This weekend I went to the farmers market in the United Nations Plaza. I noticed something unexpected - almost all of the other customers came from Chinatown!

To understand why, you must understand Chinatown. As I learned in Cool Gray City of Love:

1. Chinatown serves as one of the last places poor people can afford to live in San Francisco.
2. Chinatown houses a lot of elderly people aging in place.

By that combination, you find a lot of Chinatown grandparents hungry for cheap produce. And they shop enthusiastically at the farmers market, just never at the trendy (i.e. more expensive) stands.