I love collecting mussels. These pics are from a couple weeks ago when me and my girlfriend went down south. Was a lot of fun, mix of work and play.  We actually got approached by a fish and game officer, so I was happy that I bought us both fishing licenses. Its worth it if you are going to collect mussels, because the fines are pretty intense. The limit for mussels is 10 lbs a person. Go at low or minus tide. Have fun!

Things to bring:

Gloves

Bucket

Fishing license

Old screwdriver (for prying them off the rocks), don’t use your pocketknife, I broke mine collecting mussels.

I just heard an interesting story, that mussel fisherman down south used to save the threads from the mussel “beards” and make gloves out of them. Pretty cool, and makes sense, they are some strong threads.

around the block

The first and most obvious answer to this question is yes.  If one throws an event that draws more people than your space can fit, you move up. Bigger is of course better, and in all things, we want to be as big as we can get. Right? I’m not so sure.

It’s a question I get a lot. People tell me that we need a bigger space, and the running joke seems to be that we should move it to the Cow Palace. Its definitely something we think about not the Cow Palace – when I see the hour and half wait to get in, get angry emails from customers  (actually just got my first one a couple days ago), and patiently explain to vendors for the 20th time that in fact we can’t let anyone else in at the moment, lest we all die fiery deaths as martyrs for the local food movement (translation: we’ve reached fire code capacity).

We’ve done our best to make the market accessible to as many people as possible.  We started this past December in a small Victorian in the Mission (seven vendors and 150 customers), and moved to a warehouse on Capp St. (30 vendors and 700 customers)— both still not big enough.  When we approached SomArts I thought that was it. There was no way we could overfill that space. This of course hasn’t proven true.

The space we have now, SomArts, is in the range of 5000  feet. That’s 35ft wide, and 144 feet long. It’s a large space by any measure.

We pay several thousand dollars to rent SomArts for a night and by SF standards, that’s very cheap. The next space up in size is about $10,000. That’s before shelling out for a cleaning staff, security, insurance, alcohol license, the band, equipment, and all the other less obvious costs that go into creating an event for 2,000 people.  I don’t say this to complain, but to set the stage for a fact: If we got a bigger space, we would be forced to raise the vendor fees. As it is, the vendor fees don’t cover the cost of the space, which is why you paid $2 to get in this month. In May, we lost money on the market because the event was free. We don’t need to make a killing, but a market that loses money every month will not be around very long.

“But wait,” you say, “a bigger space would mean more people, more people equals more money, so no need to charge the vendors more.” Not necessarily. A larger space would definitely let more people enter at the same time, but the number of people coming in would not be guaranteed to go up by the amount we would need to make it worth the costs.

The current vendor fee is $50, a very low bar for entry into a commercial sales space like ours, but for some of our vendors it’s a stretch to pay that cost. Our vendors are making products that they are passionate about, but are also very expensive to produce. The profit margins are already slim, and it wouldn’t feel right to charge the $100-$300 per stall that a larger space would require.

I like the size it is. The market feels more like a big party, rather than a vast trade show. I like that we can fit upwards of 40 vendors inside and still have room for a couple hundred people, while at the same time being able to see the whole space in one sweep.

I like SomArts. We have a good deal of freedom at SomArts and the people who work there. They are very supportive of our ideas, and seem to genuinely want to make things work for us. No one working on the market has much professional event organizing experience; there are a million random things to think about when planning a market, so getting some help along the way is key. A larger commercial space probably would not offer that kind of support.

I like the idea that in creating a market for the SF food community to come to together, we are at the same time supporting a venerable SF non-profit event and art space. A space that hosts the kind of events that make SF what it is. They go out of their way to court and support burgeoning orgs (like ours) that would otherwise not be able to afford such a professional space, and for that they deserve our support. Every person that walks through their door helps them to get funding from grants as well as the city, so 2,000 people coming through each month at our market gives them some real leverage.

People do have to wait. I don’t feel good about it (although most people I talk to seem pretty happy with the whole experience, meeting fellow food obsessives in line is always fun). It’s great that people come out to show so much support, and ideally we wouldn’t make them wait so long to show that support.  Note: If you want to miss the lines, come during the day next month, there will be tons of room.

Next months SF Underground Market will again be at SomArts on July 24th(this time on a weekend!).  Although there is often a wait at night (hint: for a more relaxed time, come during the day).  I want to say that I really do appreciate that people wait as long as they do. That kind of support shows the vendors that there is a market for what they make, and encourages them to keep getting better at what they do.  I do believe that bigger is not always better, and there is a really intimate vibe now that I feel like we may lose if we expand. This doesn’t mean it will always be there, but for the time being we’re staying put.  Let me know what you think. You think we should move? Did you see anything at the last market that needs changing? Thanks for reading, and thanks for coming, see you all next month!

