Online registration is up for the Sunday Supper!

Printed invitations to our fifth annual Sunday Supper will be mailed next week, but beginning today, those who want to secure a seat can register online with no service fees. This year, guests can choose to attend just the reception portion of the event for $50, or both the reception and the four-course seated supper in the Ferry Building's Grand Hall for $175. Click here to read more about our most exciting (and largest) fundraiser of the year. We hope you can join us!

Next farm tour: Visit orchards on August 26

Our next farm tour will visit two orchards in the Central Valley: Lagier Ranches and Hidden Star Orchards. Click here to learn more and register >

Tomato Festival

Join CUESA on Saturday, August 18, from 10:30 am to 1 pm for a celebration of this versatile vegetable—or is it a fruit? Talk with Marty Jacobson of Allstar Organics, who grows organic tomatoes in Nicasio. Watch a cooking demonstration by Rick Hackett of MarketBar. Enjoy the diverse flavors of tomatoes of many colors, shapes and sizes. More details in next week's e-letter.

Farm Bill update

The United States House of Representative has passed a farm bill. The bill will go to the Senate for revision in September. You can learn the latest about the bill and where it is in the legislative process by reading recent articles in the LA Times and Washington Post. For a roundup of Farm Bill news and commentary, visit the Ethicurean blog.

Local chefs and farmers pair up at Macy's

CUESA is partnering with Macy's Cellar for a series of three cooking demonstrations and farmer/chef interviews. At the first event, on Tuesday, August 14, Chris Cosentino of Incanto and Doug Stonebreaker of Prather Ranch Meat Company will show that meat lovers can be green too. Seating is first-come, first-served starting at 6 pm in the Union Square Cellar Kitchen at Macy's. A $10 donation to CUESA will get you a seat at the demonstration, a sample of the featured dish, a glass of wine from Benziger Family Winery, a canvas Ferry Plaza Farmers Market tote, and a sample of Origins' new organic skin care line.

Tune into West Coast Live tomorrow, August 4

Soyoung Scanlan of Andante Dairy will be on the nationally broadcast radio variety show West Coast Live tomorrow, August 4. West Coast Live will be broadcasting from the Ferry Building every Saturday from 10 am to 12 pm for the next three weeks, and you can be part of the live audience and see some of your favorite Ferry Plaza Farmers Market sellers and other inspiring guests. Tune in by radio to KALW 91.7. More information at www.wcl.org.

Saturday, August 4 ~ Market to Table events

10:30 am - Meet the farmer
Vivian Martino of Bella Viva Orchards

11 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration and book signing
Ruta Kahate, Author of Five Spices       

Noon - Seasonal cooking demonstration and book signing
Amy Kaneko, Author of Let's Cook Japanese Food 

Tuesday, August 7 ~ Easy Market Meals

11:45 am, 12:15 pm, 12:45 pm & 1:15 pm - Chef Henry Dombey from Parties That Cook will prepare a recipe using seasonal, regional ingredients found at the Tuesday farmers' market. Every attendee leaves with a sample, a recipe, and a suggested shopping list.

Saturday, August 11 ~ Market to Table events

10:30 am - Meet the farmer
Jennifer Bice of Redwood Hill Farm

11 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration
Jamaal Taherzadeh of Jones Restaurant

Noon - Seasonal cooking demonstration and book signing
Laura Martinez, author of The Everything Cheese Book

All events take place in our Dacor teaching kitchen in the arcade north of the Ferry Building's clock tower unless otherwise noted.

CUESA recently began seeking sponsorship from select businesses to help underwrite the costs of our operations and programs. We’re extremely grateful for both the financial support and the enthusiastic participation of our first few sponsors. Their contributions enable us to improve the operation of our markets and keep our educational programs affordable or completely free. And it’s just fun to work with such community-oriented partners!

Left to right: Earl Shaddix, Sarah Henkin, and Tom Lockard

The Lead Sponsor of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is Stone & Youngberg, which, with its sister company, S&Y Asset Management, is based here in the Ferry Building. Their support has allowed us to purchase new chairs, tablecloths and chef carts for the market, update our A-frame signage, and acquire a new tent for our veggie valet service. But they’ve gone beyond supporting us monetarily. Several of their employees have become actively involved in our programming and outreach efforts. They supply seasonal recipe cards that are available at our information booth and assist in Tuesday market promotional efforts. S&Y Asset Management’s CEO, Tom Lockard, was even a guest cook at a recent Easy Market Meals cooking demonstration. His fantastic ratatouille recipe is to the left. Thanks, Tom!

All-Clad Metalcrafters is our Market to Table Program sponsor, supporting our Meet the Producer interviews and Seasonal Cooking Demonstrations every Saturday and our new seasonal Easy Market Meals demonstrations on alternate Tuesdays. In addition, they have supplied us with a wide array of their top-of-the-line cookware. Their support enables us to continue providing these fun and instructional programs at no cost to attendees. All-Clad's local representative, Earl Shaddix, was a guest chef for Easy Market Meals and has also become a regular volunteer on both Tuesdays and Saturdays, helping prepare and distribute the day’s tasty creations. He’s even been spotted washing dishes at the end of the day. How’s that for sponsor support?

Our teaching kitchens continue to receive support from Dacor, which previously donated the metal cooktops, prep pods and grill. Their South San Francisco Showroom Manager, Charlene Rouspil, keeps us supplied with their latest kitchen equipment. Charlene also actively works to connect us with other new partners. Through her efforts, we have recently received high-quality small appliances and kitchen equipment donations from both Standards of Excellence and KitchenAid.

First National Bank of Northern California, a locally owned and operated company, is the sponsor of our 2007 Farm Tours. Tom McGraw, their CEO, is a long-time fan of farmers’ markets, and is proud to note that one of the bank’s founding directors was also one of the founders of the Alemany Farmers Market. Their support, along with the generous discount provided by local bus company Coach 21, keeps these daylong adventures exceptionally affordable at $25 per person, much less than what it costs to conduct the tours.

We appreciate the financial support, equipment, and new friendships that these sponsorships have provided. CUESA is seeking additional sponsors for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, as well as for our Lecture Programs, this Weekly E-letter, our soon-to-be-unveiled Market Discovery Stations, and our annual Sunday Supper.  If you would like to find out more about these opportunities, contact our Executive Director Dave Stockdale.

This is the most up-to-date information about which sellers will and won't be attending the market as of Friday, when we send this letter. If there are no changes to a seller's status, they will not be listed. To find out which farmers regularly attend each market, click here. Please understand that there are often last minute changes--it's the nature of farming!

Special announcements: This Saturday only, Bella Viva Orchards will be selling mixed flats of Angelus and Elegant Lady Peaches for just $12!

This Saturday, Nigel Walker of Eatwell Farms will be offering two free eggs (as long as supplies last) to those who have never tried eggs from pastured chickens. He will also bring some baby chicks for people to see!

Saturday, August 4

In/Returning: Knoll Farms, Brooks and Daughters, Bernard Ranches
Out: Lagier Ranches, The Apple Farm

Tuesday, August 7

Out: Everything Under the Sun