an exceptional experience for the kids who visit [the farmers market]. It’s more than just volunteering; it feels like a responsibility to give back to the community. Coming from a background similar to theirs, I can connect with them on a deeper, more meaningful level. These kids deserve someone who truly understands them and is passionate about making their experience as enriching as possible.” 🔗 Meet Christian: https://foodwise.org/articles/intern-spotlight-christian-rodriguez/

🌱 You can also support Foodwise Kids by donating to our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market fundraising campaign. Help us reach our goal of $30K by August 31! Donate at foodwise.org/backtoschool

Learn jam-making tips from the best with MarQuita of That’s My Jam who will be making Strawberry Shortcakes at our Foodwise Classroom this Saturday at 11 am. 🍓 MarQuita will also be selling her jams at our Black Creators Craft Market, in celebration of Black Business Month.

Within her inner circle, MarQuita is affectionately referred to as the “Black Martha Stewart” because of her years-long love of all things gardening, farm life, crafting, and now crafting small batch jams. Her excitement about farm fresh produce opened the door to building That’s My Jam Company, a low sugar, pectin-free artisan jam company.

Stop by the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this Saturday, August 17, to enjoy the demo and check out the 12 fabulous Black Bay Area crafters at : Black Creators Craft Market! 🔗 For details, visit foodwise.org/events or the link in our bio.

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‘Tis the season for figs...and peaches, pluots, and pears at today at the Ferry Plaza Farmer Market! 🍑🍐 It’s the sweet-spot time of the season when summer fruit is plentiful, and we’re starting to get an early taste of fall fruit. Visit Tim and Christophe at K&J Orchards for squishy-sweet Adriatic, Candy Stripe, Brown Turkey, and Mission figs, along with Arctic Snow peaches, Fantasia nectarines, Flavor Queen and Dapple Dany pluots, and first-pick-of-the-season Morettini and Bartlett pears, all tree-ripened at the Deasy family’s farm in Winters, California, and harvested for peak flavor. Find them at the Ferry Plaza on Tuesdays, 10am-2pm! What are are your favorite summer fruit?

This Saturday, celebrate at : Black Creators Craft Market! 🖤✨ Join 12 Black Bay Area entrepreneurs for a day of crafts and community at Foodwise’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, in partnership with . From Gourmonade’s gourmet lemonades and That’s My Jam’s low-sugar and pectin-free jam to Avocurl’s avocado-infused hair care products and Bismillah Boutique’s beautiful handmade candles, you’ll find special, locally made treats and gifts for your loved ones and yourself. Entry is free. 🔗 Details at foodwise.org/events

🌟 Participating Vendors: .boutique

🌉 Black Creators Craft Market is part of , a series of events celebrating Bay Area Black entrepreneurs, brought to you by ’s program,

Celebrate 20th anniversary TODAY at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market! 🎉 At their booth in the back plaza, they’ll be sharing some of their newest culinary creations, playing games, and giving out special prizes. As part of their sampling, they will be featuring their new dips, paired with bread and .thumb.farms
carrots (all from the Ferry Plaza).

Hodo will be donating 50% of their proceeds from the day to our program, as part of our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market fundraising campaign. Stock up on Hodo’s delicious plant-based products, while supporting free food education for Bay Area youth at the farmers market!

The team at Hodo shares, “Hodo Foods started 20 years ago with one stall at our local farmers market. After two decades, you can now find Hodo in grocery stores nationwide, but we never forget where we started. We’re still committed to our community, and to making the most delicious food with the highest quality ingredients.”

See your impact! 🌱 Our latest impact report covers a time of revitalization in the Bay Area and beyond. As downtown San Francisco rebounds from the ripple effects of the pandemic, Foodwise farmers markets have been a constant source of economic support for California’s small sustainable farmers and food entrepreneurs, healthy food access for thousands of Bay Area residents, and education and empowerment for eaters of all ages. We can’t do this important work without you! ➡️ Visit foodwise.org/impact to see the full report and look back on what we accomplished together.

Impact Foodwise Impact Report 2023-24: Nourishing Community & Building Equity Together This report covers April 2023 through March 2024, a time of revitalization in the Bay Area and beyond. As downtown San Francisco rebounds from the ripple effects of the pandemic, Foodwise farmers markets have been a cons...

