Meet Our Team: Pablo Villarreal Gonzalez
October 26, 2022
Meet one of the newest members of our team, Pablo Villarreal Gonzalez, who participated in our Foodwise Teens program as a high school student in fall 2021, then joined our staff as an Operations Assistant earlier this year. You can now find him working part-time at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, while he is currently studying wildlife biology at City College of San Francisco.
Tell us a bit about you and how you came to Foodwise.
My name is Pablo Villarreal Gonzalez and I joined Foodwise in my senior year at The Academy – San Francisco @ McAteer last year. I joined the Foodwise Teens program because of my interest in farming and environmental science, and thanks to Foodwise, I learned a lot about the food system and the impact of farming in our community. I am currently pursuing a degree in wildlife biology, however I think also specializing in environmental and agricultural science would give me extra knowledge for the degree I’m pursuing.
Why did you choose to continue working with Foodwise at the farmers market after your participation in the program?
Even after the internship the idea of helping out the local food community was important to me and was also a good way to make connections and learn more. Thankfully I was able to get a spot working at Foodwise.
Describe what you do at Foodwise now.
Currently I assist with the whole operation of running the farmers market. I help set up the market, assist vendors, and manage the Veggie Valet. It doesn’t hurt that I get some good food every now and then.
What inspires or motivates you about this work and/or community?
I really do like my job, the environment, and people seem so tight knit. I look forward to every Saturday (minus waking up early), but it’s always worth it. The vendors and the Foodwise staff are people genuinely passionate about what they do and it really shows. It motivated me to learn more about this environment I’m fortunate to be in. I really enjoy working with Foodwise, and I can see myself working here for a while. How long? Can’t say exactly, but I definitely appreciate and admire the environment and services that I get when I come to work here.
What’s something that you want people to know about the market?
Something I’d like others to know about the market is how passionate the vendors are about what they do. Ask any of them about their produce and you’ll end up having 20-minute conversations just about fruit, and trust me, it’s surprisingly interesting.
Do you have any favorite farmers market tips you can share?
A tip I’d give is talk to the farmers. If you’re listening and really nice, too, chances are you’ll get some real nuggets of wisdom out of it.
What does “food wisdom” mean to you?
“Food wisdom” to me is having the knowledge of what it takes to make food, and to know how it impacts a community or a single person.
Topics: Meet Our Team