Were here at one of the many food centric districts of San Francisco, the 18th street corridor which locals have affectionately dubbed the castro. A cross between castro and gastronomic. The bakery, pizza, and dolores park cafe, there is no end in sight for the mouth watering food options here. Adding to the culinary delights is the family of business he which includes skylight creamery, skylight and the 18 raisin. Skylight market has been here since 1940. Its been in the family since 1964. His father and uncle bought the market and ran it through sam taking it over in 1998. At that point sam revamped the market. He installed a kitchen in the center of the market and really made it a place where chefs look forward to come. He created community through food. So, we designed our community as having three parts we like to draw as a triangle where its comprised of our producers that make the food, our staff, those who sell it, and our guests who come and buy and eat the food. And we really feel that we wouldnt exist if it werent for all three of those components who really support each other. And thats kind of what we work towards every day. Valley creamery was opened in 2006. The two pastry chefs who started it, chris hoover and walker who is sams wife, supplied all the pastries and bakeries for the market. They found a space on the block to do that and the ice cream kind of came as an afterthought. They realized the desire for ice cream and we now have lines around the corner. So, thats been a huge success. In 2008, sam started 18 reasons, which is our community and event space where we do five events a week all around the idea of bringling people closer to where the food comes from and closer to each other in that process. 18 reasons was started almost four years ago as an educational arm of their work. And we would have dinners and a few classes and we understood there what momentum that people wanted this type of engagement and education in a way that allowed for a more indepth conversation. We grew and now we offer i think we had nine, we have a series where adults learned home cooking and we did a teacher Training Workshop where San Francisco unified Public School teachers came and learned to use cooking for the core standards. We range all over the place. We really want everyone to feel like they can be included in the conversation. A lot of organizations i think which say were going to teach cooking or were going to teach gardening, or were going to get in the policy side of the food from conversation. We say all of that is connected and we want to provide a place that feels really Community Oriented where you can be interested in multiple of those things or one of those things and have an entree point to meet people. We want to build community and were using food as a means to that end. We have a wonderful organization to be involved with obviously coming from buy right where really everyone is treated very much like family. Coming into 18 reasons which even more Community Focused is such a treat. We have these events in the evening and we really try and bring people together. People come in in groups, meet friends that they didnt even know they had before. Our whole set up is focused on communal table. You can sit across from someone and start a conversation. Were excited about that. I never worked in catering or food service before. Its been really fun learning about where things are coming from, where things are served from. It is getting really popular. Shes a wonderful teacher and i think it is a Perfect Match for us. It is not about home cooking. Its really about how to facilitate your ease in the kitchen so you can just cook. I have always loved eating food. For me, i love that it brings me into contact with so many wonderful people. Ultimately all of my work that i do intersects at the place where food and community is. Classes or cooking dinner for someone or writing about food. It always come down to empowering people and giving them a wonderful experience. Empower their want to be around people and all the values and reasons the commitment, community and places, were offering a whole spectrum of offerings and other really wide range of places to show that good food is not only for wealthy people and they are super committed to accessibility and to giving people a glimpse of the beauty that really is available to all of us that sometimes we forget in our day to day running around. We have such a philosophical mission around bringing people together around food. Its so natural for me to come here. We want them to walk away feeling like they have the tools to make change in their lives. Whether that change is voting on an issue in a way that they will really confident about, or that change is how to understand why it is important to support our small farmers. Each class has a different purpose, but what we hope is that when people leave here they understand how to achieve that goal and feel that they have the resources necessary to do that. Are you inspired . Maybe you want to learn how to have a patch in your backyard or cook better with fresh ingredients. Or grab a quick bite with organic goodies. Find out more about 18 reasons by going to 18 reasons. Org and learn about buy right market and creamery by going to buy right market. Com. And dont forget to check out our blog for more info on many of our episodes at sf quick bites. Com. Until next time, may the fork be with you. So chocolaty. Mm. Oh, this is awesome. Oh, sorry. I thought we were done rolling. Food in San Francisco isnt just about expensive eat but food for everyone and theres organizations in the city that are doing really good work making sure that healthy food it assessable to everyone. More and more as follows are are becoming interested in upper arlthd they want to joy the open green pace sea know where their food it coming from well look at 3 programs talking ushering agricultural and garden to new heights. So