The new SF Cannery Farmer's Market opened up today. It is going to be a Friday & Saturday market, which has gained the attention of many in the community.
This market has a great feel to it. The cannery folks were very smart in putting a market here -- get the locals to come to, what is essentially a very touristy area of SF. I had not been down to that area in a couple years, and overheard others saying the same thing.
I was glad to see the farms that were represented at this market ... some of them are from the Ferry Plaza Market, and some I have only seen at other markets. The booth I was probably the most excited about is the De Santis (?) citrus people -- they are from Fresno and I usually only purchase their goods at the Marin Civic Center Market. She usually has such wonderful varieties of citrus. My only purchase of the day was from this booth - a meyer lemon and pecans. She had fresh almonds, which looked interesting.
Riverdog Farm was new to me, and had a great variety of goods - greens, radishes, turnips, sweet peas.
There was a live musician playing, and a great area with benches to sit and listen. The market look and feel is great -- all the farmer's have booths that look similar, and the market fills the entire area. There is a seafood and beer bar in the middle of the market, where it looks like you could sit and have a meal and a beer right in the middle of the activity.
I will be returning.
Pros of this market: Really casual, laid back feel, easy parking, great group of farmers, easy to purchase everything you'd need for a meal here.
Cons of the market: No cheese, no eggs, no prepared food booths for breakfast.
Farmers at the Cannery FM that I noted include:
Cedar Creek Salmon
Alioto-Lazio Fish
De Santis Farms, Citrus (Fresno)
Brokaw Farms, Avocados (Ventura)
Eatwell Farms (Yolo County)
Iacopi Farms, peas, fava beans
Capay Organic
Twin Girls Farms
Boudin Bread
orchid booth
Wilson Farm, tomatoes
Sunshine Organic Strawberries
Swanton Berry Farms
Kashiwase Farms, stone fruit.
Riverdog Farms (Yolo)
Santa Barbara Pistachios
Lagier Ranches, almonds
Orchard Farms (Sebastopol)
Solano Mushrooms
Cadillac Mountain Flowers
08.24.04. update: I returned to this market last Friday and there were a LOT less vendors ... probably one third of the original count, I would guess. Still a good place to go and pick up a couple of things (I was craving fruit and found plenty), but almost too few vendors to make it a one-stop shop. Of the vendors I can remember: Twin Girls, De Santis (a great reason to go to this market), Wilson, Sunshine Organics, an avocado vendor (not Brokaw), Santa Barbara Pistachios were still around (I think a couple others, but I wasn't taking notes).
07.01.05 update: The Cannery Farmer's Market is now open only on Saturdays, from 9 am - 3 pm. No more Friday market!
