This page features eco-friendly businesses, organizations, and locally made products and services in the San Francisco Bay Area which are dedicated to overall health and well-being of our community.
Hayes Valley Farm
by Angela Sarakan
http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/
In the heart of Hayes Valley, amidst quaint cafes, chic boutiques, and bustling streets, rests a verdant expanse of land laden with sweet-scented lavender, baby fruit trees, and an array of tasty vegetables. If you pass by at the right time, the space might be full of happy people pushing wheelbarrows, planting seeds, or just plain goofing off. “Wait a minute,” you may think. “Didn’t this place used to be full of ivy and trash?” If you lived in San Francisco before the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, you may even remember that there used to be a freeway ramp in this exact location.
This, my friends, is Hayes Valley Farm, an urban food forest and educational site dedicated to building community and spreading the word about healthy and happy living. At the entrance of the farm is a mural whose title sums up the entire purpose of the project: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share. These are the three guiding principles of permaculture, the philosophy upon which the creators and volunteers of the farm base their work.
If you’re interested in living sustainably, whether by growing your own food, learning ways to reduce waste, or supporting community-led efforts to respect the earth; Hayes Valley Farm is the place for you. The easiest way to get a taste for the farm is by attending a site tour on Thursday or Sunday. Or, if you have kids, take them to Magic Monday, where they can get a tour of the farm and learn about fun things like soil building, seed planting, worm composting, and insect identification.
This is a schedule of Hayes Valley Farm’s regular activities, which everyone is invited to attend:
Mondays @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Magic Mondays for Kids
Tuesdays @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Kitchen Garden Workshop
Thursdays @ 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm Volunteer Work Day (site tour: 3pm)
Sundays @ 11:30 am -12:30 pm Yoga on the Farm
Sundays @ 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm Volunteer Work Day (site tour: 1 pm)
The farm also offers permaculture “bootcamps” (crash courses on permaculture), gardening workshops, and events such as farm movie nights and bake sales. All events and classes are donation-based, and nobody is ever turned away for lack of funds. So, put on your gardening clothes and invite your friends! Hayes Valley Farm awaits you.
Hayes Valley Farm is located at 450 Laguna St. on the corner of Laguna and Fell. For more information on the farm and all it has to offer, please visit:
http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/.
A Store Called Spring in Russian Hill (view their website www.astorecalledspring.com)
Emerge Healing (view their website www.emergehealing.com)
Update: I am sad to report that despite a loyal client base, A Store Called Spring has closed. They will be missed!
I am continually inspired and delighted by A Store Called Spring in Russian Hill. There is so much to love here.
It took me two years to find all of the perfect cleaning products for Mindful Maid. I searched online, in co-ops across the country, in the big chain health food stores and in the little ones. If only I would have known about A store Called Spring before going into business. They carry all of the natural cleaning products that Mindful Maid uses. Their stock of Caldrea always includes new products and seasonal scents. They carry an entire shelf of Earth Friendly products, a brand that is underrepresented in retail outlets and whose quality is exceptional. They sell Howard’s Naturals Stainless Steel Cleaner which is the only stainless steel product you’ll ever need and is also hard to find. A Store Called Spring has it all to keep your home clean and much more.
They also have a smaller but well selected beauty and health products department that includes great eco-friendly products for men. They sell good karma cosmetics and always have delicious lotions to sample before you buy.
If you need organic cotton sheets, they have them! Pick up some organic fiber pillows to compliment your new eco-friendly bed. You’ll really sleep well with an air purifier keeping the oxygen in your home sacred and safe. ASCS has a great selection of purifiers.
If you are a parent, A Store Called Spring is essential for keeping your family safe and healthy. They carry baby clothes, blankets, eco-toys, and much more for little ones. Which reminds me of another reason why I love A Store Called Spring. The owners, Lucas and Margi, hatched their idea for the store soon after the birth of their son Oliver. Their new baby inspired them to make their home and lives as non-toxic as possible for the sake of Oliver’s health and development. A Store Called Spring was born after Lucas and Margi realized their retail needs for their healthy home were not being met. Bring your baby to shop with you at ASCS. There is plenty of room for strollers here and fun and safe toys for your Earth baby to try out.
If you have any questions, the staff here is not only friendly and pro-active, yes, they are knowledgeable. When I first spoke with manager Wendi about her thoughts on the quality of green cleaning products on the market and in the store, I was amazed by the depth of her knowledge on the topic. This makes me believe that the employees here are as passionate as I am about this store, it’s products and it’s mission, and on the positive impact that it has on our community.
A Store Called Spring is located at 2162 Polk Street at Vallejo in San Francisco.
http://www.astorecalledspring.com/
Emerge Healing is the bay Area’s premiere holistic health & healing organization. From Qigong bodywork, to hypnotherapy to custom tailored classes about spirituality to learning healthy boundaries to learning healthy cooking, there truly is something for everyone seeking to raise their personal vibration at Emerge Healing.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Alice Moore, the mastermind behind EH’s The Healing Foods Program. The enthusiasm & sincerity in Alice’s voice was unmistakable & as our conversation unfolded, it became obvious that here was a local woman who was passionate & dedicated to helping our community shift to a healthier approach to living & eating.
Jill: Alice, often times as soon as you talk about eating healthy or eating organic, people immediately think “too expensive”. Is this true?
Alice: In The Healing Foods Program, people learn how to cook for themselves. Cooking at home is much less expensive than eating meals out at restaurants constantly. If you cook a pot of rice, it can last for three days! Food creates our bodies; food is our foundation so we have to really ask ourselves “where do we want to invest our money?” Also, this program focuses on simple foods & simple ingredients like whole grains, fruits & vegetables.
Jill: So what else do people learn at The Healing Foods program?
Alice: I think the first thing people learn is that this is not a quick fix. Learning how to feed yourself healthy & nutritious foods is a profound shift. People come here knowing that they need change. They learn how to feel empowered by taking their health into their own hands. There is also more to nutrition than what is on our dinner plate. This program includes learning about the Soul Foods that nourish us. Soul Foods can be our relationships, our creative expressions, exercise & movement, breathing & meditation, sleep & spiritual practice. This is a type of mind-body health insurance.
Jill: Is Emerge Healing accessible to everyone, economically speaking?
Alice: Yes, we are very excited about the low-income program that is in the works. I offer free consultation sessions to anyone interested in the program. We also offer group classes with 3-6 people that are more economical than individual counseling
.
Jill: Why does the community need Emerge Healing?
Alice: I think that we are on the verge of a total paradigm shift. How can we change if we are sick? We cannot build a thriving world that is whole if we are sick. Emerge Healing is about reconnecting with our organic roots. We are all organic.
For more information about Emerge Healing, please visit their informative & easy to navigate website:
http://www.emergehealing.com/
You can also contact Alice directly at 646.894.4335 or email her at alice@emergehealing.com.