San Francisco, CA

A healthy lifestyle can make a difference. San Francisco and the Bay area have been leaders in the sustainable food scene for decades. These days, there are a huge number of organizations and resources to help communities live healthy lifestyles with access to quality, sustainable local food and more.

Find your Green Thumb

San Francisco has a year-round growing season. With a little bit of guidance, it’s easy to take advantage of the temperate conditions whether you have a windowsill or a whole backyard’s worth of garden space. Gardening is fun, relaxing, and delivers a satisfying reward: delicious, fresh produce grown yourself! If that wasn’t enough, California passed an incentive bill that gives tax breaks for property owners who perform small-scale agriculture in their yard.

  • The Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco counties have a great planning schedule by season, as well as water-saving advice and other resources.
  • City Slicker Farms has programs for free, volunteer-run soil testing, garden planning and building, as well as a mentor to provide support to qualifying low-income households in the Bay area.
  • The Regan plant nursery is known for its roses, but is also often voted as the best overall seedling and garden supply center in the area.

    Visit: 4268 Decoto Road, Fremont, CA. You can also call (510) 797-3222 for more information.

Turn empty space into something beautiful and productive

Working together with like-minded neighbors to create a community garden is a great way to make friends and beautify abandoned lots or other unused space. When planted correctly, small spaces can yield a surprisingly large amount of fresh produce for local families!

  • The City of San Francisco’s innovative urban agriculture program supports the creation of community gardens throughout the city.
  • There is also a huge network of privately maintained gardens in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Find Farm-Fresh Food and Cook it Right

Buy Local Produce

Because of its history in pioneering the local food movement, San Francisco has an abundance of farmer’s markets and CSA shares.

  • The popular and locally-beloved Heart of the City Market brings a unique spin to farmer’s markets: their organization is nonprofit, with a significant grassroots community in San Francisco.

    Go: The market happens on Wednesdays from 7am-5:30pm and 7-5 on Sundays. Look for them at the United Nations Plaza on Market between 7th and 8th.
  • The Ferry Plaza is a world-class market that attracts the area’s top chefs, and features exquisite local creations and top-quality produce.

    Go: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday around the Ferry Building on Market and Embarcadero. It’s big; you won’t miss it.

Learn to Cook Healthy & Delicious food

  • If you’d like some new ways to prepare all that delicious local produce, check out a cooking class. They can be surprisingly affordable with services like Groupon.
  • If you’re ready to go on a culinary journey to places across the world, the renowned Kitchen on Fire offers classes on cuisines from Mynamar, Vietnam, authentic mediterranean food, and much more. Contact: 1509 Shattuck Ave #A Berkeley, CA 94709. (510) 548-COOK (2665).

Get Back to Nature

There are many incredible hikes within an hour drive of the Bay Area. To refresh and recharge, take a stroll through redwoods, hike to a pristine beach, or climb the area’s hills and mountains for spectacular views.

  • Baltimore Canyon Preserve features lush temperate rainforest along Larkspur creek. The hike to scenic Dawn Falls is an easy 2.2. mile out-and back; but the preserve offers other more challenging loop possibilities, too.

    Get there: From the 101 in Marin County, exit Paradise/Tamalpais Drive. Drive west on Tamalpais about 0.8 mile, then turn right at the stop sign onto Corte Madera. Drive about 0.6 mile (Corte Madera becomes Magnolia), then turn left onto Madrone Avenue (across from the Lark Creek Inn). Drive on narrow Madrone about 0.8 mile to the trailhead, located adjacent to a pull-out area.
  • The Castle Rock State Park situated in the Santa Cruz mountains offers a variety of trails through lush forest and unique rock formations. Most are suited to moderate or advanced-level hikers. In fact, there is a spectacular multi-day (32 miles one-way) connecting trail that goes from the crest of the Santa Cruz all the way to the Pacific coast. This park is especially nice during the winter and shoulder seasons, when there is less traffic and clearer views. Remember to bring plenty of layers.

    Get there: From the 101 S take exit 423 toward I-280. Follow signs and merge onto I-280 S. Exit Foothill Expressway and turn west toward Grant road. Keep right and merge onto the Foothill expressway. At McClellan road, keep right onto Stevens Canyon road; this road will take you to the park.

Educate, Empower, and Give Back

San Francisco and the Bay Area have been on the forefront of the sustainability movement for decades. There are now ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to get reconnected with healthy food and the environment. If sustainability and equitable food access are important to you, get involved! Even if you only have time on weekends, your efforts can make a huge impact. Along the way, you’ll connect with your community and do your part to make the world a better place for future generations.

  • Community Grows is a non-profit organization that helps at-risk and low-income youth learn about sustainable food while gaining valuable green-job experience.
  • The East Bay-based organization Ecology Center has a very useful database of food justice and sustainability events, classes, films, and more! The center is founded around eliminating food waste, promoting green living and resilient communities, and equitable access to healthy, safe food for all.