Heart of the City Farmers Market

FEATURED VENDORS · WEDNESDAY & SUNDAY

Heart of the City — How It Works

Farmer-operated nonprofit · The market is the vendor cooperative

INDEPENDENT ▼

Heart of the City is structurally unlike any other SF farmers market. It is not operated by a nonprofit like Foodwise, or a for-profit association like PCFMA — it is operated directly by the farmers themselves. The vendors who sell at the market govern it. This model, which dates to its 1981 founding, is the reason the market has stayed anchored in food justice: the people setting the prices and the policies are the same people growing the food. The market distributes over $4 million annually in food assistance from its information tent — the largest farmers market EBT program in California. It runs in Fulton Plaza regardless of weather, two days a week, year-round.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND

40+ farms and vendors Southeast Asian vegetables Latin American crops Heirloom varieties Affordable staple produce Fresh eggs & dairy Prepared foods Nuts & dried goods

Founded: 1981
Structure: Farmer-operated, nonprofit
Food assistance: $4M+ distributed annually
Web: hotcfarmersmarket.org

WED SUN

Southeast Asian Produce Farms

Bitter melon, holy basil, Thai eggplant, luffa · Multiple farms

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Heart of the City's demographic base includes significant Southeast Asian and South Asian communities, and its vendor mix reflects that. Multiple farms — including Hmong farms from the Central Valley — bring vegetables that are difficult or impossible to source at other SF markets: bitter melon, luffa, Thai eggplant, holy basil, galangal, shiso, fenugreek, and Chinese mustard greens. The variety changes with the season. This is one of the key reasons chefs from SF's Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao restaurant communities shop here.

SPECIALTY PRODUCE

Bitter melon Luffa squash Thai eggplant Holy basil Galangal Chinese mustard greens Fenugreek Shiso Long beans

Note: Vendor varies week to week; availability is seasonal

WED SUN

Staple Produce & Fruit Farms

Affordable organic & conventional · Central Valley and Central Coast

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Heart of the City explicitly serves a food-insecure community in one of the highest-cost-of-living cities in the country. Its pricing structure reflects that mission. Farms bring a wide range of staple produce — the everyday vegetables and fruit that form the base of cooking — at prices consistently below what comparable produce costs at Whole Foods or Rainbow Grocery. The late-in-the-day pricing (after 2pm) gets even lower, as vendors would rather sell at a discount than transport produce back. For shoppers on tight budgets, the combination of EBT acceptance, Market Match, and late-day discounting makes this the most financially accessible fresh-produce source in the city.

YEAR-ROUND STAPLES

Organic & conventional greens Onions & garlic Carrots & root veg Potatoes Citrus (winter) ☀ Stone fruit (summer) ☀ Tomatoes (summer) Nuts & dried fruit

Tip: Best selection before 3pm · Best prices after 2pm

WED SUN

WHAT'S IN SEASON · BAY AREA · FEBRUARY–MARCH

NOW

Citrus · Kale & chard · Roots · Winter squash · Brassicas · Asian greens · Potatoes · Mushrooms

COMING SOON

Strawberries (Mar–Apr) · Artichokes · Asparagus · Spring onions · Favas · Peas

ABOUT THIS MARKET

Heart of the City is the only independent, farmer-operated nonprofit farmers market in San Francisco. It opened in 1981 in United Nations Plaza — now operating in adjacent Fulton Plaza between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum. The market's founding mission was to bring affordable fresh food to Civic Center, one of the neighborhoods with the least food access in SF, while simultaneously supporting small California farms that had few other direct-sales channels.

The market distributes over $4 million in food assistance annually from its Information Tent — managing CalFresh EBT, Market Match (which doubles EBT benefits), WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, EatSF Veggie vouchers, and VeggieRx. It operates rain or shine, every Wednesday and Sunday, year-round. BART access via Civic Center station (one block) makes it one of SF's most transit-accessible markets. For best produce selection, arrive before 3pm. For lowest prices, come after 2pm.

Heart of the CityFarmers Market

Heart of the City
Farmers Market