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Foodwise’s Farmers Market Fall Feast Guide

November 18, 2024

At the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, you’ll find a diversity of sustainably grown fruits and vegetables, humanely raised meats, and handcrafted pies and treats for your fall feast, all while supporting local farmers and food makers. Here are some special items you can only find at farmers market, along with some farm-fresh recipes to inspire your fall feasts.

In the Bay Area, the harvest is especially worthy of gratitude: Hearty winter squashes, beans, grains, and mushrooms make it possible to have a sumptuous plant-based meal. Persimmons, pomegranates, apples, pears, quince, jujubes, and other fruit abound, picked at peak ripeness from California’s farms. This holiday season, let us give thanks for the nourishment the earth provides, and for the hardworking people who care for the land and help bring the bounty to our tables.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Fall Holiday Schedule 2024

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market will be closed on November 28, but we’ll be open for your last-minute shopping needs with a special market on November 26, including 10+ guest vendors. See our upcoming events here.

OPEN: Saturday, November 23, 8 am to 2 pm
OPEN: Tuesday, November 26, 10 am to 2 pm: Fall Holiday Farmers Market
CLOSED: Thursday, November 28
OPEN: Saturday, November 30, 8 am to 2 pm

Planning ahead for the winter holidays? Check out our Winter Holiday Guide & Market Schedule.

A photo of someone smiling at a farmers market stand.

Pasture-Raised Meats from Local Ranchers

Find pasture-raised meats from these local farmers at Foodwise’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:

Devil’s Gulch Ranch: maple-sugar smoked hams, whole poulet de bresse chickens (heirloom French breed prized in Europe and sought after for holiday dinners), and squab and quail for holiday appetizers or main dishes. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays.
Farmer Joy: chicken, duck, and quail eggs from pastured birds, 100% grass-fed beef, heritage breed pastured pork, five varieties of bacon, holiday hams (arriving after Thanksgiving). Ferry Plaza, Saturdays, and popping up Tuesday, November 26.
Massa Organics: pork. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays.
Mountain Ranch: guinea hen, chicken. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays.
Root Down Farm: duck, pork, chicken; or you can pre-order a turkey for pickup at the farm in Pescadero. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays.

Plant-Based Mains, Seasonal Vegetables & Sides

For veggie dishes, you’ll want to stock up on winter squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, collards, and other seasonal vegetables from our local farms. Learn more about foods native to the Americas, and see some enticing plant-based recipes below.

Looking for a delicious vegan alternative to the standard holiday bird? Hodo Foods teaches you how to make your own mock meat Holiday Yuba Roast (pictured above) in the traditional Buddhist vegetarian manner. Stop by their booth on Saturday to pick up a recipe and fresh Yuba Sheets, and learn how to make your own plant-based holiday roast.

Aedan Fermented Foods‘ Sauce of Nostalgia (made from country miso, amasake, and sesame oil) adds umami to sauteed vegetables or meats.

For sauces, sides, and snacks, find your way to Chef Sarah Germany‘s stand for all-natural hot sauces, pickles, and seasonings for your condiment collection. Tory Farms has pomegranate jelly and pomegranate juice, Wise Goat Organics has fermented cranberry relish, Volcano Kimchi has persimmon kimchi, and Tomales Farmstead Creamery has holiday cheeses.

Treat yourself to an easy and oven-free, post-feast breakfast with Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen’s bagels, lox, and shmears. Rye bread, and challah loaves and buns are perfect for holiday meals (be sure to check out Wise Sons’ recipe for challah stuffing) and for those leftovers sandwiches. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays; online shop.

Raise a glass with some “Pie Crimes” hard apple cider from Chinchiolo Family Farms & Far West Cider Co., made with a reduction of apples from their fourth-generation family farm, Mexican cinnamon, piloncillo, allspice, and nutmeg. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays, and popping up on Tuesday, November 26.

Handcrafted Pies, Desserts & Other Fall Treats

If you’re baking homemade pie, find freshly harvested nuts at Glashoff Farms, G.L. Alfieri, Massa Organics, and Old Dog Ranch, or apples and pears from a number of our farmers. Check out some pie recipes below.

Acme Bread has seasonal panettone, an Italian holiday classic, made with naturally leavened brioche-style dough, infused with fennel and vanilla, and speckled with raisins, pine nuts, and candied citrus. Plus, try their Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Roasted Cranberries. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays.

Baby Bean Pie‘s Zakiyyah Shaheed offers navy bean pies, a delicious and nutritious alternative to sweet potato pie in the Black American Muslim tradition. Try them in Original, Vegan, Buttermilk, and Cheesecake flavors, ranging in bite-size to full-size. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays; online shop.

Batter Bakery will have seasonal cake and pie slices (preorder only for full size), pumpkin bread, hand-decorated fall shortbread cookies, and more. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays; online shop.

East Bay-based chocolate maker Bisou Chocolate coaxes intriguing flavors from high-quality cocoa beans to make flavorful bars, truffles, and more, while paying a high premium to cocoa farmers. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays, and popping up Tuesday, November 26; online shop.

Crumble & Whisk, named among the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Top Cheesecakes in the Bay Area, is offering a special Thanksgiving menu of pies, tarts, and cheesecakes with autumnal flavors like Harvest Pumpkin Spice Chesecake, Apple Cider Cheesecake, Sweet Potato Vanilla Ginger Pie, Pecan Maple Chocolate Tart, and more. Can’t decide? Try the Holiday Sample Box. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays; online shop.

Three people, including Rafia Sabir, hold pies and pose at Delightful Foods' stand at the Mission Community Market in San Francisco.

Delightful Foods has 19 flavors of handcrafted golden-crust pies, including Pumpkin, Pecan, Key Lime, Chocolate Cream, Apple, and Sweet Potato, made in Oakland by Bilal Sabir and his family. Delightful Foods uses minimal ingredients, such as barley flour, cane sugar, and non-GMO oils, incorporating organic and farmers market products when possible. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays, and popping up on Tuesday, November 26; online shop.

Find Nucha Empanadas at the farmers market to take advantage of their November specials on Pumpkin Pie Empanadas. Ferry Plaza, Tuesdays.

Nusa will offer their classic Indonesian treats with a seasonal twist for Thanksgiving through the holidays, including their original 1000 Layer Cake, 1000 Layer Cake with prunes, Pineapple Tartlets, and Almond Cranberry Nougats. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays, and popping up on Tuesday, November 26; online shop.

Three Babes Bakeshop offers their famous made-from-scratch pies in flavors like Classic Pumpkin, Classic Apple, Bourbon Pecan, Blackberry Crumble, and Vegan Blackberry Crumble, as well as gluten-free options like Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan and Classic Pumpkin. They will just have a limited selection of pies on hand at the market, so pre-order for pickup at the farmers market on Saturday, November 23, or Tuesday, November 26. Ferry Plaza, Saturdays; online shop.