CUESA's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

NFMW Plans: “Promotion in social media and within the farmers market.” – Brie Mazurek, Communications Director

This year, CUESA is celebrating 25 years of nourishing our community through world-class farmers markets and groundbreaking education programs. In aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was founded in 1993, when visionaries came together to create a public space on San Francisco’s Embarcadero waterfront where farmers and city folks could gather, learn, share, and create community through local food. At the time, there were only two other farmers markets in the city; now there are more than 20. The nonprofit organization behind the farmers market, CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture), was founded with a mission to cultivate a sustainable food system through the operation of farmers markets and educational programs.

Today, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a destination for local shoppers, families, students, chefs, and tourists alike, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors every week through its Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday farmers markets. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has set the standard for farmers markets around the world, showcasing the diversity and highest quality seasonal produce and food products of our Northern California food shed. In addition to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, CUESA now operates the Jack London Square Farmers Market in Oakland (since 2016) and the Mission Community Market in San Francisco (since 2018). Through all five of our farmers markets, CUESA supports 180 farms and food businesses, and works with 300+ restaurants, who shop the regularly to supply local produce for their menus. CUESA offers nutrition incentive programs like CalFresh and Market Match to help make fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables accessible to our community.

CUESA inspires eaters of all ages to participate in cultivating a healthy food system through educational initiatives such as free cooking demonstrations, seasonal produce tastings, farm and food producer tours, public talks, and more. Each year, CUESA youth programs Foodwise Kids and Schoolyard to Market serve 3,000 Bay Area students with free healthy food education programs, empowering the next generation of healthy eaters.