CUESA Counts on You
December 14, 2012
Dear Friends,
It takes more than voting with our forks to make sustainable food a reality for everyone. As we continue to operate the farmers market you know and love, 2012 has been a year of investing in our work to cultivate a healthy food system beyond the market. With help from supporters like you, we were able to enhance our existing education programs, create new ones, and expand our role in advocating for good food policy.
This summer we launched Foodwise Kids, a free culinary program serving grade-school students from public schools throughout San Francisco. We also introduced Foodwise Tours, in which CUESA’s market chef gives shoppers pointers on the season’s best offerings and how to enjoy the harvest at home. We also expanded Schoolyard to Market—our school gardening and youth entrepreneurship program—to include a third high school, June Jordan School for Equity. You can watch a short video about the program here.
To increase the visibility of our Saturday market education programs, we created a new education hub called the CUESA Classroom, bringing our popular cooking demonstrations out into the market among the seller stands. We’ve also introduced new Discovery Stations, where visitors of all ages can learn about sustainable agriculture through games and interactive displays.
In our first major food policy campaign, CUESA joined more than 3,800 other organizations, farms, and professionals in endorsing California Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically engineered foods. We brought together farmers, collaborated with like-minded organizations, and mobilized you, our supporters. Although the proposition did not pass, the campaign brought about a major shift in consumer consciousness.
We can’t do this without your support. Please make a year-end donation to CUESA to help us continue this important work. In the coming year, we plan to deepen and extend the Foodwise Kids program and advocate for sound food policy. We also plan to increase services at the Saturday market with an information kiosk in the back plaza.
Next spring marks the 20th anniversary of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. We hope you will join us on May 18, 2013, for a special birthday celebration as we honor the farmers, chefs, city planners, and community members who helped create and establish our beloved market. We have so much to be proud of over the last 20 years, and our work has only just begun!
Support CUESA’s programs in 2013 and for generations to come. Thank you for your partnership in cultivating a healthy food system.
Sincerely,
Dave Stockdale,
Executive Director, CUESA
View CUESA’s 2012 Annual Report (PDF)
