The Common Market in the News

One year later: Common Market keeps fresh food on the table in Precinct 4

Harris County Precint 4

On August 7, Harris County Commissioners Court (Texas) approved an additional $1.2 million of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to extend the Common Market program. This extension will last through December 2026 and reinforces Commissioner Lesley Briones’ belief that government should work for the people it serves by providing practical, compassionate support to those in need.

“Common Market is really making a difference,” said Linda Zepeda, assistant manager at Burnett Bayland Community Center. “People will ride their bikes here or walk in the heat and rain because these boxes are sometimes the only groceries they’ll have until payday.”

Farm to classroom: Marietta students learn — and eat — local

Marietta Daily Journal

Not only does the pilot program provide new lunches for students, but also a big economic upturn for the community.

“Across all three pilot districts, about $150,000 worth of local food has been purchased from local farmers,” Hennessee said. “That equates to a quarter million dollars of economic impact for the surrounding communities.”

The program delivered 67,000 pounds of locally sourced foods across the Marietta, Rockdale and Atlanta areas.

Partnerships That Fill Every Table

United Way for Greater Austin

Every Monday, The Common Market delivers dozens of boxes of fresh, local produce to Neighbors Serving Neighbors pantry. The produce varies depending on what’s in season, but the need for fresh fruits and vegetables remains the same.

“I have one lady who is almost in tears every week because she’s so excited over her produce box,” Stephanie said. “Today, she got watermelon and peaches. She was ecstatic to have two different fruits.”

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.

A Peach and Apple Farmer’s Uphill Quest to Feed Poor Families, and His Own

The New York Times

On a chilly morning in April, Austin Flamm strode through grassy lanes fringed with delicate peach and apple blossoms. Mr. Flamm, 29, and his cousin Parker, 28, are the sixth generation of their family to produce fruit and vegetables on an Illinois farm that in 2024 gave them the best profits they have had since they joined the operation.

The gains were largely because Flamm Orchards had joined a program, IL-EATS, funded by the Biden-era Agriculture Department, that bought and distributed local produce to the poor. Mr. Flamm’s skepticism of government programs made him wary of IL-EATS at first. But he changed his mind when he saw the prices he was offered for his cauliflower, broccoli and other vegetables.

“It was a win for us on the farm,” Mr. Flamm said. “And the food banks that are constantly looking for donations had something to offer.”

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.