In a groundbreaking collaboration, UTSA Dining has partnered with The Common Market Texas, a nonprofit food distributor, and UTSA’s Roadrunner Pantry to launch the Farm-Fresh Box Program. This initiative brings fresh, locally-sourced produce boxes to the campus community, providing critical support for those facing food insecurity while also supporting local farmers and underutilized farms.
This event will also help support socially disadvantaged farmers across Texas. CMTX is a nonprofit food distributor and has given out 1.8 million pounds of local food this year throughout Texas. Over 200,000 pounds of healthy foods have been distributed to hundreds right here in Houston.
The Common Market Texas (CMTX), a leading nonprofit food distributor, announced that it has distributed 1.8 million pounds of local food this year throughout Texas. Over 200,000 pounds of fresh and healthy food have been distributed to hundreds of seniors and families facing food insecurity in Houston alone thanks to community partner, BakerRipley. To help commemorate this milestone, CMTX hosted a momentous Farm-Fresh Box distribution to residents enrolled in BakerRipley’s Senior Health and Wellness program on Thursday, October 19 at the Alief Neighborhood Center.
The “Feeding Our Future” Food Pantry is a result of collaborative efforts between the Houston Housing Authority, the American Heart Association, The Common Market Texas, Fit Houston, Civic Heart Community Services, Sankofa Research Institute, and our other community partners. Its primary goal is to bridge the food insecurity gap for the residents of Cuney Homes, a community within the Third Ward and is one of many upcoming projects HHA and its Community Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) have planned to help revitalize Cuney Homes and the Third Ward community.
"Meridian School’s Food Services Department has more than doubled local food purchases this year, thanks to a partnership through the Texas Dept. of Agriculture with the Sustainable Food Center and The Common Market. What is local? For Meridian, that means any Texas products."
"The best part about selling local foods to Texas schools is the partnerships and the community that it brings about, shared The Common Market Texas executive director Margaret Smith. "People light up when they receive a delivery of farm fresh local produce that is grown with integrity — the quality and flavor is bursting, and you can really tell that the family farmer worked hard to bring that food to your community."
"Sustainable Food Center is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Farm to School Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Together with our partners, the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Farm Fresh Initiative, The Common Market Texas, and the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability, we will increase the amount of fresh, healthy, local food available in Central Texas schools."
“The American Heart Association aims to be part of the solution by connecting food-insecure families with quality, nutrient-dense produce through a partnership with The Common Market,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
"The vision at The Common Market is to catalyze impact and partnerships across the value chain in support of building community food resiliency. In the wake of the pandemic, our work of supporting regional agriculture and food access efforts: we see it as a crucial strategy in ensuring a sustainable and equitable post-pandemic transition."
Together, the two nonprofits will source fruits and veggies from about a dozen farms across central and southeast Texas, including contributions from Houston refugee farming collective Plant It Forward Farms and Fresh Life Organics, along with Gundermann Acres in Wharton County. Part of The Common Market’s statewide network, these farms have offered to sell the kale, sweet potatoes, and winter citruses like oranges and grapefruit that weren’t destroyed by the winter storm to the organizations, making this a win-win prospect for both the farms and Houstonians in need of fresh food.
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"The Pink Lady apples were fantastic. We get our apples from a few different places and I must say that those were probably the best out of a non-apple season."
— Jennifer Monaco, Executive Chef, Sustainable Fare LLC, The Lawrenceville School