what exactly it, your honor agricultural it the growing food or flowers within city limits traditionally weve been referring to communities gardener that is a raised bed over and over upper argument has a more a farming way of farming. So tell me 0 whats growing in this garden. A really at all plant. In the one of the rare places, you know, people have access to green space 24 is one of the places to grow things like the purple floor. It is sort of recognizing that the more diversity in given space the better not to just have one thing by everything supported each another it provides the community with an opportunity to get their hands dirty and reach 0 out and congressmen with the community in ways they might have not otherwise to engage with one other. Now the dpw urban Planning Program so see how the garden community. So i grew up on a farm in air force base we picked the foods open the trees and share with other families and as i drive around San Francisco i see any trees with apples or mrumdz and lemon trees i can see the food going to waste and brought that idea back to the Department Many of the trees where the fruit would go to waste we origin or crop and pick other fruits and delivery this to food banks or shelters to people who need them. Im here with nang wong hello nang. Hello. I need to understand house this gleaning work. We come and harvest like for example, well come over here this is the lemon and plug it like this. laughter . Made that good, good and ease. The trick is how not to hurt the branches. Like the thing. Im so excited about this. The people are so passionate about where the food goes to the private Property Owners give us the food theyre happy that no of a t is going to waste oh. Thank you. Thank you. Again job aura natural laughter . From backyards to back lots lets take a look at the food and Community Bonding at the free farm. My idea was to start growing food and giving it away. And getting my neighbors to who had space and having a kind of event that brings people together not to run our food program this time around but to share the wealth of the abundance of our welfare. We were all divorce and as part of our philosophy of working together and working together. Whats the most rewarding aspect of volunteering for the free farm stand. Well, we could is a generalic satisfaction but something about giving food away its giving something i brought that in and sort it and gave it to you its primitive to be able to give something some basically to someone else. Now serving number to 49 come on down. We have the capability of producing this food and in San Francisco you can grow food all year round so the idea were capable of prougdz food in our own backyards were here to demonstrate an bans of food and i think that giving it away for free we show individuals it in have to be a comedy. We build time together and its the strength of any ideas of the connections well turn that connection and the more connections you make no mistake about it the more you can have a stronger power and not have to rely on money thats the people power. In this episode weve seen the urban farms and gardens provide more in fruits and vegetation people can have the special produce available it can be a place to give back by donating food to others and teach our children the connection to the earth and environment its truly womens sustainable future. San francisco streets and puffs make up 25 percent of cities e citys land area more than all the parks combined theyre far two wide and have large flight area the pavement to parks is to test the variants by ininexpensive changing did new open spaces the city made up of streets in you think about the potential of having this space for a purpose it is demands for the best for bikes and families to gather. Through a collaborative effort with the department we the public works and the Municipal Transportation Agency pavement to parks is bringing Initiative Ideas to our streets. So the face of the street is the core of our program we have in the public rightofway meaning streets that can have areas perpetrated for something else. Im here with john francis pavement to parks manager and this parklet on van ness street first of all, what is a parklet and part of pavement to Parks Program basically an expense of the walk in a public realm for people to hang anti nor a urban acceptable space for people to use. Parklets sponsors have to apply to be considered for the program but they come to us you know saying we want to do this and create a new space on our street it is a Community Driven program. The program goes beyond just parklets vacant lots and other spaces are converted were here at playland on 43 this is place is cool with loots things to do and plenty of space to play so we came up with that idea to revitalizations this underutilized yard by going to the community and what they said want to see here we saw that everybody wants to see everything to we want this to be a space for everyone. Yeah. We partnered with the pavement to Parks Program and so we had the contract for building 236 blot Community Garden it start with a lot of jacuzzi hammers and bulldozer and now the point were planting trees and flowers we have basketball courts there is so much to do here. Theres a very full program that they simply joy that and meet the community and friends and about be about the lighter side of city people are more engaged not just the customers. With the help of Community Pavement to parks is reimagining the potential of our student streets if you want more information visit them as the pavement to parks or contact pavement to parks at sfgovtv. Or were here to raise awareness and money and fork for a good accuse. We have this incredible gift probably the widest range of restaurant and count ii destines in any district in the city right here in the mission intricate why dont we capture that to support the mission youths going to college thats for the food for