The Alemany Farmers Market — a year-round, rain-or-shine, edible bazaar that has been a Saturday-morning ritual for generations of San Franciscans — is getting a new steward.
Beginning in February, the city, which has managed the market since 2007, will hand the day-to-day operations to Foodwise (formerly CUESA), the educational nonprofit that has run the lauded Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since 1993 and Mission Community Market since 2018.
Located at the base of Bernal Heights, the Alemany market is the oldest continuously operating farmers market in California and has been the only one run by the city. Launched in 1943, during World War II, by the Victory Garden Council and regional farmers, the market was conceived as a way of selling surplus produce that would have gone to waste due to federal restrictions. It was started at Duboce Avenue and Market Street and moved to its current location, 100 Alemany Blvd., four years later.
Today it’s known as a market for the people: affordable and eclectic, with a wide-ranging selection of Asian vegetables, such as bitter melon, Chinese mustard greens, and luffa squash; herbs such as holy basil and fenugreek; heirloom tomatoes and boysenberries in summer; and mounds of pomegranates in the fall.
Yerena Farms has been selling its berries at the Alemany market for around 40 years. “I’m glad that Foodwise is taking over,” said owner Apolinar “Poli” Yerena. “The way I see it, the sales will improve, because they have a marketing plan. Hopefully more chefs will start to shop at the market, just like they do at the Ferry Plaza.”
Sarah Twiest, a public school principal who lives in Bernal Heights, is an Alemany die-hard. “I’ve shopped weekly at this market for over 20 years,” she said. “I know all the vendors really well.” She too is optimistic about the Foodwise takeover — though is proceeding with caution. “I think their work at the Ferry Plaza is admirable. I just hope the spirit of the Alemany market is maintained.”
City officials say they chose Foodwise for that very reason. The nonprofit has long modeled how market operators can expand economic opportunities while preserving cultural food traditions. It launched the Building Equity initiative for early-stage BIPOC and immigrant food entrepreneurs and hosts free nutrition and wellness programs for students in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Foodwise Executive Director Christine Ferran said the Alemany market is beloved for its diverse population of farmers and patrons and its affordable prices. She knows that a sizable proportion of the roughly 3,000 shoppers who patronize the market every weekend feel protective of it and said she does not take the new responsibility lightly.
“Don’t worry,” Ferran said. “We’re not coming in guns ablazing.”
Foodwise plans to add operational systems and help farmers with marketing and social media. CalFresh EBT and Market Match payments will still be accepted. The lineup of 120 or so farmers and food vendors will remain the same for the time being. Regular patrons will notice a few changes, including an information booth and more seating. Over time, Foodwise may add farms, producers, and prepared food sellers. There are even plans to finally have — yes — a coffee vendor.
“It’s such an honor to be the market’s new caretaker. We’re investing in the long haul,” Ferran said. “The market has its own ecosystem, and it’s our job not to change it but to enhance it.”