When the supply chain broke during the pandemic, local and regional systems stepped in and gained in importance. Now more of those organizations are working to increase the visibility of and access to regenerative farmers.
According to Johnston, The Common Market is able to facilitate these new connections because they have experience working at both ends: they help newer producers learn how to prepare, package, and price their products, and they encourage institutions to source more of their produce from those farmers participating in LFPA. This has enabled The Common Market to contract with growers and provide reliable income upfront that farmers could use to expand their businesses.
One notable recipient, the Great Valley School District, is set to receive $15,000 to integrate local, seasonal produce such as yogurt and beef into school cafeterias. Partnering with The Common Market and local farms like Pequea Valley Farm and Frecon Farms, the district plans to not only serve fresh products but also provide educational insights into the sources of these foods. This approach promises to enrich students’ understanding of agriculture by connecting them with the origins of their meals.
“We were looking to offer our students options that are not currently available through the Department of Defense [and its Food Distribution Program] but would be available through The Common Market,” said Allison Brown, senior district manager for OrganicLife. The district made these purchases in partnership with The Common Market with funding support from the USDA’s Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program.
Great Valley School District, a grant recipient, plans to purchase local, seasonal produce, yogurt, beef, and other products. In partnership with The Common Market, local products from Pequea Valley Farm, Frecon Farms, Happy Valley Meat, and other farms will be served in cafeterias along with information on where food was sourced.
Nearly 15 years later, Bon Appétit and The Common Market have grown together, with Bon Appétit-served colleges, universities, cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters sourcing from The Common Market in Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and beyond. Here’s the story of how the partnership, centered around shared values, grew from one metro region on the East Coast to span half of the United States.
A farmers market led by Camden City School Nutrition brings together students and the Camden, NJ community to increase access to fresh, local foods - distributed by The Common Market. The events occur once each month and feature a cooking demo, nutrition information, and resources from community partners.
The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition program has earned a statewide honor for serving locally grown food.
The Georgia Public School Local Food Procurement Champion Award, which was accepted by CCSD School Nutrition Executive Director Tina Farmer on behalf of the department, recognizes the Georgia school district with the most purchases from local farmers through The Common Market, a nonprofit regional food distributor.
To commemorate National Black Business Month in August, Aramark highlights some unique partnerships the company values and nurtures below.
Chefs at several Aramark Collegiate Hospitality accounts in the southeast have been working with Arkansas River Rice, the largest Black-owned rice mill in the U.S., which offers several types of rice grown from local farms.
Aramark first began working with Arkansas River Rice through a partnership with The Common Market, a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor that connects communities to food grown by local farms.
The Illinois Public Health Institute and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub have announced their first round of 16 recipients for the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards.
The Illinois Public Health Institute and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub will work with the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards recipients throughout the grant period to support school food system and marketplace improvements and promote systems-level change. The Common Market Great Lakes's Spark Award grant project is titled: “Lowering Adoption Barrier to Regionally Sourced Foods in Chicagoland Schools: Exploring Manufacturing, Food Service Operations and Acceptability of Regional Black Bean and Beef Blended Products in School Cafeterias”.
Our friendly and educated team is here to partner with you every step of the way. Connect today to learn of all the ways to partner with The Common Market.
"The Pink Lady apples were fantastic. We get our apples from a few different places and I must say that those were probably the best out of a non-apple season."
— Jennifer Monaco, Executive Chef, Sustainable Fare LLC, The Lawrenceville School