Thanks,

Iso

photo by Robin Jolin: robinjolin.com

I met yesterday with a man named Tim from a place called the Hub, an org that I might be getting involved in. They basically create a space where like minded-folks, entrepeneurs that are working toward social and environmental goals can get a workspace and collaborate. Pretty cool stuff.

Somewhere in our discussion the idea of alternative currency came up. Tim had just been working in England to establish the Brixton pound, a local alternative currency. Apparently they had 40000 pounds in circulation when he left to work for the hub.

Apparently there are alternative currency movements happening all over the world, some in our own city (there is something called “Bernal Bucks” that is gaining traction in that neighborhood). It’s such an interesting idea. We all talk a lot about supporting small business, and keeping dollars local, but if you create a currency that is totally local, you can see the real effect of your purchases, with the growth of your local economy.

My immediate thought was to create/use a local currency at the SF Underground Market. How great would it be if we only accepted SF Bucks (or perhaps some more catchy currency name), and the vendors would be able to spend that money to buy ingredients from local farmers to make the products that then would be sold at the next market. And it wouldn’t need to be just the market, or farmers that took it, but also local restaurants, cafes, maybe giving a percentage discount if you used it… I have to admit that this idea has its fair share of inherent problems.  We would need a much larger pool to really create a currency that could be used. Get more businesses involved etc.  But it would be really amazing to take this idea of local community support to the next level/keep more money local/give more incentive for chefs/producers to buy locally….ideas?  Anyone want to take this on? I’ll help.

So Ive decided to post more on this a here internet web machine. These wont be polished, I wont go back and add the ‘ in wont for example. But more quick snippits of whats going on in the forageSF world.

1. So. The 4th Underground Market is done. It was a great time, even though I have felt better (not feeling so great that day). It was the first time Ive used a legitimate events space for anything Ive ever done. Its always been warehouses of friends, peoples backyards etc..but with people waiting so long to get into the march market, I figured I owed it to all of you to pony up some cash for a bigger space. It was MUCH bigger, although people still ended up waiting.

There are all these little things that come along with using a real space that I would have never imagined (maybe if Id actually read the policies beforehand I would have figured it out, but reading policies is not my strong suit). For example, $300 charge for trash sorting! $300! I agree that trash should be sorted, but I guess I though people would do it themselves.

Overall it was a great time in a great space. We had 70 (70!) vendors this time, which may have been a few too many for the space, but I think everyone had a good time. I think its great that so many people are interested in showing up for these kinds of events. Supporting the local/alternative economy, rather than throwing their money into the wind (read: corporations), never to be seen again, they choose instead to give it to their neighbors, and in doing so, get to help them succeed. Good times.

The SF Underground Market has turned 3 (in months, not years).  It began with me and 7 other vendors selling wild mushrooms, jams, pies and corned beef sandwiches in a mission neighborhood home.  The first market had about 200 people attending. By the third, amazingly, it has grown into a warehouse sized behemoth of 47 vendors selling everything from salami to ginger beer to pickled grapes to wild boar, with over 1,200 people lining up outside to get in.

At this market I made salt and sugar cured pork belly buns. People really seemed to like them, which was nice to see, although I need to figure out how to make them faster (some people waited for 20 minutes for a bun). That’s what’s cool about the market; there is this great public that shows up willing to wait a bit longer for something. Almost all the vendors at this market sold out of what they brought; the hot vendors seemed to be the most popular.

The SF Underground Market is a pretty straightforward idea. It was created as venue for all those of us who make stuff. Maybe its jam, maybe its pulled pork sandwiches, maybe its. It’s a space for those of us without the resources to jump through the increasing maze of regulatory hoops that have been imposed on food producers in this great city.  I’ve given a lot on thought to why so many people come to these markets. Not that I’m complaining, any organizer loves to see people lining up for their event, but people throw food events all the time without this kind of draw.

I think people love the idea of coming out to support people like them.  People who love to make food, have been making it for years, but have never, for whatever reason, been able to make that leap to selling it.  The vendors at my market don’t have business licenses or commercial kitchens.  Many of them are 9-5′ers who have had an interest in starting a small business for years, but need a jumpstart to get it going.  Anyone can be a vendor at the SF Underground Market, all you need is a skill and focus.

