Market Memories: Jan Spielberger

April 26, 2013

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market supporter Jan Spielberger shares her memories.

I have been going to market since it was at the original location in front of the Ferry Building. Because I could walk or take the cable car down there, I just started going. I remember being upset when the market moved to Green Street, because it was a few extra blocks to walk, but in the end I really loved it at Green Street.

I still go every Saturday when I can. I keep going because I really believe in supporting sustainable agriculture. I remember something Alice Waters said years ago: “We don’t serve a tomato in the restaurant unless it’s in season.” Tomatoes are the epitome of why I get my fruits and vegetables at a farmers market, not a grocery store. The tomatoes at the grocery store turn red because they often gas them. That’s why they have no flavor. The ones at the farmers market are picked when they are ripe, and that’s the delicious flavor I remember from when I was a kid.

I also know all the vendors. I love getting peppers from Lee at Tierra Vegetables, and I have visited her farm. I started eating Capricious cheese from Donna at Achadinha Cheese Company when I first read about it in the newspaper. And Stan at Devoto Gardens and I always talk about football.

I was once quoted in the book, Eating Well in Season: The Farmers Market Cookbook: “In the heart of San Francisco, this market has taught me about sustainable agriculture, the difference between eating what’s in season and the cardboard fruits and vegetables you get in the supermarket. I have been going for years and if I can’t get there on Saturday morning, I feel like I’ve missed my ‘fix’.”

Topics: Community, Farmers market, Market Memories