Foodwise Impact Report: Deepening Equity, Access, and Education April 2022-March 2023

The period that this report covers, April 2022 through March 2023, was a time of transformation and doubling down on commitments to our community. As San Francisco continues to recover from the aftermath of the pandemic, Foodwise farmers markets have remained a vibrant and vital force, providing critical income for small climate-wise farms and food makers, healthy food access for thousands of families, and education and empowerment for Bay Area youth.

We deepened our commitment to racial equity through our Building Equity program, providing market opportunities for BIPOC food entrepreneurs. As food insecurity has continued to rise, we've helped make fresh produce affordable for thousands of families at Foodwise farmers markets. We also expanded our education offerings at schools and reintroduced our free market programs for our community to connect and share food knowledge.

After 29 years as “CUESA,” we officially changed our name to Foodwise to reflect our deepened commitment to racial equity, food access, and education. The name is a testament to the collective wisdom of you, our community, in taking action to create the equitable and sustainable local food system our world needs. We can't do this important work without you! Let’s look back on what we accomplished together.

I see a future in which farms like mine thrive, with your help and the help of organizations like Foodwise, educating our youth, sustaining the farmers markets, and growing its future supporters. Like small seeds that yield an abundant harvest, supporting Foodwise is an investment in the next generation of farmers and consumers and the future of food.

—Amber Balakian, fourth-generation farmer, Balakian Farms

As Foodwise, we plan to still be all the things you know and love: a dedicated group of people running excellent education programs and farmers markets. We are still deeply committed to sustainable agriculture at our core, but we know that sustainability cannot exist without an explicit commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and ensuring that farmers markets are truly accessible and welcoming to all.

—Christine Farren, Executive Director, Foodwise

Connecting Family Farms and Community

Since the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market began in 1993, we’ve been dedicated to connecting small family farms with San Francisco residents to provide vital access to fresh, locally grown food. Our farmers markets provide marketplaces for 130 local farms and food entrepreneurs and offer popup opportunities for early-stage food businesses, reﬂecting the talent, innovation, and diversity of our community. Your support ensures access to economic opportunity for local, sustainable, and BIPOC-, immigrant-, and women-owned farms and food businesses, so they can grow and thrive.

Sustaining Family Farms While Weathering Uncertainty

With inflation on the rise, the post-pandemic road to recovery has been difficult for small farms and food businesses. Farmers face unprecedented challenges, including labor shortages and climate change, in addition to inflation. California farmers were also dealt one of the wettest seasons on record last winter, which meant flooded fields, delayed plantings, and destroyed crops and infrastructure.

Despite the challenges, Foodwise's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and Mission Community Market remain vital sources of income for small family farms and food businesses, welcoming thousands of regular market shoppers as well as 200 local restaurants that source directly from our farms through our Market to Chef program. Farmers and food makers report that Foodwise farmers markets account for about 23.3% of their sales on average, with some reporting as high as 95%.

Learn more about our markets

I have been going to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market from the beginning, rain or shine. We are so lucky to have access to such outstanding quality food. It is also a privilege to support the farmers who are working so hard and take such pride in giving us the best of everything.

—Esther Marks, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market shopper

I super-appreciate all of the customers who do come out to the market, especially the ones who come out every week, just knowing that this is how we support our family. I think it’s important for people to understand how much the farmers value all of their customers.

—Joy Dolcini, Farmer Joy

Growing the Farmers Market Community

We work with innovative business owners who prioritize sustainability, social justice, and community health. Starting a food enterprise can be risky, requiring a lot of up-front investment. Our farmers markets provide a lower-risk market entry point for small farmers and entrepreneurs to build their brand, grow their audience, and meet customers face to face as they begin to formalize their businesses.

We welcomed these new farms and food businesses at Foodwise farmers markets:

D.R.E.A.M Doughnuts | Kitiya Thai Eats | Little Fish Company | Mill Valley Pasta Co. | Rodriguez Bros. Ranch (pictured here)

I don’t have a brick and mortar, so [having a booth at Foodwise] is kind of like my brick-and mortar-store. The farmers market is where people know they can get my product. My presence at the farmers market is quite significant. I’m happy to be able to share my flavors with people in the Bay Area, and the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is the perfect place for it.

