How These High School Students Gave Back to the Farmers Market This Summer

August 21, 2025

Do you remember your first summer job? For high school students who participated in our Foodwise Teens Summer Fellowship program, working at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was both an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to contribute to their community. As SFUSD students return to school this week, they’ll be taking those experiences with them, as we welcome a new crop of students to the farmers market this fall.

The Foodwise Teens Summer Fellowship is the culmination of the three-semester paid youth development program, where teens get hands-on experiences in the garden, in the kitchen, and at the farmers market. They learn about food justice, develop important life and job skills, and build community together. 

This summer, 15 teens were placed at jobs in the farmers market, working alongside farmers and food makers to assist market shoppers, welcoming customers at the Foodwise Info Booth, and teaching summer campers to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables through our Foodwise Kids program. Thanks to our market sellers Acme Bread Company, Bisou Chocolate, Green Thumb Organics, Mangosay, McGinnis Ranch, Oya Organics, Redwood Tea Estate, and Tierra Vegetables, who hosted Foodwise Teens this summer, as well as our program partner Opportunities for All.

Whether gaining customer service skills, expanding their food knowledge, or stretching themselves to engage with fellow San Franciscans, Foodwise Teens fellows grew as people and as leaders. We asked a few of them to share what they learned during their summer at the farmers market, and what they’re most proud of.

Madelyn Chou: Making an Impact with Kids and Community

I feel proud that I get to connect with the community of SF. Normally, I don’t hang around the main city, but through Foodwise, I am down here 3 times a week. I get to talk, work, and teach with people from different backgrounds. Through conversations or cooking, I can learn a lot about my peers or the kids I work with. I gained really valuable leadership skills when in my community. I also learned how to be independent when working in the kitchen. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would work together with my peers to set up the classroom for Foodwise Kids. Then on Saturdays, I learn to cut different produce independently.

I learned to work with kids over the course of the fellowship. I enjoyed working with them because of the relationship I created with all of them. It is the bond that we have through the time we have in class together that feels the most rewarding, gaining the new skill of working with little minds (something I’ve barely done). I now understand how they think about the material that is in front of them. Working with kids is a whole different experience, and I would love to continue it in the future.

Kaylan Louie: Mental Math and Making Bouquets

Something I feel most proud of after the program is that I made a lot of connections with people and I also feel like I learned a lot. I learned how to do quick calculations early in the morning and also customer service. I learned how to make bouquets and gained a lot of knowledge on professionalism, as well as learning to feel more comfortable socializing with strangers. 

I did learn that organic fruits and veggies taste a lot better. I think that I also gained a lot more appreciation for the farmers and vendors who sell their produce at the market. I guess it really opened my eyes to what engaging in my community feels like, and I’ve learned that it’s pretty fun to get to know new people.

Yaxkin Aguilar: Putting Yourself Out There and Inspiring Others to Try New Foods

Working with Foodwise Teens has pushed and encouraged me to put myself out there. I also learned teamwork skills. For example, sometimes there’s going to be a task where we’ll need a lot of help, so I’ll communicate to see who’s doing what roles and help each other out.

 I’ve been able to make better choices with the food and try new foods. Participating in the program, I also felt I was helping more people expand and try new foods. Because there are so many foods that are unheard of, and I feel obligated to show people. 

Naomi Flores: Teamwork and Cooking More at Home

What I feel the most proud of is gaining more work/internship experience so I can start gaining skills that I can use later on. Something I learned would be how to start adding fresh vegetables and fruits to your meal and where you can get it like the farmers market. A skill that I have picked up is teamwork, because we do a lot of team activities here while learning together.

I think my relationship with food has gotten better because I’ve started to eat more fresh fruits from the farmers markets, and I’ve started cooking more at home instead of ordering food. So, I think it has changed a lot since last year. In my opinion, I’ve been eating healthier.

Joshua Galang: Giving Back to Your Community

I felt the most proud of working with the community. I feel connected right back with where I was born, and giving back to this community is a way I could say thank you.

I felt like I have learned some cooperative management skills. Through helping with the set-up and managing my time through calendars and waking up at 5:00 am to get here on time, I think I’ve learned a lot.

I still believe that supporting our local food system benefits the entire community. Local restaurants can support both the community and the farms that they get the food from. I do want to continue helping the community out. I may continue helping in the farmers market, not just the Ferry Plaza, but also the Alemany Farmers Market.

Help us offer impactful educational and job experiences for Foodwise Teens in the farmers market! This year, Foodwise has learned that we’ll need to cover the costs of Foodwise Teens’ stipends (previously a shared expense with SFUSD). Support critical food education by donating to our Back to School, Back to the Farmers Market campaign now.

Student responses have been edited slightly for brevity and clarity.

Topics: Foodwise Teens