THE HEALDSBURG CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET brims with a rainbow array of pristine produce, farmstead cheeses, local honey and olive oil, bread straight from the oven, wild fish, pasture-raised meats, fresh eggs, flowers, gourmet jams, candies and essentially anything wonderful that the agricultural-rich region produces. Founded in 1978, it’s one of the oldest certified markets in California, and draws regulars from across the Bay Area.
Gershman chatted with dozens of people behind the food to share intimate interviews and seasonal recipes across a wide spectrum. Savor Nocino (Italian walnut liqueur) from Liza Hinman, chefowner of Santa Rosa’s acclaimed Spinster Sisters and president of Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Sonoma County Chapter. Then, delight to a Winter Crab Louie Salad from the Healdsburg Noon Rotary Club. The Sonoma County native’s storytelling, photojournalism and global travel adventures have been featured in Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic.
“I’ve long explored how cuisine expresses the identity of a landscape,” Gershman says. “Although I grew up in the countryside of Bennett Valley, much of my childhood was spent with friends on Dry Creek Road. When I moved to Healdsburg three years ago, it felt natural to focus on the town as the epicenter of Sonoma County’s food culture. The depth of history, agriculture and gastronomy here is remarkable; the project could easily have extended for years.”
The stories Gershman coaxed out are enchanting, as famed baker Melissa Yanc-McGaughey recalls how she moved to Healdsburg with her husband, Sean, in 2018, just two weeks before their baby’s due date. They joined SingleThread, which now has three Michelin stars, and could have happily planted roots there. Instead, they set up a booth at the farmers’ market, and then opened their acclaimed Quail & Condor bakery nearby, followed by Troubadour Bread & Bistro. (It worked out well—Q&C was named as a semifinalist for the 2025 James Beard Outstanding Bakery Award.)
“I was nervous relocating here,” Yanc-McGaughey says. “Except the wonderful thing about the culinary world is that it’s a band of glorious misfits—people who bond over feeding others through a kind of alchemy. Take it a step further here in Healdsburg: a place hyper-focused on stewarding sustainability and curating the very best each season has to offer. People and other vendors at the market were curious not only about our breads and pastries, but also about our family and our story. I’ve never felt a deeper connection to a community.”
Gershman’s book includes beautifully insightful glimpses into SingleThread romantic cinema—which combines a 12-course meal with a curated film series—including how they very purposely framed their business as “a farm, restaurant and inn,” in that order.
“We put the farm first because our work in the restaurant is really telling the agricultural story of what I and our team is doing,” says co-founder and lead farmer Katina Connaughton. “The land drives everything we create,” adds her husband and co-owner chef Kyle Connaughton.
It took Gershman nearly two years to complete the book, profiling and photographing the many souls dedicated to shaping Healdsburg’s agricultural and culinary identity.
“There are perspectives from Michelin and James Beard–recognized restaurants and chefs, farmers whose harvests define the region’s backbone and grow much of the produce that appears on the town’s tables,” she says. “It documents farms, orchards, vineyards, markets and kitchens throughout the seasons. So many extraordinarily generous artists welcomed me onto their land or into their kitchens, allowing the book to reflect the people and working landscapes that allow us to eat as beautifully as we do.”
Look for Farm + Market by Liza Gershman at the Healdsburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays (9am–1pm) and Saturdays (8:30am–noon), April through December at Foley Family Community Pavilion, 3 North St., Healdsburg.
The book may also be purchased directly from HealdsburgBook.com. All book proceeds directly support the nonprofit market. “This book is a celebration of Sonoma County and all the inspiring makers who transform it from a place on the map into a home.”
