Foodwise Wishes You a Nourishing New Year

December 30, 2022

As 2022 winds down, we are so grateful for you, our community of friends, farmers, and food makers! It was a big year. We brought back public education programs, expanded food access at our farmers markets, and changed our name to Foodwise. We could not ask for better allies in growing thriving communities through the power and joy of local food.

Through it all, you continue to prove the power of community, working together to build a resilient, connected, and regenerative food system that nourishes all. Look back at what we accomplished together in 2022:

• At the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and Mission Community Market, we hosted 186 markets, supporting more than 130 local farms and food businesses and providing fresh, local food access for thousands of Bay Area residents.
• We expanded food access at Foodwise farmers markets and distributed more than $160,000 in CalFresh and $115,000 in Market Match nutrition assistance benefits to low-income families. 
• Through partnerships with En2action, La Cocina, and Mandela Partners, we hosted 36 pop-up vendors at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrant, and women owned businesses.
• Through our Foodwise Kids program, 2,448 SFUSD elementary school students learned about healthy, seasonal food at the farmers market, virtually, and in their classrooms. We hosted 84 field trips at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, 26 virtual classes, 16 on-site visits, 13 cooking classes, and 3 family cook nights.
• Through our semester-long Foodwise Teens program, 95 SFUSD high school students developed valuable food, life, and job skills while getting paid for their work. Twenty of those students deepened their job experience through our summer fellowship program, and 6 program graduates were hired by farmers or the Foodwise operations team to continue working on the farmers market.
• After a two-year hiatus, we brought back free public programs and hosted 22 cooking demos at the Foodwise Classroom, including Rick Martinez, Reem Assil, Alice Waters, Andy Baraghani, and more. (You can watch their demos and find their recipes online.)
• We changed our name to Foodwise and launched our new website, a robust resource for learning about our food system, seasonal food, and sustainability.
• Last but not least, 200 volunteers and interns gave more than 3,750 hours supporting Foodwise’s programs!

YOU make this work possible. Whether you donate to support food access and education, volunteer your time, or support our farmers and food makers at the farmers market, you are helping create an equitable and sustainable food future.

Thank you for your vision, partnership, and participation! We look forward to celebrating 30 years and deepening our work together in 2023. We wish you a happy, healthy, and nourishing New Year, filled with delicious farmers market food!

In gratitude,
Your friends at Foodwise

Top row: Deven, Jameil, Calliope, Tommy, Lulu, Christine, Rebecca, Pablo. Middle row: Tiffany, Andrea, Selina, Jasmine, Nesley. Bottom row: Damaris, Brie. Not pictured: Ashley, Cindy, Elizabeth, Jeff, Margeaux, Moe, Noah. Photo by Christopher Che.

Topics: Programs