People
Patrick Sunbury and his father, Eric Sunbury
Farmland
One half-acre in Stockton, 89 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
About
The Sunbury family has been involved in California’s agriculture industry since the 1870s. After four generations of farming, and his mother’s passing Eric Sunbury asked his son, Patrick, if he was interested in moving to a family home and accompanying half-acre that were left empty. Patrick agreed, and together, they moved to Stockton and planted a tea field in 2020. Redwood Tea Estate uses an agroforestry approach to farming, which incorporates surrounding Valley Oak trees, wildlife, and crops into their agricultural methods.
On their farm, they don’t use fungicides or pesticides and instead rely on sustainable farming practices, a rarity in commercial tea production. After tea plants are harvested, the leaves are combined with plants in the botanical garden at Redwood Tea Estate to create high quality loose-leaf teas.
People
Sam Schwartz, with 5 full-time and 5 part-time employees.
Where
Sausalito, 10 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
About
Sam Schwartz first learned how to make bread in 2016. Later that year, he decided to turn baking from a hobby into a profession. He joined the staff at a local bakery, and in the span of a year, he went from sweeping floors to becoming Head Baker. Once he felt he understood the business, he launched Portside Bakery in 2017.
At the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Portside Bakery offers high-hydration sourdough bread and pastries using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Everything is made with as little food waste as possible. Scraps and off cuts, as well as over-ripened fruit are used to make a variety of menu items.
Sourcing
Portside Bakery sources seasonal ingredients from local and organic farms and vendors as much as possible. Most of the shopping for the bakery is done at farmers markets in Marin and San Francisco. All flour, grains and dry goods for baking are sourced from KGBS Central Milling in Petaluma.
People
Danielle Clark, and 1 employee
Where
Oakland
About
Danielle first began juicing in January 2024 after her mother’s cancer second cancer diagnosis. Creating juices and ginger shots from fresh fruits and vegetables was a way to provide her mother with the nutrients and benefits that she needed but couldn’t consume during chemotherapy. Shortly afterward, Danielle started providing free ginger shots to her friends and her larger community. Receiving positive feedback from friends and neighbors led her to consider making her juicing hobby into a business. Danielle joined Mandela Partners’ Food Business Pathways, which allowed her to expand her business. Through Foodwise’s Building Equity Program, Keep It Simple Juice began a pop-up residency in the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in the summer of 2024, which was extended into the fall. Later that year, she became a permanent vendor in the market. Keep It Simple Juice can now be found at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays, offering juices and ginger shots with simple ingredients, no added sugar, and no preservatives.
Sourcing
Keep It Simple Juice sources fruits and vegetables from local farmers markets.
People
Zakiyyah and Carlton Shaheed
Where
San Leandro, 23 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
About
Baby Bean Pie began in 2020, when Zakiyyah Shaheed started making navy bean pies at home using her mother’s recipe. Through Mandela Partners, Baby Bean Pie later became one of three vendors with a quick-service restaurant at E14th Eatery and Kitchen, a food hall in San Leandro. Baby Bean Pie became a regular presence at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in late 2024 through Foodwise’s Building Equity program. Their booth offers traditional navy bean pies in three sizes, ranging from a bite-sized pie to a large, shareable option. Pies also come in various flavors, all sweetened with honey and carmelized spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
Sourcing
Baby Bean Pie prioritizes organic ingredients. More than half of their ingredients are certified organic. They also source from restaurant supply chains that offer bulk discounts.
People
Christine Law, Brian Law, and their daughter, Audrey
Where
San Francisco
About
Christine Law started Flora Gelateria in September 2024, with a grand opening at the Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Before then, Christine spent 20 years as a fine dining pastry chef, where she specialized in ice cream and gelato, along with additional in-depth training in gelato making and ice cream manufacturing. At the farmers market, Flora Gelateria offers plant-based gelato that can be enjoyed in a cup or over a gluten-free waffle. All of Flora’s gelato flavors are handmade using either fresh fruits from the farmers market or artisan ingredients.
Sourcing
Flora Gelateria sources fruit from Ferry Plaza farmers, and artisan ingredients such as coffee and chocolate from local small businesses.
