Local Highlights

Farmers markets: where to get fresh produce in SF

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Whether you’re exploring the best beaches in Los Angeles or driving up the coast of California, the state has a lot to offer, especially San Francisco. From visiting the Golden Gate Bridge to riding cable cars, this city is filled with attractions and things to do. Particularly, San Franciscans love their farmers’ markets, and the city has some of the most highly acclaimed food bazaars in the country. It’d be tough to pin down the single best farmers market San Francisco has to offer—these markets work in tandem to provide local, nutritious goods to every community in the Bay Area. 

Many of them also operate under the support of larger organizations like the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) or the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). 

Wherever you find yourself landing in San Francisco, do yourself a favor and skip the Whole Foods run and instead, grab your favorite tote bag and get to know your local farmers and merchants. This guide will reveal what makes each venue unique—and why all 10 of them are well worth a visit.

1. Fort Mason Center Farmers’ Market, Marina District

One of the most scenic farmer’s markets in town, Fillmore Farmers’ Market hosts more than 35 farmers, specialty food vendors, and local artisans with sweeping views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Located on the East Harbor right off Great Meadow Park, Fillmore has consistently been voted one of the best places to buy local produce in the Bay Area, making it one of the more crowded bazaars in our lineup—so plan wisely! You’ll find parking in the Marina District outside the market entryway, but it’s always best to arrive early to snag a spot and beat the crowds.

  • When: Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Where: Fort Mason Center, Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

2. Fillmore Farmers’ Market, Fillmore District

The party never stops at this year-round farmer’s market, which frequently hosts live music to jazz up vendors and shoppers alike. Fillmore is also known as one of the best bazaars on the docket to cop some free samples—cheese, pickles, jams, you name it.

Fillmore favors locally-grown food over organic, but if pesticide-free produce is a concern for you, just ask your neighborhood vendor at their farmstand about what their cultivation practices are.

  • When: Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Where: 1700 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

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3. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Financial District

While still technically a farmer’s market, the Ferry Plaza market is such a gastronomical mainstay of San Francisco that it’s an absolute must for fresh-food gourmands. You can get in on the goods of this thriving neighborhood market not one but three times a week, all year long, rain or shine.

Regarded as one of the top American farmers’ markets, Ferry Plaza farmers market easily qualifies as a half-day activity in its own right. Plan on bringing some friends to grab a hearty breakfast or lunch from over 100 vendors and eateries (find the full index here), then browsing around for an hour (or two!) for fresh produce, baked goods, and homemade treats for the week ahead.

  • When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Where: One Ferry Building #50, San Francisco, CA 94111

4. Mission Community Market, Mission District

Whether you’re off the clock and feel like roaming before you go home or just looking for a mid-week farmers market fix, head to the Mission District. Mission Community Market is open on Thursday late afternoons. Here you’ll find produce stands, pop-ups from local businesses, and live music in collaboration with Little Mission Studio.

Products like hand-milled pasta, freshly cut bouquets, and homemade kimchi abound, but note that the market closes up shop from late November through early March. Our advice: soak in those meandering summer afternoons and crisp autumn strolls at Mission while you can!

  • When: Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Where: 84 Bartlett St, San Francisco, CA 94110

5. Noe Valley Farmers Market, Noe Valley

This year-round farmers market is one of the most community-minded in the bunch. When the Noe Valley neighborhood’s beloved natural foods market folded in 2003 due to skyrocketing rent prices, the community banded together to whip up this vibrant market for San Franciscans to gather and get to know their local food merchants.

Today, Noe is known as a uniquely family-friendly venue. Residents of the area gather to celebrate the local food culture, and you’ll find fresh produce as well as a vibrant medley of decadent pastries, San Francisco sourdough, and Mexican fare made from scratch.1

  • When:  Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Where: 3861 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

6. Alemany Farmers Market, Bernal Heights

Every farmers market San Francisco boasts is special, but Alemany was technically a farmers market before farmers markets were even a thing.

Founded in August of 1943, this veteran market started as an effort to provide local growers with a venue to sell their surplus, gleaned, or damaged (but still edible!) crops during World War II. Affectionately known as “the people’s market,” the practice of eating local isn’t a trend at Alemany so much as the way it’s always been done.2

If you’re serious about eating seasonal, check out the market’s website to track which produce is in season and up for grabs this weekend.