This National Farmers Market Week, help make farmers markets a place of learning, wellness, and connection for thousands of San Francisco kids and families. Donate to our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market fundraising campaign by August 10, and your gift will be matched! Donate at foodwise.org/backtoschool now and DOUBLE your impact!

Did you know that Foodwise welcomes more than 2,500 SFUSD students to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market for field trips, cooking classes, and other educational experiences through our free Foodwise Kids & Teens programs? As kids go back to school this fall, we need your support to keep these programs going!

Seen here, Foodwise Kids at Rojas Family Farms at our Thursday market.

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week this Saturday, and join us for a Foodwise Demo with .social Chef de Cuisine Kuldeep Singh, who will be making Cauliflower Pakoda at the Foodwise Classroom at 12pm.

Chef Kuldeep Singh hails from the picturesque mountainous region of Uttarakhand in Northern India. Born into a farmer’s family, his early years were immersed in the cultivation of grains, lentils, and millets, providing him with a profound connection to the land and its bountiful offerings. Kuldeep’s culinary trajectory began in the bustling streets of New Delhi, where he honed his skills before embarking on an international journey. His expertise in modern Indian cuisine with a touch of traditional ingredients led him to the vibrant culinary scenes of San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Kuldeep crafts delectable dishes that embrace vegan and gluten-free options while showcasing the diversity of India’s culinary heritage.

Stop by the Foodwise Classroom at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this Saturday, August 10, to enjoy the demo, with free recipes and samples. 🔗 Visit foodwise.org/events or the link in our bio to learn more.

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Savor summer’s bounty this National Farmers Market Week (August 4-10) and support local farmers and food makers! 🍑 Join Foodwise in celebrating the many benefits that farmers markets bring to our communities. Join us at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10am-2pm) and Saturdays (8am-2pm).

Farmers markets support local farms and provide vital access to fresh, healthy food for our communities. By shopping at your local farmers market, you help stimulate local economies, preserve farmland and rural livelihoods, increase access to fresh food, and support healthy communities. 🔗 Visit the links in our bio for 10 Reasons to Support Farmers Markets and spread the word!

Foodwise farmers markets accept SNAP/EBT (CalFresh/food stamps). Customers using EBT can double their dollars up to $15 per market day through the Market Match program, which offers free market coins redeemable only for fruits and vegetables. Visit the Foodwise Info Booth to learn more.

New vendors added! 📣 Celebrate at : Black Creators Craft Market on Saturday, August 17. 🖤✨ Join 12 Black Bay Area entrepreneurs for a day of crafts and community at Foodwise’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, in partnership with . Find handcrafted goods such as small-batch jam, skincare, clothing, and more. Entry is free and open to the public, with products available for purchase. 🔗 Visit https://foodwise.org/events/pop-ups-on-the-plaza-black-creators-craft-market-2/

🌟 Participating Vendors: .boutique

🌉 Black Creators Craft Market is part of , a series of events celebrating Bay Area Black entrepreneurs, brought to you by ’s program,

DOUBLE your impact for healthy kids, farms, and communities this National Farmers Market Week! 🥕🥕 Foodwise farmers markets and education programs and are an essential source of learning, wellness, and connection for Bay Area youth, serving more than 3,000 San Francisco Unified School District students and their families every year. This week, we're kicking off our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market campaign, with the goal of raising $30,000 this August for our free youth education programs. ➡️ Now through August 10, your donation will be matched! Visit https://foodwise.networkforgood.com to donate now and DOUBLE your impact!

Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market Empower the next generation of healthy eaters. Help us raise $30,000 to support Foodwise’s free education programs for Bay Area kids and families. Donate now and your gift will be matched! “I have grown to know more about how food is made and how to take care of our world. In the future, this wo...

Stock up on locally grown grains and flours today at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market! 🌾🍞 Capay Mills is here on the first Saturday of the month.

Miller and grain farmer David Kaisel offers stone-ground flour milled from heirloom wheat grown locally. The result is fresh whole-grain flour that keeps flavor and nutrients intact. In addition to being one of the few millers focused on local whole-grain flours, Capay Mills has a mission to reintroduce historical wheats and specialty grains. In addition to 100% heritage and varietal wheat flours, Capay Mills produces polenta, grits, and cornmeal, along with non-wheat flours such as rye, buckwheat, and malted flours.