—Kitiya Ditpare Homs, Kitiya Thai Eats

Advancing Racial Equity at Farmers Markets

As Foodwise has deepened our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice throughout our work, we must actively work to undo systemic racism to help make farmers markets equitable and inclusive for all. Through our Building Equity program, we provide business development resources and market opportunities to support the growth, economic viability, and asset-building of BIPOC entrepreneurs across the Bay Area.

New Program: Building Equity for BIPOC Entrepreneurs

In 2023, we formalized our Building Equity program, the seeds of which were planted together with our partner organization La Cocina in 2007. Since then, early-stage entrepreneurs (like Buko Bakes, shown here) have been popping up at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market each month, with a focus on women, immigrants, and people of color.

The Building Equity program has grown in collaboration with La Cocina and other partners, including Mandela Partners, En2Action's Ujamaa Kitchen, and SF Black Wallstreet. To help set participating business owners up for success, we offer:

Technical assistance: Work with entrepreneurs to prepare them for the market, including support around stall setup, equipment, and rules and regulations.
Financial support: Lower financial barriers by waiving application fees, offering reduced stall fees, and applying and paying for required permits.
Marketing and promotion: Promote businesses across our marketing channels and offer additional opportunities at events and programs.

Over the years, 13 of these businesses have become permanent vendors at our markets, and some have opened thriving brick-and-mortar businesses.

Learn more about the Building Equity Program

With farmers markets being historically white spaces, we feel it’s important to prioritize bringing BIPOC businesses to the forefront, making sure that they have access. Markets must reflect the communities they are located in and all the diversity that they bring.

—Andrea Akers, Associate Director of Operations, Foodwise

Building Equity Program Stars

Last year, 28 BIPOC-, immigrant-, and women-led businesses popped up at Foodwise farmers markets, building their brands and sharing their passion and delicious food.

When you talk about the financial side, [being in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market] has definitely been a boost in my sales. It’s allowed me to say, ‘Wow, this could be the year that I could have solid, strong sales to get me to that next level.’

—Sierra Young, founder, Mangosay

Juneteenth on the Waterfront

For the second year, we partnered with MegaBlack SF and the Port of San Francisco to cosponsor Juneteenth on the Waterfront, now an annual tradition that was launched in 2021 when Juneteenth was declared a national holiday. During this celebratory day of community and delicious handcrafted food, thousands of Bay Area visitors, including Mayor London Breed, joined us at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and Ferry Terminal Plaza to honor the anniversary of Black Emancipation from slavery in the United States.

Investing in San Francisco's Black Community

Foodwise partnered with more than a dozen Black-owned food businesses (like Boug Cali, Rome's Kitchen, Sukulenta SF, and Mo'Raysha's, shown here) and community organizations, including En2action’s Ujamaa Kitchen, Fillmore Merchants and Neighborhood Collaborative, La Cocina, Mandela Partners, and SF Black Wallstreet. Our farmers market sellers donated $8,865 to the MegaBlack SF Black Wellness Fund, which invests in organizations that address issues of mental health, wellness, economic development, and education for African American residents in the San Francisco Bay Area.

New Program: Pop-Ups on the Plaza: Celebrating Black Food Makers

Inspired by the success of Juneteenth on the Waterfront, Foodwise launched Pop-Ups on the Plaza in fall of 2022, a new series of quarterly events celebrating Bay Area Black food entrepreneurs, including participants in Foodwise’s Building Equity program. Together with the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s Dream Keeper Initiative, and the Ferry Building, we are investing in Black makers while working toward an inclusive city and waterfront.

We featured 22 Black-owned businesses at Pop-Ups on the Plaza:

Join us at the next Pop-Ups on the Plaza

It [participating in Pop-Ups on the Plaza] means a lot. As business owners, it can be a very solo project and a little bit lonely, so it's great to get out and be a part of the community, especially with fellow Black women.

—Loren Johnson, founder, LoJo's Tacos

At our Pop-Ups on the Plaza: Celebrating Black Women Makers event in March 2023, food entrepreneurs share what the farmers market community means to them:

Expanding Fresh Food Access for All

Like you, we believe that healthy food is a right, not a privilege, and that farmers markets truly are for everyone. With inflation reaching record highs following the pandemic, lower-income individuals and families have been most impacted by rising food costs, with 1 in 4 San Francisco residents at risk for food insecurity. Together, we’re helping families put fresh, local food on the table, while strengthening vital lifelines between small California farms and our Bay Area community.

