Get Fresh (Produce) at the Castro Farmers’ Market

There’s a new alternative to the bar and gym scene in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood—a farmers’ market.

This summer, the Castro Farmers’ Market started up in the early Wednesday evening for the after-work crowds. It’s located on a one-block stretch of Noe Street at Market, right in front of the neighborhood institution Café Flore.

It took me awhile to go and check out the market because the Castro is notorious for being the first neighborhood to get hit by the fog rolling off Twin Peaks. But last week we had a stretch of warm summer days (finally) so I trekked off after work to check out the latest city market.

The market was definitely filled with a lot of colorful fresh produce. Some regulars in the market scenes were there like Cowgirl Creamery, Scream Sorbet, Frog Hollow Farm, and Prather Ranch Meats. But there were also a couple of new farmers I’d never seen or heard of.

The afternoon light cast a beautiful glow in one stand’s heirloom tomatoes. And the crowds were bustling with a lot of people coming from the gym or heading home making dinner with what they purchased from the market.

It was a fun vibe at the Castro market, and it makes sense that it’s only open from spring to fall because, like I said, it can get pretty darn cold in the Castro. So go check out this farmers market before it closes for the season at the end of October.

Castro Farmers’ Market, 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday. (Ends Oct. 28, 2009)