Fighting for Fresh Produce in the Heart of the City of SF
Heart of the City Farmers’ Market in the Tenderloin runs the largest food access program in the state, distributing more than $4 million worth of fruits and veggies every year.
Ride BART downtown to Civic Center, climb the escalator to the plaza, and you never know quite what to expect downtown. Except for Wednesdays and Sundays, when you’ll be greeted by some of your favorite farmers, whose names you might recognize from the shelves at Bi-Rite Markets. These days, you might spot tender greens from Two Dog Farm or sweet strawberries from Yerena Farms, and even snag a loaf of sourdough from Rize Up Bakery, while Roli Roti’s crispy chickens scent the air. Especially in spring, it’s a treat to be back at the farmers market, strolling through rows of asparagus and artichokes, right in the heart of San Francisco.
Welcome to the Heart of the City
Welcome to the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market, open year round, rain or shine, since 1981. A longtime community partner of Bi-Rite’s, only a mile from our new market on Polk Street, this organization holds an extra special place in our hearts. San Francisco is filled with many beautiful markets, from the biggest at the Ferry Building to the oldest in Alemany, but Heart of the City is unique for a few reasons. It’s the only independent market run by the farmers themselves, and about 80% of those farmers are people of color, and 70% speak a language other than English at home. It brings fresh produce to the Tenderloin, an underserved neighborhood that doesn’t have a full-service grocery store. And it runs the largest food access program of any farmers market in the state of California, distributing more than $4 million in food assistance every year.
Critics of food-access programs often accuse folks of spending food stamps on junk food, but that narrative could not be farther from the reality here. “There’s talk about how people on CalFresh or SNAP are out there buying sodas and snacks,” says executive director Steve Pulliam. “It’s proof that at our market, they can’t buy that here, they buy fresh produce.”
The Largest EBT Program in the State
Pulliam grew up watching his mom buy groceries with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the federal program that provides monthly funds to low-income families. A quick explainer, if anyone’s confused — SNAP was formerly known as food stamps, although these days it’s through an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card, and in California you sign up through CalFresh. So many people use those terms interchangeably, but they’re all referring to the same program.
Additionally, there are different programs from the national to the local level, including the USDA’s WIC supporting women, infants, and children, and local organizations like EatSF and VeggieRx offering fresh fruits and veggies. “Money flows through a lot of different programs,” Pulliam explains. “We make a policy of accepting them all. If we can partner with organizations to get food to people, that’s what we try to do. I don’t think we’ve ever refused anyone.”
How the Market Match Program Works
The kicker is the Market Match program, which maximizes those benefits. If you come to use your EBT card at the Heart of the City, once a month you can spend up to $30, and get an additional $30 in vouchers. “Basically, you double your money to buy fruits and vegetables,” Pulliam explains. It’s a super popular program, and sometimes the line runs a hundred people down the block. To put it into perspective, last year folks spent $2.5 million from CalFresh at the market, and Market Match kicked in another $2 million. Funding for Market Match comes from a combo of government programs, as well as private donations, and Bi-Rite has supported the program since 2015. The end result is that low-income families get free fresh produce, while that money goes straight to small farmers.
A Close Call with State Budget Cuts
There was a scare when Market Match came into jeopardy last year. In January 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed cutting it from the California budget, in an effort to close the $38 billion deficit. For Heart of the City, the problem compounded — Pulliam says federal funding depends on state funding, so they risked losing both. More than 50 farmers markets across California participate in Market Match, and many banded together to protest in Sacramento. Governor Newsom revised the budget by June, and Market Match won back its full funding through 2027.
Heart of the City has faced other challenges, including moving across the street in 2023, when the city installed a skate park, and the farmers lost their longtime plaza. Still, on a sunny spring day in downtown San Francisco, it’s a beautiful setting to shop or grab lunch with a backdrop of City Hall. No matter how you’re paying, the farmers will be happy to see you. “When the city decided to move us from our old spot, the outcry of support that we got from our community was pretty heartwarming,” Pulliam says.
Want to help? Please join Bi-Rite in making a donation to our community partner Heart of the City. In addition to regularly donating to Market Match, Bi-Rite also ran a fundraiser at the cash register in 2023. So if you shopped with us during our anniversary fundraiser, you’ve already helped keep fresh produce in the heart of the city. Thanks!
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram at @beckyduffett.