  • When: Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  • Where: 100 Alemany Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94110

7. Castro Farmers’ Market, The Castro

It’s Wednesday, your hump-day weariness is kicking in, and the thought of cooking yourself a meal sounds about as appetizing as a swim from Embarcadero to Oakland in the icy bay. You could do a sad Charlie Brown walk over to your neighborhood Chipotle, but why, when you can restore the spring in your step with a visit to the Castro Farmers’ Market?

Castro is as much a market as it is a festival of eccentricities. It’s an excellent venue for people watching, enjoying live music, and relishing some of the best eats from local restaurateurs. From November through March, rally your roommates and have a mid-week catch-up over homemade stuffed roti, empanadas, or tamales.

  • When: Wednesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 pm
  • Where: 288 Noe St, San Francisco, CA 94114

8. Divisadero Farmers’ Market, Haight-Ashbury

San Franciscans gather in droves for Sundays at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market, but if you’re feeling bold enough to (politely) muscle your way through the crowds, this one is not to be missed.

You’ll find goods from local creameries, hummus makers, and some of the best bao in the city. If you’re heading into Divisadero for your weekly produce run, be sure to bring a list—the variety can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to get stuck ogling such beautiful stock!

  • When: Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Where: 1377 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117

9. Heart of the City Farmers’ Market (HOTC)

There’s something special about Heart of the City. Since 1981, this market—an independent, farmer-owned and operated NGO—has catered specifically to under-resourced communities in need of fresh, healthy produce in San Francisco.

HOTC prides itself on being the most robust farmers’ market food assistance organization in the country, allocating $1.5+ million in food aid, as well as curating food access and nutrition education programs to local San Francisco communities3. Not only is HTOC well worth supporting for its altruistic achievements, but their farmer partners know their crafts inside and out, whether they’re foraging for wild fungi or puttin’ up preserves. 

  • When: Sundays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Where – 1 United Nations Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94102

10. Stonestown Farmers Market, the Westside

The Stonestown Farmers Market is the commercial hub of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing short-circuit food supply chains by supporting small and mid-sized growers in the Bay Area. 

A weekend, year-round market, Stonestown has been praised by the SF Weekly for its family-friendliness. It also hosts diversions like bouncy castles and live music so adults can enjoy a diversion of their own: traveling the world, plate by plate.4

Whether you have a hankering for Southern BBQ or Kiwi cuisine (the classic New Zealand pot pies are ravishing), Stonestown is a perfect place to bring friends or relatives in town to enjoy a Sunday morning playing globetrotting foodie. As for your practical needs, check out the market’s new knife sharpening service provided by Little Flower Shop!

When: Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: 501 Buckingham Way, San Francisco, CA 94132, Regal UA parking lot

Settle into San Francisco with Common

It’s no secret that San Francisco can be a steep place to live—in terms of topography, but also in terms of rent. Supporting your local farms, growers, artisans, and restaurants by shopping at your neighborhood farmers market is one of the best ways to nurture the vibrant food culture of this extraordinary city.

With modern coliving opportunities provided by Common, living in San Francisco isn’t just attainable—it can genuinely feel like home. Our Common coliving homes include:

  • Private bedroom with a mattress, side table, and storage
  • Fully-furnished common suite with lounge and dining amenities
  • Household basics like flatware, glassware, and cleaning supplies
  • On-site laundry
  • Regular cleanings of shared spaces 

In addition to a new crew of Common-vetted roommates, our homes are hooked up with WiFi, utilities, and central HVAC at no extra expense. For a closer look at our living spaces in San Francisco, visit our website and book a tour today. 

 

Sources: 

  1. Noe Valley Farmers Market. Vendors. https://www.noevalleyfarmersmarket.com/vendors/
  2. City and County of San Francisco. Alemany Farmers’ Market. https://sfgov.org/ccsfgsa/realestate/alemany-farmers-market
  3. Heart of the City Farmers’ Market. About Us. https://hotcfarmersmarket.org/about
  4. SF Weekly. Best Family-Oriented Farmers’ Market. https://www.sfweekly.com/best-of-san-francisco/best-family-oriented-farmers-market/

 

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