When the pandemic hit, The Common Market was able to pivot quickly and redirect its supply chains to areas of greatest need by leveraging federal and local government emergency food response funding and existing relationships between local growers, community organizations, local government, such as the cities of New York and Atlanta, and their regional food hubs.
"The pandemic has underscored the importance of fostering a more resilient food system. As we near the end of 2020, we’re asking, what are the top policy priorities as we look towards the new year and the new administration? This podcast looks closely at the connection between federal policy and local food. Hear from experts, including The Common Market co-founder Haile Johnston, about their proposals for forging more holistic government contracts that prioritize regional, independent and sustainable farms; deferring principal payments on Farm Service Agency loans as a means to support native farmers and stimulate tribal economies; and passing the RESTAURANTS Act to help independent restaurants make up for lost revenue.
The Common Market began its partnership with The American Heart Association in Greater Houston in May 2020, with a goal of providing fresh foods and educational resources to individuals living within Houston’s Complete Communities areas, a collection of 10 underserved neighborhoods. Funding for the produce and distribution span various sources, including Northern Trust and other foundations, and local donors committed to providing healthy food access to disadvantaged communities.
"Middle Ground Farm is one of 40 small producers that The Common Market Texas partners with to deliver high-quality, local food to communities. We are so proud to work with new and beginning farmers to really scale up what the local food movement can bring to communities here in Texas.
Farm to School partnerships really help kids understand the importance of choosing healthy options and understanding the impact they're having in the world."
"The organization’s approach offers an alternative pathway to food security, based on shorter value chains, direct distribution, and fostering closer relationships between farmers and the people they feed. Over its 12 years of operation, The Common Market has moved more than US $63 million in food and invested $90 million into the communities where it works. ...These successes—both economic and social—demonstrate the incredible potential of building responsive and impactful food system infrastructure and creative distribution models."
“Thanks to the partnership with The Common Market, along with other wholesalers, the City of Baltimore is now supplying 95 sites with 20,000 boxes of perishable food per week, totaling over 9.2 million pounds of food over the course of the pandemic,” says Holly Freishtat, Baltimore City Food Policy Director.
Community members know now that they can look to their own community, including small businesses in their neighborhoods, for food access. Restaurants have another outlet to sell food, and farmers do not have to worry about losing years of hard-fought relationships in case additional COVID-related restrictions are implemented. Keeping money local and allowing for community-led solutions creates a resilient system - a system that protects consumers, local economies, and our food future.
"The Community Health team partnered with nonprofits and local organizations to deliver vegetables, fruit, eggs, bread and yogurt to needy individuals and families. A key partner was The Common Market, a national nonprofit that distributes food from sustainable family farms to communities in need."
“For the past 3+ years, Corey has been a pivotal, behind-the-scenes player in ensuring our fresh, nutritious food reaches our food service teams, students and partners alike safely and smoothly. His contagious positive attitude, resilient spirit, and direct action ensures safe, clean, beautiful food gets picked up from our farms, gets inspected for safety and quality, and ultimately reaches our region's schools and beyond.”
The Farmers to Families Food Box Program significantly increased access to fresh food in Philadelphia, particularly in neighborhoods that suffered the double-burden of economic instability and vulnerability to infection. Though the USDA program itself met some critique on the national level, in Philadelphia it was largely successful in supporting greater food access, and also returned value to regional farms.
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.
"Fifer Orchards likes what Common Market does and how they service underserved areas with fresh local produce."
— Curt Fifer, Sales Manager, Fifer Orchards