As San Francisco looks to change its antiquated zoning code to allow for urban farming, let’s not forget that commercial farms did at one time flourish in San Francisco.

A Los Angeles Times article from 1988 recounts the tale of the last farm in the city. It was run by the Dematti family for nearly a century in the Bayview.

Tmes writer Todd Gillman describes the farm and the farmers and how in 1988 the family decided to sell the land: 

Three brothers fresh from Italy--James, Louis and Antonio Demattei--started the farm in 1902. In the face of rising real estate values, about two dozen of their offspring sold the single acre they still owned four months ago to a developer.

The family continues to cultivate the other two acres, land over the tunnel owned by Southern Pacific Transportation Co., and a city-owned strip designated as an undeveloped street that represents a third of the farm. The family plants two kinds of lettuce, Italian spinach, radishes, leeks, chives, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, oregano, mustard greens and lots of sweet basil.

The new owners weren't as keen on farming as the Dematteis. As Gillman writes:

Martin Gaehwiler Jr. has noted that "we're not farmers" and that he is not interested in building senior citizen housing. He has said the company plans to hold onto the land until it gets the rezoning and building permits necessary to build the 18 homes he originally envisioned. "If (the houses) don't get approved, maybe in 10 years they will," he said. "The land will always be there."

 Whatever became of the property? Help us out readers.