The Common Market in the News

Ep. 143 - COVID-19 and the Food System

Public Health on Call: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Paula Daniels, founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council and co-founder of Center for Good Food Purchasing, speaks to the strength of regionalized food systems and to the resilient nature of food hubs, like ours: "...with mission-driven intermediaries, like food hubs, dedicated to sourcing from the local farming economy, supporting equity among the supply chain, dedicated to supporting healthy food access and distributing where need is great. ...The Common Market is a good example. They were able to immediately pivot to get more food to school districts."

Produce Boxes Grow Rural-Urban Partnerships

Lancaster Farming

"Sometimes a produce box holds more than fresh vegetables and fruit.

It also contains the labor of Pennsylvania farmers and farm workers, truck drivers, relationship-building and evidence-based information from Penn State Extension staff, the passion of 4-H youth and leaders, a mission-focused community development group, the grit of a community organizer, locally grown fruit and vegetables from an innovative non-profit regional food distributor, and potential for growing healthy communities.

We are going to have to find a bigger box."

Reflections from the Philly Food World on COVID-19

Edible Philly

“People have been brave. Our drivers are out on the front lines, and they were like: ‘We’re here. We’re ready to serve.’ They didn’t hesitate. I’ll remember how brave the farmers were, too. I have been so impressed at how everyone has leaped in and said, ‘We are going to keep moving and figure out how to help each other.’”

USDA: The Common Market, Part 2

USDA Food And Nutrition Service (SERO)

In part 2 of this series, Bill Green discusses The Common Market’s mission to connect communities with good food from sustainable family farms. They strive to improve food security, farm viability and community and ecological health.

When the Common Market Southeast began producing USDA Farmers to Families Food Boxes, they were able to hire 34 additional people to work on their production lines, and as drivers. The Food Boxes provide farm fresh produce to create thousands of meals each week. Currently, the distributor is producing 15,000 boxes a week.

AISD to provide free Texas-grown produce boxes to families during COVID-19 pandemic

FOX7 Austin

"We are thrilled to partner in this new way with Austin ISD," said Margaret Smith, Director at The Common Market Texas. 'At The Common Market, we fully recognize the role high-quality, local food can play in nutrition and overall good health. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are leaning on our mission to serve, and we are proud to be a part of the solution during this challenging time."

Mayor de Blasio Announces City Has Distributed 100 Million Meals to New Yorkers Since March, Calls on Federal Government to Increase Funding for Food Assistance

The Official Website of the City of New York

“During this time of uncertainty, we are honored to invest in our small- to medium-scale farmers, and in turn, nourish New Yorkers in need of food access,” said The Common Market Mid-Atlantic’s Executive Director, Yael Lehmann. "Local, healthy, fresh food makes a difference in one's mental and physical well-being — we're proud to source and deliver it, and serve a part in the city's emergency food relief efforts."

AISD to Provide Free Produce Boxes featuring Texas-Grown Foods

Austin Independent School District

“COVID-19 has resulted in food insecurity well beyond what we’ve experienced in the past,” shared Aliya Hussaini MD, MSc, Portfolio Director of Health at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. “Austin ISD has made a remarkable pivot, in a time of great uncertainty and need, to serve as a front line healthy food access point for children and families in our community. The Common Market is working nationally to ensure that families receive high-quality, nutritious food while also supporting farmers to distribute their product and support their employees’ livelihoods. This partnership will ensure more healthy food reaches the children and families who need it most.”

Scanlon pays visit to Bennett Community Farm

Daily Times

“I think it’s a pretty good model for what we can do when we think more holistically,” said Scanlon. In addition to bringing fresh produce into “into an area where there’s food insecurity, and there’s not access to a lot of healthy foods… it expands and provides nutritional advice, it employs kids, it provides a community focus,” she said.

The farmstand got an earlier start in the spring with Foundation for Delaware County donations to distribute produce boxes. The produce is sourced from area farms through Philadelphia-based nonprofit Common Market, which has in turn received support through USDA programs, according to Farm Manager Natania Schaumburg.