"Recognizing base line, for us to advance racial equity as part of public procurement—and any other value as well—it is a deviation from the system and the way that it is today. It is a shift from a low-cost procurement model to one where we are embedding values and reconsidering the way that our procurement processes occur."
"The White House held a conference on fighting hunger and diet-related diseases for the first time in 50 years to address President Biden’s goal to end hunger by 2030. The plan released this week relies on expanding SNAP benefits, increasing the supply of free school lunches and improving access to grocery stores and healthy food.
This hour, we discuss food insecurity in our region and look at who is most affected. We’ll also talk about the connection to chronic disease and the domestic policies that make it harder for families to eat well. Among our guests are Haile Johnston, co-founder of The Common Market."
Several preschools have recently banded together to form a “farm to preschool” co-op, led by a partnership between Open Hand Atlanta and The Common Market Southeast. Twice a month, Open Hand delivers fresh produce from The Common Market to participating preschools, along with educational materials.
"Tatiana Garcia-Granados and her husband launched The Common Market after recognizing the impact of diet-related disease on their communities. 'There really was a big distribution mismatch; there were family farms right outside of Philadelphia that didn’t have access to fair markets for their product, and at the same time communities like ours weren't able to access healthy food.'
With the support of DRK, the food distributor extended to six other cities including New York, Houston, and Atlanta."
"The Common Market is creating a multi-year food procurement initiative to direct food purchasing dollars locally and equitably. The initiative will provide opportunities for Black farmers and other underserved growers, while increasing access to healthy food in schools and hospitals."
"The Local Foods Incentive Pilot is taking off in Bridgeton Public Schools, with farm to school meals providing better nutrition, benefiting area farmers, and boosting the local economy."
"New Jersey may be known as the Garden State but in low- and middle-income towns, getting nutritious food from farm to table is harder than you think, especially for schools. One South Jersey school district is partnering with The Common Market, a nonprofit food distributor that connects farmers with communities, to bring Jersey-fresh fruits, vegetables and meats directly to the lunch table."
If you feel motivated to act, you can support forward-thinking groups like the National Young Farmers Coalition, Common Market, and Soul Fire Farm as they advocate for more equitable and sustainable food and ag policies, or you can contact your representatives directly and tell them what a better food system looks like to you.
"The farm to school pilot’s goal is to provide these school districts with additional incentives, to dream with them about what that will look like, and what products they always wished they could source on their school meal lines, but maybe couldn’t afford to do, Rachel Terry said."
"Bridgeton Public Schools in Bridgeton, N.J., has partnered with The Common Market, a nonprofit food distributor, for a pilot program that brings locally sourced food to students."
"Not only are we supporting our local farmers, but my kids get to eat nutritionally dense and incredibly fresh produce. It's an incredible partnership that I am very proud to be a part of."
— Rylan Snodgrass, Food Service Director, SAGE Dining Services, River Oaks Baptist School, Houston, TX