Great Valley School District, a grant recipient, plans to purchase local, seasonal produce, yogurt, beef, and other products. In partnership with The Common Market, local products from Pequea Valley Farm, Frecon Farms, Happy Valley Meat, and other farms will be served in cafeterias along with information on where food was sourced.
Nearly 15 years later, Bon Appétit and The Common Market have grown together, with Bon Appétit-served colleges, universities, cultural institutions, and corporate headquarters sourcing from The Common Market in Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and beyond. Here’s the story of how the partnership, centered around shared values, grew from one metro region on the East Coast to span half of the United States.
A farmers market led by Camden City School Nutrition brings together students and the Camden, NJ community to increase access to fresh, local foods - distributed by The Common Market. The events occur once each month and feature a cooking demo, nutrition information, and resources from community partners.
The Cherokee County School District’s School Nutrition program has earned a statewide honor for serving locally grown food.
The Georgia Public School Local Food Procurement Champion Award, which was accepted by CCSD School Nutrition Executive Director Tina Farmer on behalf of the department, recognizes the Georgia school district with the most purchases from local farmers through The Common Market, a nonprofit regional food distributor.
To commemorate National Black Business Month in August, Aramark highlights some unique partnerships the company values and nurtures below.
Chefs at several Aramark Collegiate Hospitality accounts in the southeast have been working with Arkansas River Rice, the largest Black-owned rice mill in the U.S., which offers several types of rice grown from local farms.
Aramark first began working with Arkansas River Rice through a partnership with The Common Market, a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor that connects communities to food grown by local farms.
The Illinois Public Health Institute and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub have announced their first round of 16 recipients for the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards.
The Illinois Public Health Institute and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub will work with the Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards recipients throughout the grant period to support school food system and marketplace improvements and promote systems-level change. The Common Market Great Lakes's Spark Award grant project is titled: “Lowering Adoption Barrier to Regionally Sourced Foods in Chicagoland Schools: Exploring Manufacturing, Food Service Operations and Acceptability of Regional Black Bean and Beef Blended Products in School Cafeterias”.
Eliana Pinilla, Director of Partnerships, Great Lakes Region at The Common Market, discusses with Amy Dolan the need to "connect communities to good food grown by sustainable family farmers." She explains that when institutions get more of their food directly from local farms, the quality of food they serve—and the health and wealth of the entire region—get better. Eliana breaks down how The Common Market helps make it all happen and the vision she has for future generations.
The Conservation Fund’s latest farm acquisition in Chattahoochee Hills pushes the total acreage conserved over the 1,000-acre milestone and is a great example of all that the Farms Fund has to offer to farmers and the community. Along with cropland, pastures and room to expand for our next two farm owners, the 154-acre property also includes forests and wildlife habitat. This work aligns with The Conservation Fund’s role as a member of the Georgia ACRE Collective, a coalition including The Common Market Southeast.
Learn how to get set up and start using your New Jersey Local Food for Schools (LFS) funds today! In this brief, 10-minute informational webinar, Katie Barr, Outreach Coordinator for The Common Market Mid-Atlantic, lifts up how NJ schools and food service can access what is available for order from our local, Jersey farms, what quick documentation is required to become a partner, and how to place your orders for your first local food delivery! The Common Market has composed a special New Jersey ordering guide for your ordering needs. However, be sure to inquire about our full Availability List, which includes options from farmers and producers from across the region (PA, NY, DE, MD, VA)
Something fresh is growing at Rockdale County Public Schools. The district is prepped to launch a new local foods pilot program supporting small farms led by people of color, women and others historically excluded from market opportunities while exposing students to more locally grown, nutritious food. The program recently kicked off with new recipe development and nutrition training workshops held Jan. 17-18 at C.J. Hicks Elementary and J.H. House Elementary, celebrating Georgia-sourced fruits, vegetables and meats.
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.
"Often as a chef and manager, trying to buy local has been at the least a pain. Building a relationship with The Common Market has completely changed that experience. I know that the product I am buying is local down to the farm where it was grown. I am able to let the students know the people who grow their food so that they feel a real connection to those farmers. I look forward to a long and growing relationship with the Common Market."
— Allen Clark, Food Service Director, Sage Dining Services, Mount Vernon Presbyterian School