Houston’s most vulnerable communities have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Recognizing their added financial challenges, UH College of Medicine and American Heart Association (AHA) joined forces to deliver 100 boxes of fresh food and 100 boxes of toiletries to residents of Cuney Homes and Royal Palms Apartments. All the food was provided by The Common Market.
Despite a botched launch and execution, some small distributors are making big strides in supporting small farms and feeding hungry people. Leaders at The Common Market and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives noted that their operations were uniquely set up to execute this program because of existing infrastructure and prior experience with USDA grants.
"One of those partnerships is a collaboration with The Common Market to provide families with fresh produce boxes weekly until June 24. Made possible through a USDA contract, The Common Market and the Y are connecting vulnerable communities with fresh food from sustainable family farms. YMCA branches are providing 500-900 boxes of fresh produce that are distributed throughout metro Atlanta."
“During this time of uncertainty, we are honored to continue investing in our small- to medium-scale farmers, and in turn, nourish hungry communities,” says The Common Market Mid-Atlantic’s Executive Director, Yael Lehmann.
“This vital funding will put fresh, nutritious food on Pennsylvanians’ tables and money in the pockets of our farmers,” Wolf said.
“This is a new, innovative approach to provide critical support to American farmers and families, and USDA moved as expeditiously as federal procurement rules allow to stand up the program and solicit offers,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
"It is organizations like The Common Market who are pushing the dialogue around what food justice and health equity means and how we all can emerge from this crisis with the evidence, tools, stories and relationships to push for lasting and transformational change in our food system."
"Assuring that people have access to nutritious, immune-boosting food is more important than ever. At the same time, those who provide the healthiest food possible must adapt to the changing landscape to stay afloat. Local farmers, food producers and farmers markets across metro Atlanta and Georgia must be able to plant, harvest and market their goods. In the current climate, this involves shifting to new models for selling and distributing their produce.”
In conjunction with the nonprofit, Texas Center for Local Food, in Elgin, The Common Market Texas is delivering thousands of pounds of local produce safely packed in individual boxes. The nonprofit is selling the food boxes; consumers are receiving vegetables and fruit chosen by Central and South Texas farmers. What's inside the box changes every week. The money goes directly to family farms, many of which are hurting due to the coronavirus.
"Farmers, food producers and farmers markets across Georgia are motivated now more than ever to increase public access to nutritious, immune-boosting food, but they will need help to plant, harvest, and shift to new models for selling and distributing their produce."
"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