Nourishing Community as Food Costs Rise

At Foodwise, we’ve witnessed the economic impacts of the pandemic on our community firsthand. The number of shoppers using CalFresh EBT (formerly called food stamps) at our farmers markets has tripled since 2020. In 2022 alone, Foodwise saw a month-over-month increase in the number of shoppers using CalFresh at the farmers market, from families with small children to retirees, from college-age youth to middle-age working adults.

Since the pandemic, CalFresh usage at Foodwise farmers markets has tripled.

Market Match: Making Farmers Markets Affordable

Through the Market Match program, shoppers using CalFresh can make the most of their food budget at Foodwise farmers markets to buy nutritious food, while supporting local farmers. When a customer uses their CalFresh EBT card at Foodwise markets, they receive an equal amount in Market Match tokens for free to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, up to $10 per day—effectively doubling their food dollars for free. With your donations and support of Market Match, we’ve welcomed hundreds of new customers to the farmers market, who now make it part of their weekly routine.

Learn more about Market Match

Without EBT, or without the Market Match, a lot of us don’t have as much incentive to come back. Market Match is really important because it doesn’t just benefit EBT users, but also the people who make the farmers market possible.

—Julia, farmers market shopper and CalFresh recipient

Feeding Neighbors in Need, While Preventing Food Waste

Everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food, and no nutritious food should go to waste. Through our longstanding partnership with Food Runners and a new partnership with Replate, our markets donated thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy food to our neighbors in need. These organizations collected local produce that might otherwise go to the compost pile or landfill at the end of the market day, and made sure it went to community members through pantries and pickup sites.

Empowering Eaters of All Ages

It takes everyone participating to create the equitable and sustainable food system we all need, which is why education has always been at the heart of Foodwise’s work. Our farmers markets are spaces where neighbors can learn and share food knowledge, put values into action, and build community together. Whether you’re a farmers market regular or a kid visiting for the first time, our education programs inspire eaters of all ages to take part in a fair, regenerative, and delicious food future for all.

Foodwise Kids & Families

For kids to grow up with a love of fresh fruits and vegetables, they need joyful opportunities to taste, learn, and share food in community. Through Foodwise Kids, San Francisco youth and their families build food wisdom and nurture cooking skills for life.

Since 2012, Foodwise has offered free nutrition and wellness programs to San Francisco Unified School District elementary school classes (grades 1 through 5), using the farmers market as a classroom for empowering the next generation of healthy eaters. Through comparative tastings, exploring the market, and a hands-on cooking lesson, we nurture children’s love for fruits and vegetables, teach them to prepare healthy, seasonal foods, and raise their awareness of their role in a sustainable food system.

Learn more about Foodwise Kids

Connecting Bay Area Kids with Fresh Food & Farmers

As students have adjusted to in-person classes, Foodwise has been here for thousands of SFUSD students and their families, offering free food education at a critical time for their health and wellbeing. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we welcome kids to the farmers market to explore and taste, meet local farmers, and learn how to prepare healthy, seasonal foods alongside their classmates. In the summer, we host summer camps from local YMCA chapters, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other community groups.

The demand and waitlist for this free program remains high. Foodwise Kids prioritizes higher need classes, where over 80% of students qualify for free and reduced price lunch, as well as schools that have higher percentages of BIPOC students, groups who statistically have less access to fresh, local produce.

I've been participating in Foodwise Kids with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market field trips for a lot of years [since 2015]. I'm the school Health Advocate and this program dovetails perfectly with all of our initiatives as far as promoting nutrition, healthy eating, wellness, and community. It checks all the boxes.

—Anne Hughes (right), fourth-grade teacher, Hillcrest Elementary School, shown with fellow SFUSD teachers Angelina Brand and Tina Yang

Kids Building Cooking Skills in the Classroom

Studies show that kids often need to taste new foods 6 to 15 times before they start to build new eating preferences and habits. That’s why it’s been a long-time goal at Foodwise to provide opportunities for students to deepen their experience beyond the farmers market field trip into the classroom.

Taking students’ learning to the next level, the Foodwise Kids program expanded from a one-time farmers market field trip to offering hands-on cooking lessons in the classroom. The cooking lesson provides students an opportunity to take part in transforming seasonal vegetables from their raw, freshly harvested state at the market into a meal that was chopped, seasoned, and cooked by them.