People
Rachel Stauffer, along with helpful friends and occasional part-time employees
Farmland
10 acres in Occidental, Sonoma County, about 75 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
About
Rachel grew up immersed in nature, among family members who were avid gardeners and farmers. As an adult, she worked at the UCSF Medical Center for over 30 years. She frequented the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and her interest in food and land stewardship grew. In 2010, she started Trees of Life in Sonoma County, drawn to the plot’s biodiversity and potential for growing fruit.
Rachel’s farming philosophy, partly informed by permaculture and an Ecological Farming course, is to work with, not against, the climate and landscape of the farm. For instance, instead of altering the environment to make it less hospitable to local fox, bobcats, hawks and other wildlife, the farm is designed around their presence. She found her land and its Goldridge soil to be suitable for growing apples. Apples were historically grown in the Goldridge soils in the area, and Rachel wanted to offer special heirloom varieties that people used to grow in their backyards. In addition to 40 varieties of apples, Rachel also has Asian pears, quince, persimmons, and small amounts of other tree fruit.
Certification
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
People
Dontaye Ball, along with his team
Where
San Francisco, 5 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
About
Dontaye started Gumbo Social with the goal of making gumbo America’s national dish. When cooking, he draws inspiration from several sources, his grandmother’s cooking, his background in San Francisco restaurant kitchens, and the variety of locally grown produce he sees at farmers markets. Gumbo Social popped up at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market a dozen times, as part of Foodwise’s Building Equity Program, before joining the market permanently in 2023. Gumbo Social enthusiasts can also visit their brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Bayview.
Sourcing
Dontaye sources from local farmers when possible.
People
Janeen and Rodrigo Cruz
Where
Oakland
About
Wife-and-husband duo Janeen and Rodrigo Cruz started Kuali in 2020 to stay connected to their Mexican heritage and culture. Janeen is the daughter of Mexican immigrants from El Ejido Hermosillo, Baja California, Mexico, and Rodrigo immigrated from México City over 20 years ago. At the farmers market, Kuali offers spicy, crunchy salsa macha, which originated in Veracruz, Mexico. The indigenous Totonac people ground dried chiles, sesame seeds, and salt, for a deeply flavorful paste. In modern times and across the diaspora, there are many variations of salsa macha, including Kuali’s oil-based recipe that was passed down to Rodrigo from his mother, Mely.
Sourcing
Kuali sources both locally from small farms and producers and in Mexico.
People
John Ginanni and Kaylyn Reyes, along with 4 employees
About
Spouses John and Kaylyn started Canteen Meats in 2020. The Bay Area natives were inspired by their travels in Europe a few years prior, where they volunteered and stayed at pig farms. John also worked USDA as a meat cutter and in salumi production. Now, Canteen Meats operates their own facility in Petaluma, where John and his crew slow-cure the meats, and Kaylyn manages their brand and design. At the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Canteen Meats offers many cuts, including prosciutto, coppa, lomo, and all kinds of salami.
Sourcing
Canteen Meats sources from local ranchers, including Devil’s Gulch Ranch, Stemple Creek Ranch, Silver Sky Ranch, Liberty Ducks, Beffa Springs, and Pajaro Pastures. 100% of all the pork, beef, lamb, and duck are raised in CA – with the majority coming from their neighbors at the farmers market.
People
Sarah Germany, along with Diana Hernandez and a group of volunteers.
About
Sarah Germany has felt empowered by cooking since she was young, and she has taken on numerous culinary leadership roles in her East Bay community. She developed and managed Beyond Emanpication’s GROW Oakland Culinary Training Program, started The Food Commonwealth, a not-for-profit project supported by Planting Justice, and managed Youth Uprising’s Corners Cafe in East Oakland. Sarah also worked as a purveyor for Mandela Partners before joining their business incubation program.
Chef Sarah builds on Southern food traditions to create deeply flavorful medicinal foods, while preserving the bounty of California farms and gardens. Nearly all of her hot sauces have a medicinal property, as a digestive aid, decongestant, or anti-inflammatory.
Sourcing
Sarah sources from local farmers and community and school gardens.
