A Kresge Health Program grantee, Common Market, developed a solution to bring healthy food to communities that need it most. “Common Market ties together disparate components of the food system in a way that I haven’t seen other organizations do.”
A growing number of social enterprises supported by what we call integrated capital are successfully addressing problems related to food production, processing, aggregation and distribution in ways that contribute to social equity and agricultural sustainability.
If successful, The Common Market Georgia’s larger volume sales — projected to reach $1.6 million in 2018 — could help crack another chicken-and-egg situation. That is local food’s promise to help Atlanta build stronger urban and rural places.
This summer, Bama Dining committed to working with The Common Market to support local farmers and growers in the Southeast. All rice, sweet potatoes, collard greens, frozen blueberries and some apples will be supplied to the dining halls from local growers in Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas. These ingredients can be found in the dining hall marked with new “Locally Grown” identifiers.
Hoy, el sistema alimentario local y sostenible está de celebración. El director ejecutivo de The Common Market, Jeremy Logan, encabezó la ceremonia de corte de listón, simbolizando años de esfuerzo para expandirse en Texas.
La organización adquirió estas instalaciones en 2018, entonces sin la infraestructura necesaria pero con gran potencial. Aunque la pandemia de COVID-19 detuvo el avance del proyecto, el apoyo de la Administración de Desarrollo Económico, el Departamento de Agricultura de Texas y socios filantrópicos permitió renovar un espacio de 15.000 pies cuadrados con una inversión de 5 millones de dólares.
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.
"What I most appreciate is the consistency of the produce. I have yet to experience wilted lettuce or incorrect sizing of products and this is something difficult to find with the “big box” companies. I also appreciate Common Market's passion for developing relationships between the farmers and the chefs."
— Mike Bacha, Executive Chef, Emory University Hospital