Last week I experienced my first ForageSF Underground Farmer’s Market, on the second floor of a loft in San Francisco’s Mission District – starting with a line down the block which seemed to keep up for hours.

The market, which is actually a private event of sorts, gives home food makers a chance to share their foods, make a little money, and get feedback whether or not they plan to transform their food into a business.

Jam packed with hungry shoppers the event had all the buzz of a great craft sale combined with a compact market.

The vendors rotated in and out all night, ranging from meals to desserts to packaged foods – all delicious and impressive. This Examiner.com article has lots more details about the event.

Here are a few people I met:

Shakirah from Slow Jams delighted me by saying that selling on Foodzie was in her business plan! Philip Clark, a designer responsible for their cool branding as well as an event poster, was there was well.

I had to snap up some extremely limited edition honey after hearing exactly where the hives were located in North Berkeley and that the honey was largely eucalyptus flower. Talk about terroir! With adorable hand stamped and doodled tags to boot.

Delicious fermented things from the farmer’s market to the jars to the underground farmer’s market.

Indigenous Edibles wins my “hard core forager” award for brownies made with acorn flour that the maker had gathered and ground himself. As much as possible he uses native ingredients to make his foods.

People ooh’d and aah’d at their cones of Indian street food.

And Forage SF had lots and lots of foraged mushrooms on hand.

Overall one of the most vibrant exciting food events I’ve been too with great energy, fabulous food, and lots of inspiration among shoppers and the food producers.

Look for me selling at the next market!

Sources tell me Stephanie Rosenbaum sold our of her homemade preserves at the event!