The Common Market in the News

How The Common Market Supports Small Farmers with Forward Commitments

Food Tank

The Common Market, a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor based in the United States, is aiming to shift the paradigm of institutional food procurement. By advancing forward purchasing commitments to small and mid-scale farms, the organization hopes to rebuild regional food systems in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and the Great Lakes.

Small farms face big losses from cuts to USDA food programs

The Produce News

As federal support for key USDA programs winds down, small-scale Texas farmers warn of the damaging effects on local agriculture, community health and school nutrition across the state.

Jesus Lozano, founder of Triple J Organics in Mission, TX, said these cuts threaten hard-earned progress that has made locally grown produce more accessible to families and students alike.

“It’s frustrating to see fresh, nutritious fruit left behind while families in our communities go hungry,” Lozano said. “We grow high-quality produce, but without the right buyers, it’s wasted — and so is all the work that went into it.”

Hidalgo County (TX) citrus grower reacts to end of program that helped schools serve food from local farmers

KRGV 5 News

Lozano has harvested 10 acres of citrus near Mission since the mid-1990s. Over the years, Lozano has had national chains such as H-E-B and Whole Foods Market buying up his organic oranges. Lozano saw a boost in business thanks to two federal programs.

The Local Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food For Schools Programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed Lozano and other small farmers to sell their fruits and vegetables to schools and hospitals, thanks to over $1 billion in federal funding. Those programs are now ending.

Q&A with Bill Green, Executive Director of The Common Market Southeast

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders (SAFSF)

Bill explains how the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) positively impacted The Common Market Southeast and its ecosystem of family farmers and community partners. While the programs are ending, they helped catalyze the local food distributor’s mission of building small farmer capacity.

Agnes Scott College earns Farmer Champion Award for commitment to local food and farms

Decaturish

At the annual SOWTH conference, Agnes Scott College earned the 2024 Farmer Champion Award from Georgia Organics for its commitment to strengthening local food systems and supporting sustainable agriculture.

The college was honored with the award after serving students local food and consistently purchasing locally sourced foods in 2024. Agnes Scott committed to purchasing food from local farmers through its local food distributor, The Common Market, and supported 19 regional farmers and producers through their purchases.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is combatting food insecurity through local sourcing

Food Service Director

“With this program, we’re able to bring produce directly from farmers to the student community at UTSA,” said Hallie Casey, director of partnerships for The Common Market, in a statement. “By knowing your farmer and where your food comes from, we can guarantee you're getting the freshest food possible and the food that's going to be the most nutritious for you. It’s been a pleasure partnering with UTSA and Aramark to make this happen.”