Food & drink

Bayview community garden program in peril as funding dries up

Leigh Cuen, SF Public Press — Mar 19 2012 - 12:05pm

Responding to food insecurity, neighbors cultivate network of plots to provide locally grown bounty and education

This story appears in the Spring 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.

The Quesada Gardens Initiative, which has helped green and revitalize one of San Francisco’s most economically neglected neighborhoods, is struggling to survive as funding is running dry. Formed in 2002 as a community-building effort by Bayview residents, it has gone on to transform portions of the community, spreading through vacant lots, backyards and community spaces. It has also begun to produce significant quantities of food for a neighborhood where the available of healthy options is limited.

S.F. food providers scrambling to find money to pay for fresh goods as federal funds disappear

Amy Graham, SF Public Press — Nov 22 2011 - 4:51pm

Because of the economic meltdown, an increasing number of San Francisco residents are finding themselves hungry and in need – and the agencies that would normally help fill those bellies are drastically cutting what they can provide. San Francisco social service agencies face another hard-hitting blow, as the San Francisco Food Bank, which supplies more than 400 local organizations with the majority of their food, is still reeling from the loss of federal funding.

Ins and outs of standing in line in the Mission

Heather Smith, Mission Local — Nov 10 2011 - 3:18pm

Living in a popular neighborhood, in the middle of a popular city, is a lifestyle choice that can make a person sneaky. For those who don’t like to wait, it is possible to live in a shadow Mission, getting an It's-It from the freezer of a convenience store instead of standing for half an hour in line at the Bi-Rite Creamery, and visiting certain spots only during the brief hours when they’re not busy — Tartine before 8 a.m., bars on Sunday through Wednesday, Papalote only at 2 in the afternoon, Valencia Pizza & Pasta when you need a table for six on a Friday night. Brunch never ever ever. Or only if you make sure to eat brunch first.

Gunz and Bunz: Sexy or offensive?

Marta Franco, Mission Local — Oct 19 2011 - 2:08pm

Mike’s Deli hadn´t been doing well for a while, and its owner, Mike Jweinat, thought it was time to give the spot a sexier look. He created some new sandwiches, colorful signs, and a brand-new name: Gunz and Bunz. But residents in a neighborhood where shootings aren’t uncommon failed to see the humor.

Free Farm Stand will stay, city says

Justine Quart, Mission Local — Oct 12 2011 - 1:51pm

The Free Farm Stand and its supporters won. The stand will continue to give away free food to the community on Sundays from noon to 3:30 p.m. in Parque Niños Unidos. At the same time, it will coordinate with the Department of Public Health to obtain a health permit, Connie Chan, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, wrote in an e-mail.

Governor signs bills to ban open carry of handguns, shark fin sales

Jerold Chinn and Richard Pestorich, SF Public Press — Oct 10 2011 - 11:18am

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed bills to make it illegal to openly carry handguns and to ban the sale and possession of shark fins in California. The shark fin bill goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2013 while the open carry ban begins Jan 1, 2012. The shark bill has been a controversial topic in the past few months, with state Sen. Leland Yee, who is running for San Francisco mayor, calling the ban “insensitive to the Chinese culture” when the bill was introduced by Assemblyman Paul Fong in February.

San Franciscans work to reduce shark slaughter

Erica Gies, Crosscurrents on KALW Public Radio — Feb 14 2011 - 6:48pm
The movie “Jaws” created the notion of sharks as powerful eating machines who stalk humans. Yet ironically, in the 35 years since that movie debuted, it’s sharks that have been driven nearly extinct by humans. Around the world, about 10 people are killed by sharks annually. But every year humans kill up to 73 million sharks. These numbers are unsustainable, and as a result, shark populations have been decimated — many dropping 90 to 99 percent over the last few decades. It’s largely because of a status symbol dish popular in Asia: shark fin soup. As Asian economies have boomed, particularly China’s, demand for shark fin soup has exploded. The San Francisco Bay Area has one of the largest Chinese populations outside of Asia, so activists here are trying to stop the excesses of the shark fin fishery.

City sets regulations for cannabis-laced goodies

Hank Drew and Katy Gathright, SF Public Press — Jul 23 2010 - 10:59am

Chasing your morning latte with a pot brownie might be getting a bit safer. The San Francisco Department of Public Health this month placed new restrictions on the production and sale of edible goods containing marijuana.

Underground farmers market finds home in Mission District

Gianmaria Franchini, SF Public Press — Dec 22 2009 - 5:19pm
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Acorn flour, wild fennel seeds and homemade sarsaparilla (that’s soda for all you non-foodies) are just some of the treats that have found their way into a new alternative farmers market. This underground bazaar sponsored by the founder of forageSF is a house party, dinner party and street fair rolled into one. Small vendors who can’t afford commercial kitchens or a booth at SF’s official farmers market are hawking their food on the second-floor flat of a Victorian.

SF leaders float drink fee to help balance budget

Bethany Fleishman and Michael Pistorio, The Public Press — Sep 18 2009 - 11:22am

San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos is crafting a proposal that would place a fee on alcohol sold in the city, potentially raising $25 million to $35 million annually to help pay for alcohol-related public health and criminal justice costs.

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