With support from a three-year California Department of Agriculture Specialty Block Crop Grant, Foodwise hosted 17 follow-up cooking lessons at SFUSD schools this year. Since starting these classroom cooking lessons in September 2021, we’ve hosted a total of 27 lessons, reaching 480 students and 28 adult chaperones.

Visiting the farmers market gets kids to expand their eating and knowledge horizons. The cooking class and Family Cook Night are our way to reach them more in depth. The Family Cook Night is that final added time to connect and build upon their skills. It’s the third time they’re using a knife and cutting board. They get to show off their skills or teach their younger siblings what they’ve learned. I think they feel really trusted and capable of doing something that’s very adult-like, with our support.

—Nesley Rojo, Foodwise Kids Education Manager

New Program: Family Cook Nights

Adding a third level of engagement, we hosted 4 Foodwise Kids Family Cook Nights with SFUSD classes. The Family Cook Night provides a capstone to the farmers market field trip and cooking lesson, where students prepare a from-scratch meal with their families and show off their food knowledge and kitchen skills, while fostering community. For some parents, it was their first time ever cooking with their kids—and their first in-person school event since the pandemic. Each family was sent home with a bag of farmers market produce to cook a second meal at home together!

We never have time to cook together because they are gone all day at school and activities. Now that I see they are capable and confident enough to use a knife and chop, it will even be helpful for me, and it will be helpful for them to learn this skill.

—Rosa (parent), shown with her daughters, Yuritzkiri and Maria

Foodwise Teens

A sustainable food future depends on today’s youth. Last year, 85 students participated in Foodwise Teens, a paid youth development program where teens become change agents for a sustainable, equitable, and nourishing food future. Through hands-on experiences in the garden, in the kitchen, and at the farmers market, students learn about food justice, develop important life and job skills, and build community together.

Foodwise currently offers this paid after-school program for high school students at three San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) partner schools, prioritizing students who have been underserved in the academic environment. As young people have reacclimated to in-person learning, Foodwise Teens has remained a constant source of connection, learning, and empowerment.

Learn more about Foodwise Teens

It is important for young people like me to experience programs like Foodwise Teens because we don't get taught the things we learned in Foodwise outside of the program. Things like nutrition is not a big topic that is talked about. The topic of food is always so important because, if it is not spoken about, it can lead to food insecurities and even eating disorders. A lot of the foods you eat can cause damage to your body and your mental health. This program is important for us to experience because it gives us a sense of confidence when we go to buy more healthy products.

—Norah, Foodwise Teens participant (Mission High School)

Teens Growing Food and Community Together

Foodwise Teens offers participants multiple opportunities to nurture their health and wellbeing, build leadership and stewardship, and explore careers in their food community. While students learn about food justice, sustainability, and growing their own food, they also get job experiences at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market by working directly with farmers and market visitors. Students graduate from the program reporting increased self-confidence and deepened awareness of the food system and their agency within it. For many students, it's their ﬁrst time getting paid for their work!

After participating in the fellowship, I feel like I am part of the people who want to change the food system because I learned a lot about food justice, food system, food knowledge, etc. I gained many new things about food that I didn't know before, so I feel empowered to make a change in the food system.

—Trista, Foodwise Teens participant (Mission High School)

Students Land Summer Jobs with Farms and Foodwise

Over the summer, 19 SFUSD students deepened their professional experience and engagement with the local food community by participating in the Foodwise Teens Summer Fellowship, an 8-week paid job placement and mentorship program. Foodwise Teens supported local farmers and the Foodwise operations team, taught younger students in our Foodwise Kids program, or tended their school gardens. For farmers like Sara Evett of McGinnis Ranch, shown here with Foodwise Teens Summer Fellow Heskey, the program provided much-needed staffing support and an opportunity to offer on-the-job training and mentorship for local youth.

I pushed myself to the point where I feel confident speaking to any amount of people and also communicating professionally through emails or texts. I’ve learned to make better and healthier choices, as well as trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone.

—Brenda Alvarez, Foodwise Teens Summer Fellow, shown with farmer Modesto Sanchez of Oya Organics

Graduates Continue Working at the Farmers Market

Following their participation in Foodwise Teens, nine program graduates decided to continue working part-time in the farmers market, employed by local farmers and Foodwise. As students finish high school and begin college, it's a way for them to earn a steady income, build their resume, and continue their food education, while staying engaged in the San Francisco community. You can continue to find Foodwise Teens grads like Songia (shown at left, with long-time operations staff Deven Okry and Tommy Phung) helping shoppers at the farmers market.

