Sustainable Food Center

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.

Healthy Together: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

"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."

National Farm to School Network

“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.”

Philadelphia Department of Public Health

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.

Food Print

Another Common Market customer, Newark Public Schools, utilized USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Program to direct dollars towards local purchasing, similar to Alachua County Public Schools in Florida. Since May, the district has purchased 102,000 pounds of local fruits and vegetables through The Common Market to supplement emergency food distribution efforts.

The Story Exchange

[The Common Market Mid-Atlantic] recently finished a seven-month, $6 million contract with the City of New York to pack and deliver more than 230,000 pantry boxes to address adult food insecurity. “Hearing directly from people about what it means to not open a box with processed sugary foods, but something fresh and nutritious — we’re giving humanity back to people through distribution and food access efforts.”

The Global Alliance for the Future of Food

In the coming months, the Global Alliance will be sharing the stories of initiatives whose creativity, adaptability, and resilience present examples for how to respond to global challenges like COVID-19 and the need for food systems transformation. With operations in the eastern and southern U.S. The Common Market is working with community-based organizations and producers to connect low income families with local food.

The Food Trust

"To be essential, it means a lot. Being out there on the frontlines with everyone else. Even if it is on the smaller end — you’re still out there helping out."

Austin Independent School District

“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 of 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. "

The Brown and White

"Sleeger said non-profits were a game-changer, such as The Common Market in Philadelphia. The Common Market is a non-profit distributor that connects local farms to communities and anchor institutions like Lehigh."

The Common Market in the News

HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD POP-UP GROCERY PROJECT HELPED AUSTIN FARMS AND RESTAURANTS DURING COVID-19

ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBERS DISTRIBUTED FOOD AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN MEMORY OF A LOCAL LEADER

Meet Our 30 Community Food Champions

Farmers to Families in Philadelphia: How a USDA-funded program contributed to hunger relief during COVID-19

What Does COVID-19 Mean For the Future of the Farm to Institution Movement?

Amid Pandemic Hunger Crisis, Entrepreneurial Women Work to Combat Food Insecurity

Beacons of Hope: Transforming Food Systems — Introducing a new cohort

Farm to School Champion: Lavar Prather

Austin ISD Free Produce Boxes Extended Through Dec. 17

Lehigh surpassed Real Food Challenge goal