I've been a member of the SF Raw since it was founded several years ago. I joined it to buy humanely and sustainably raised meat, eggs, and dairy products for my dogs, but fast found out it was a great source of food for me, too.
Because it's a buyer-run volunteer group, membership had to be closed a while ago. The group had simply gotten to big. Now the group's founder, my friend Kasie Maxwell, has taken a bold step, and expanded the group to include multiple pick-up points and dates throughout the Bay Area as well as a central main freezer and sales location in San Francisco.
I can't recommend the products Kasie obtains highly enough. The savings are incredible -- many of the products I buy from SF Raw are at half or less what they cost at places like Whole Foods, and others are simply not available anywhere, for any price. Backyard eggs, goat milk from pastured goat, beautiful grass-fed beef at affordable prices -- it's incredible. And they also sell all kinds of household products, canned goods, supplements, herbal products. It's just astonishing.
Here's the notice Kasie sent out this morning announcing that she was opening membership again. I strongly urge anyone in the Bay Area to check the group out. There is a very small annual fee, and you have to volunteer once a year for a piddly three hours. The new distribution system means you can almost certainly pick up your order in your own neighborhood, too. My new pickup location is just four blocks from my house!
And if none of that convinces you, not the prices nor the convenience nor the selection, then I'm going to guess the beautiful little handmade artisanal chevre wheels will. Trust me on this.
All the details below...
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area region of Northern California, feed raw or home-prepared foods to your pets, and would like to enjoy purchasing high quality ingredients at near wholesale prices, please join us!
NEW: We now have a number of neighborhood/regional order pick-up locations throughout the Bay Area and two order pick-up days a month (1st and 3rd Saturdays).
NORTH/EAST ROUTE: 1st Saturday of every month Mendocino; Sebastopol; San Rafael; Fairfax; Kentfield; Corte Madera; Berkeley-Holistic Hound; Oakland-Taft Ave.; Oakland-Alhambra Ave.; Pittsburg.
SF/SOUTH ROUTE: 3rd Saturday of every month SF-Jefferson St; SF-Jeffrey's 18th St; SF-Sunset; SF-Haight; SF-Black Nose Divasadero; SF-Napoleon St; Pacifica-The Rex center; Redwood City; San Jose.
Every month we purchase a wide variety of human-grade (antibiotic/hormone-free, grass-fed/pastured, certified organic) meat, bones, prepared raw foods, pre-mixes, books, pet bedding, natural household/cleaning supplies, and supplements at direct from producer prices. We also offer seasonal products including pastured eggs, pastured raw goat milk + hand-crafted goat milk cheeses. As much as possible, we only buy from local family farms that practice humane-farming or sustainable, pastured farming methods. We look for the best deals, but will not purchase factory-farmed meat products to save money.
SFRAW is a completely not-for-profit, volunteer-run buyer's group with an annual volunteer requirement, and a Code of Conduct that all members must follow:
MEMBERSHIP FEES: There are several membership levels available - no minimum purchase requirements!
For more information, please visit our FAQ page.
NEW: We have just moved into our own central facility in San Francisco! We will host special 'open to the public' Freezer Sale events at this location SIX days a month - every other Thursday & Friday from 9am-3pm and Saturday from 12-5pm. To find out about these public sales events, please sign-up for our Freezer Sale list here. (Scroll down to the bottom section of the page to enter your email address).
PARKING: We have two reserved parking spaces right in front of our doors, guest parking spaces available in a private parking lot for this building complex, and plenty of free, unrestricted street parking (especially on Saturdays).
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kasie Maxwell.
You use a picture of DREW and you don't tell me about this great opportunity? I'm sending you some CROCS.
Posted by: Gina Spadafori | 16 July 2009 at 11:34 AM