If you want to be a vendor at the next market, go to http://foragesf.com/market/vendors/faq/

We’ve been getting some good press on the Underground Farmers Market. People seemed to have had a really good time, and I’m excited to do the next one.  unfortunately, much of the press has focused on the health departments visit, something that I did mention in my blog, but that I wish people wouldn’t talk about quite so much.  It’s interesting to see the demographic that comments under the different stories. Some sites are all positive, some are all negative. There doesn’t seem to be a mix. CHOW readers seem unanimously opposed to the idea, fearing food borne illness and the like.  Whereas Mission local readers are all totally behind us, and itching for the next market. Very interesting.

I do see where the detractors comments are coming from.  We have been tought all our lives that the only way to know if something is safe is to ask the government. Is this toy safe, this seat belt, this apple, these jeans?  Should I eat more meat? More veggies? More pasta? We don’t know the answer to these questions anymore.  We expect the government to answer for us, and then get pissed when their answer turns out to be wrong. With E coli outbreaks rampant, and a  toothless USDA, I would rather put my trust in the guy who sells corned beef down the street, someone who lives in my community and answers to his customers, than some opaque regulatory body in some far off office in des Moines.  This is what the local food movement is about.  Trusting the people around you. Getting to the point where we don’t have to ask someone else what to eat and where to eat it, because we know. We know the people around us, and we trust them, and we trust their food.  That’s the kind of world I want to live in.

So for the next one, Im thinking of getting backyard city farmers together, so they can sell some of the great produce thats growing right here in the city! Also, I want to have workshops, pickling, soap making, and more music! All still free to see!

So the first of many (hopefully) underground farmers markets is over. It was a total success. People showed up, but not so many that the cops came. Vendors brought enough that there was something for the late comers, but just enough so they sold out. The music was amazing (although I didn’t get to hear as much as I would have liked, tethered to my vendor table). It was a really cool mix of folks; hipsters, seniors, toddlers, old school hippies, young urban farmer types.

The vendors who showed up were….
Slow Jams-Really great Jam, and Shakirah sold out!
- Forage SF
- Will Schrom: homemade sarsaparilla
- Captain Blankenship: soaps and salves
- Garden Fare: edible garden gift boxes
- The Golden Crust: pies ($15-20/pie or $3/slice) and chai
- The Girl From Empanada (aka. Chile Lindo): empanadas
- Lauren & Jon Bowne (aka. Pearl’s Kitchen): homemade Jewish deli fare, they had a pasta and cheese casserole
- Five Flavors Herbs: wild foraged tinctures
- Honey vendor

I think its great that people will come out to support their local producers. The vendors at this market are all pros, they know their stuff, how to make it good, and how to make it safe. The only reason they aren’t legit is money. It was great to see them get an opportunity to get their stuff out there, make some cash, and get some exposure.

So….the health department did show up. Was a pretty nerve wracking couple minutes. I’ve never actually dealt with the health department before, and I must say that I’ve always had the feeling out them that I do about most government organization, dread. They’re scary, showing up with their notebooks, checking boxes, with the power to command an army of police to shut you down….but I must say that the health department was very nice. I was amazed. We had a 10 minute chat about how I might do the market again in the future, and ways to make it more legit. I was totally amazed, and pleased with the interaction. I know what you’re thinking, I’m just writing that to suck up, so they won’t bust me, but it’s true. In the end I wish they hadn’t come at all, but if they had to come (because tipped them off!), then I have to say they came correct (“correct” is what the kids are saying these days).

Apparently they showed up because SOMEONE FROM A LEGIT FARMERS MARKET RATTED US OUT!!!! You hear that!? Can you believe it? I can’t. What happened to community? Supporting our local food producers? I guess only if they have $100/hr to spend on commercial kitchen space do they deserve to share their products. I’d like to know who did it. I’d like to have a conversation with them. If they had concerns about the market, they should have come to me. We could have discussed ways to make it better, they could have helped rather than sicking the hounds on us. Bastards.

But on a lighter note, everything worked out. I had a really good time, hundreds of people came, we had some drinks, ate some food, met some great people, listened to some music, and made some cash. Doesn’t get much better.

If you missed this one, and are interested in finding out when/where we’re doing it again, sign up for our email list.

Check out our facebook page for more pics from the market

It’s all very exciting.  The underground farmers market has found a home, and is happening this thursday. Check out the deets below. Don’t mind the formatting, can’t be helped.

