Heart of the City Farmers’ Market

We had friends staying with us Friday night, which meant going out and staying up late, which meant there was no way we were waking up early to make our normal Saturday run to the Alemany Farmers’ Market. Luckily, the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market in the UN Plaza near City Hall operates on Sundays, so we were still able to get our weekly ration of locals & organics.

There are plenty of good things to be said about this market: there’s a decent amount of variety; the prices are low for the most part (picked up tomatoes on Sunday for $0.75 per pound); it operates twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday, virtually all day; it is easy to get there by public transportation; and there is ample parking on Sundays (at least, in my experience having been there twice on a Sunday). There are also a few drawbacks, compared to my love for Alemany: the quality seemed spottier — I really had to look and dig around for the good stuff; few vendors offer samples (perhaps because this area has so many homeless wandering through?); you have to ask around to find out who grows organic and who doesn’t; and there seems to be fewer vendors offering something to snack on while you shop, and God knows I love me some good street food. (I have heard tell of a woman who makes Belgian waffles — REAL Belgian waffles, but I’ve yet to find her. If you know who she is and where exactly she sets up, please drop me a comment below!) This is a market for regular people, the antithesis of the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market. It is not fancy, and neither are its patrons. This may or may not be your cup of tea; San Francisco seems very divided along these lines.

There are few other interesting points about this market. First, it was established in 1981 by Quakers. (Coming from the land of Amish, Quakers, Shakers, and Mennonites, I was surprised to learn there were Quakers out here.) Second, if you go early enough, you can buy live poultry, not that I’d ever get there early enough, let alone butcher a live bird. I’m just intrigued that you CAN. It’s also worth popping over toward City Hall to check out the Victory Garden while you are there.

Ok, enough with the commentary, here’s the food!

Heart of the City Farmers Market Produce. (c) Finom. Photo by Molly Hovorka

• Mixed tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Onions
• Lemon
• Peaches
• Plums
• Squash blossoms
• Corn (looking to be the season’s last)
• Canteloupe
• Red bell peppers
• Poblano peppers
• Cucumbers
• Globe zucchini
• Beets
• Bag of mixed baby lettuce with edible flowers
• Blue lake green beans
• Grapes
• New potatoes

Total cost? About $35.

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