Organic and Artistic

Disembarking from the BayLink ferry from Vallejo, CA, we found ourselves in the midst of the Farmers Market at San Francisco's Ferry Building.

"The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California certified farmers market operated by the nonprofit Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA).

"The farmers market is open three days a week—Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the smaller markets occupy the front of the building along the Embarcadero; on Saturdays, the much larger market is held both in front of the Ferry Building (photo #1 above) and on the rear plaza (photos left and below) overlooking the Bay.




"Each week nearly 25,000 shoppers visit the farmers market.

"It is renowned throughout the country as one of the top farmers markets to visit. On any day, especially Saturdays, some of San Francisco’s best known chefs, and most famous farmers, can be seen at the market.

"The markets offer fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, meats and eggs from small regional farms and ranches, many of which are certified organic.

"A wealth of other products include regional artisan specialties such as breads, cheeses and jams. The Thursday market features an array of artisan street food: wood-fired pizza, grilled meats, sandwiches, and tacos, while the Saturday market also includes local restaurants serving a variety of hot, delicious meals.

"Certified Farmers Markets are locations certified by the Agricultural Commissioner of the county in which they are held, indicating where only California Certified Producers sell agricultural products directly to consumers.

"All of the farmers who sell at our market are certified as producers by the counties where they grow. Each county requires the submission of a production list complete with crop types, number of acres, location, estimated harvest and harvest season. From this informa-tion, a Producer’s Certificate is issued. The County Agricultural Inspector visits the farm during production to confirm that the farmer is growing what they claim to be growing.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market began in September of 1992 as a one-time “Harvest Market,” with farmers and local restaurants gathering on a Sunday morning in the middle of the Embarcadero roadway.

"The Saturday farmers market now operates year-round and is host to over 120 vendors over the course of the year" (ferrybuildingmarketplace.com).

Between the rows of booths and the Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building, this gentleman was playing one of the most popular instruments in China--the erhu, a kind of violin with two strings. This instrument, which sounds similar to the human voice, is a very expressive instrument and is well-known for playing a melancholic tune.

With all the emphasis on "organic," the music of the erhu alluded to the (photographic) artistry of the Farmers Market.