The Underground Farmers Market Has A Home! We’ve got some vendors, booked some music, and even got some homebrew lined up! It’s happening this Thursday, December 17th, at 2755 Bryant Street There is going to be a lot of great stuff: jams, pies, edible garden boxes, wild mushrooms, acorn flour, homemade sarsaparilla, Jewish deli fare and homemade empanadas. About The underground farmers market is a venue where you can taste and purchase the food that is being made in the kitchens of our fair city. Call us voyeuristic, but this is a chance to peek into others’ kitchens and share in their bounty. Pies, jams, sarsaparilla to feast on – all by “suggested donation.” To sell at a farmers market, you need to produce your wares in a commercial kitchen. This is an impossible expense for many of us, so the underground farmers market is about helping to get some exposure for all of our fellow producers without the cash for a commercial kitchen. These are veterans, people who’ve been making their products for years, but only able to share them with friends. We thought we’d give them a venue to share with the whole SF food community. So come join us this Thursday to support our local producers, get some last minute Christmas gifts and have some drinks to boot. “What’s that?” you ask. “I’ve heard of underground dinners, but an underground farmers market?” That’s right. A market, and a live show, all rolled into one. Think a farmers market, but at night, with music and drinks, and fresh roasted chestnuts. Vendors forageSF: Acorn flour, fresh wild mushrooms, wild fennel seeds, huckleberry jam, wild Blackberry jam, and CSF gift certificates HeartBaker: Makes some amazing baked goods Slow Jams: Great homemade jam Will Schrom: Homemade sarsparilla (maybe the best soda you’ve ever tasted) Captain Blankenship: Soaps and salves Kelsey: Gingerbread houses Garden Fare: Edible garden gift boxes The Golden Crust: Pies, pies, pies The Girl From Empanada:  Homemade empanadas Lauren & Jon Bowne: Homemade Jewish deli fare (think corned beef, not gefilte fish) Five Flavors Herbs: Wild foraged tinctures What: Underground Farmers Market When: Thursday December 17th, 5-11pm Where: 2755 Bryant St, SF Cost: Free!! 5-8pm Drinks, Roasted Chestnuts, Shopping 8:30-9:30 Floating Felt 10-11 More drinks and shopping *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Unsubscribe *|EMAIL|* from this list. Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* Copyright (C) 2009 *|LIST:COMPANY|* All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile

I forage for a living. Collect. Glean. Hunt.  Rather than growing, I look out into the world to see what nature has to offer.  Instead of deciding what a plot of land will provide, I let the plants decide.  Choosing where and when they flower.  Wild mushrooms, acorns, blackberries, seaweed. All these and more are my stock and trade, the stuff of my life.  The changing seasons, from spring, with its abundance of greens, to summer, with seaweeds and Seabeans, to fall, with acorns and huckleberries, and finally winter, with the rains come an endless abundance of wild mushrooms.  Chanterelle, matsutake, hedgehog, wild radish, black oak, Salicornia pacifica, mychorizzal, minus tides .  Foraging has changed the way I look at the world.

Let me explain. A year ago I started a business/community, forageSF. I started it with the idea to bring wild local edibles to an urban population.  Creating fulfilling jobs for my neighbors, while exposing a whole new populace to the amazing wealth of wild foods growing just outside their doors.  Foraging changes the way you see the world.  With a little knowledge, a non-descript blanket of green is transformed.  It bursts forth, and becomes miners lettuce, chickweed, and wild radish flowers, all delicious salad additions.  From the trail-side “toadstools” burst chanterelles, matsutake, and morel mushrooms, some of the most sought after foods on the planet.  The winter rains cease to be a thing to lament, but instead something to yearn for,with dreams of your secret mushroom spots in full bloom.

Food  has become very important lately. From Slow Food to Weston Price, people are beginning to view food as more than simple sustenance.  People call it a movement.  The food movement.  A movement based around consumption . Not consumption in the sense that we’ve come to know the word, as the end result of our collective inhalation of the worlds resources. This is a consumption based on a keen awareness of what we’re eating, where it comes from, what it means, how it connects us to the past, and how it nourishes us both physically and culturally.  The life of the pig from birth to death is something that we have come to care about.  Wild boar is sought after, because we feel that animal had a full and healthy life.  This is revolutionary.  We’ve spent the last 50 years giving little thought to what went into our bodies. Ignoring thousands of years of accumulated human knowledge, we chose microwaves, frozen dinners, and twinkies.  Freeze dried, pre-packed “nutrition”, has replaced common sense. Our ancestors didn’t need to read a nutrition label to know something was good for them.  That knowledge was passed down through millennia of trial and error.  Generations of humans who had eaten and thrived off foods that nourish. The culture of our species is tied to its food, and for too long we have ignored that culture in favor of convenience.  In one generation we have forgotten the lessons of hundreds of past generations. Those who hunted, fished, canned, grew, foraged, and thrived.  Foraging is not a new phenomenon.  It is the oldest example of food. When we forage, we connect ourselves with a lineage that dates back to our first ancestors, and a cultural tradition that is in serious danger of being forgotten.