thought. We didnt have a signature font for our orientation thats a 40yearold organization. Mission graduates have helped me to develop special as an individual theyve helped me figure out and provide the tools for me that i need i feel successful in life their core above emission and goal is in line with our values. The ferraris yes, we made 48 thousand they were on top of that its a nobrainer for us. Were in and fifth year and be able to expand out and tonight is your ungrammatical truck food for thought. Food truck for thought is an opportunity to eat from a variety of different vendor that are supporting the mission graduates by coming and representing at the parks were giving a prude of our to give people the opportunity to get an education. People come back and can you tell me and enjoy our food. All the vendor are xooment a portion of their precedes the money is going back in whats the best thing to do in terms of moving the needle for the folks we thought Higher Education is the tool to move young people. Im also a College Student i go to berkley and 90 percent of our folks are staying in college thats 40 percent hire than the afternoon. Im politically to clemdz and ucla. Just knowing were giving back to the community. Especially the Spanish Speaking population it hits home. People get hungry why not eat and give as a society weve basically failed big portion of our population if you think about the basics of food, shelter safety a lot of people dont have any of those im mr. Cookie cant speak for all the things but i know say, i have ideas how we can address the food issue. Open the door and walk through that dont just stand looking out. As they grew up in in a how would that had access to good food and our parent cooked this is how you feed yours this is not happening in our country this is a huge pleasure im david one of the cofounder so about four year ago we worked with the serviced and got to know the kid one of the things we figured out was that they didnt know how to cook. I heard about the Cooking School through the Larkin Academy a. Their noting no way to feed themselves so theyre eating a lot of fast food and i usually eat whatever safeway is near my home a lot of hot food i was excited that i was eating lunch enough instead of what and eat. As i was inviting them over teaching them basic ways to fix good food they were so existed. Particle learning the skills and the food they were really go it it turned into the is Charity Foundation i ran into my friend we were talking about this this do you want to run this Charity Foundations and she said, yes. Im a cofound and executive director for the cooking project our best classes participation for 10 students are monday theyre really fun their chief driven classes we have a different guest around the city theyre our stand alone colas we had a series or series still city of Attorneys Office style of classes our final are night life diners. Santa barbara shall comes in and helps us show us things and this is one the owners they help us to socialize and ive been here about a year. We want to be sure to serve as many as we can. The San FranciscoCooking School is an amazing amazing partner. It is doing that in that space really elevates the space for the kids special for the chief that make it easy for them to come and it really makes the experience pretty special. Im sutro sue set im a chief 2, 3, 4 San Francisco. Thats what those classes afford me the opportunity it breakdown the barriers and is this is not scary this is our choice about you many times this is a feel good what it is that you give them is an opportunity you have to make it seem like its there for them for the taking show them it is their and they can do that. Hi, im antonio the chief in San Francisco. The majority of kids at that age in order to get them into food they need to see something simple and the evidence will show and easy to produce i want to make sure that people can do it with a bowl and spoon and burner and one pan. I like is the receipts that are simple and not feel like its a burden to make foods the cohesives show something eased. I go for vera toilet so someone cant do it or its way out of their range we only use 6 ingredients i can afford 6 ingredient what good is showing you them something they cant use but the sovereignties what are you going to do more me youre not successful. We made a vegetable stirfry indicators hed ginger and onion that is really affordable how to balance it was easy to make the food we present i loved it if i having had access to a kitchen id cook more. Some of us have never had a kitchen not taught how to cookie wasnt taught how to cook. I have a great appreciation for programs that teach kids food and cooking it is one of the healthiest positive things you can communicate to people that are very young. The more programs like the cooking project in general that can have a positive impact how our kids eat is really, really important i believe that everybody should venting to utilize the kitchen and meet other kids their age to identify theyre not alone and their ways in which to pick yours up and move forward that. It is really important to me the opportunity exists and so i do everything in my power to keep it that. Well have our new headquarters in the heart of the tenderloin at taylor and kushlg at the end of this summer 2014 were really excited. A lot of the of the conditions in San Francisco they have in the rest of the country so our goal to 257bd or expand out of the San Francisco in los angeles and then after that who know. Wed never want to tell people want to do or eat only provide the skills and the tools in case thats something people are 2rrd in doing. You cant buy a box of psyche you have to put them in the right vein and direction with the right kids with a right place address time those kids dont have this you have to instill they can do it theyre good enough now to finding out figure out and find the future for