I joined the Foodwise Teens program because of my interest in farming and environmental science, and thanks to Foodwise, I learned a lot about the food system and the impact of farming in our community. I am currently pursuing a degree in wildlife biology, however I think specializing in environmental and agricultural science would give me extra knowledge for the degree I’m pursuing. Even after the internship, the idea of helping out the local food community was important to me and was also a good way to make connections and learn more.

—Pablo Villareal, Foodwise Operations Assistant and Foodwise Teens graduate

Local farmers and Foodwise Teens share why it’s important to grow future food leaders:

Community Education Programs Return

Foodwise farmers markets are places for neighbors to gather and share food wisdom and culture. After three years on hiatus due to the pandemic, Foodwise revived our popular community education programs in spring of 2022 for home cooks to expand their cooking skills, meet farmers and chefs, and discover the farmers market’s bounty. From free cooking demos to hands-on family activities, we provide a space for our community to connect and learn from each other.

See upcoming programs

Foodwise Demos Celebrate Food Culture and Community

At our in-market cooking demos at the Foodwise Classroom, 26 renowned cookbook authors, Bay Area chefs, local farmers, educators, and food change makers shared their stories and seasonal, accessible recipes (with free tastings, of course!). Our demos reflected the diversity and richness of our food community and culture, with 80% of them led by BIPOC chefs, food makers, and farmers. Reaching beyond the farmers market, we also livestreamed our cooking demos to engage thousands more community members online.

Explore recipes

We were honored to host these chefs, cookbook authors, and partners at the Foodwise Classroom:

The shift to [changing our name to] Foodwise really places our educational programs at the heart of our organization. We believe that education is key to bringing awareness to our roles in a sustainable food system, and that the farmers market is the perfect classroom. We’re excited to bring people together again to shine a light on community food knowledge, share fresh and seasonal recipes, and take action to grow a healthy and inclusive food future.

—Tiffany Chung, Director of Education, Foodwise (shown at right, with Chef Olivia Mecalco and Foodwise staff and volunteers)

Volunteer Power

Over the year, 436 dedicated volunteers, interns, chefs, committee members, and board members generously donated 4,620 hours, helping shoppers at the farmers market, teaching kids about healthy food, supporting our free cooking demos, and more. Our volunteers were essential to keeping our work—and our team—going!

Volunteer with us

I love food, having worked in the restaurant and food distribution businesses. So marrying my love of food with teaching kids about the joys of tasty vegetables [with Foodwise Kids] seemed like a great way to support the community. And then getting to see kids realize how good vegetables taste is fun!

—Richard Bernstein, Foodwise Volunteer

Having grown up in San Francisco, I’ve known about Foodwise and been a customer of the markets for years. When I found myself in between jobs this summer, I realized it’d be the perfect place to engage with and give back to my community, while exploring my interests in food, agriculture, and climate. I love helping out with the Foodwise Kids classes, seeing their excitement when they try new fruits and veggies, and at the info booth. It’s so much fun to connect with the community.

—Hannah Brown, Foodwise Volunteer

Thank You for Making a Difference

We could not do this work without you! As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the post-pandemic world, your support remains critical. Last year, 1,451 of you supported Foodwise’s farmers markets, food access, and education programs through individual donations or purchasing tickets to our fundraising events. Thank you for contributing to a world that nourishes all people, local economies, and the living earth.

Financials: Your Donations at Work

We cannot do all of this good work without deep investment from our community. Through your generosity, we resumed education programs that had been on hiatus during the pandemic, grew our team, and offered paid internships. Last year we were grateful to begin hosting our Foodwise Summer Bash and Sunday Supper fundraising events in person again, providing critical income for our programs. Here’s how we put your donations to work.

Let's Grow a Foodwise Future Together

As we all work together to recover from the ripple effects of the pandemic in our communities and food system, your participation is vital. At Foodwise, we are firmly committed to keeping small climate-wise farms viable, ensuring access to fresh, healthy food for all Bay Area families, and supporting youth in becoming informed eaters and food leaders. Thank you for putting your values into action to create the equitable and sustainable food future we need. We look forward to continuing this vital work with you in 2024 and beyond.

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