The Common Market in the News

Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Campuses Recognized for Excellence in Dining and Local Sourcing

Aramark Collegiate Hospitality

By incorporating products sourced from local and regional partners, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality dining teams create meals that connect students to the communities surrounding campus while providing the fresh options and culinary experiences students increasingly seek.

That commitment to local sourcing recently earned national recognition for six Aramark Collegiate Hospitality partner campuses. Auburn University, Berry College, Clemson University, Mercer University, North Greenville University, and the University of South Carolina (USC) received The Common Market's 2026 Farmer Champion Award, which recognizes organizations that support local farmers, strengthen regional food systems, and increase access to locally sourced food.

Morrison Healthcare and The Common Market Celebrate Farmer Champions!

Morrison Healthcare

Morrison Healthcare is proud to partner with The Common Market to connect healthcare communities with fresh, locally sourced food while supporting farmers and regional food systems.

This year, several Morrison Healthcare accounts were recognized as Farmer Champions through The Common Market’s Farmer Champion Program, which celebrates organizations committed to supporting local agriculture.

BackPack Program Aims To Expand Food Access For Monmouth & Ocean County Kids

Patch

Traditionally offered during the school year, Fulfill's BackPack Program provides children with shelf-stable breakfast and lunch items to supplement the meals they receive during the week.With HMH’s support, the program was extended into the summer at participating Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites, where children will also receive weekend backpacks alongside fresh produce, bread, eggs and yogurt from The Common Market.

Bartow County School Sysytem wins Gold-level Farmer Champion Award

The Daily Tribune

From September 2025 through May 2026, Bartow County Schools purchased $14,311 in local food from The Common Market's network of small and mid-sized farms, bringing fresh, locally grown foods to our cafeterias while supporting Georgia farmers and local communities. Last school year, students enjoyed strawberries from Sonrise Farm (Winder), apples from B.J. Reece Orchards (Ellijay), and peaches from Pearson Farm (Fort Valley), connecting them with nutritious foods grown close to home.

Northside Hospital Cherokee, Morrison Regional Executive Chef George Sigeti and The Common Market Honored with 2026 CleanMed Sustainability Award

Morrison Healthcare

Morrison Healthcare is proud to announce that Northside Hospital Cherokee, Regional Executive Chef George Sigeti and sustainability partner The Common Market have received the 2026 CleanMed Sustainability in Action Video Award.

Chef George accepted the award at CleanMed’s annual Conference for Sustainability in Healthcare, held in St. Louis in May. Heather Farkas, Director of Sustainability at Morrison Healthcare, said partnerships like this demonstrate how healthcare organizations can support both patient well-being and environmental stewardship.

How to Make Regenerative Food Procurement Work: Lessons from the U.S.

The Rockefeller Foundation

For example, in Georgia, we supported and The Common Market Georgia and the ACRE Collective (ACRE), through a grant to The Common Market Philadelphia Inc., to pilot a groundbreaking approach: Partnering forward commitments ― where institutions like schools and hospitals committed to purchasing certain volumes of food in advance ― with financial and technical assistance so farmers received pre-season payments, grants for equipment or infrastructure, and tailored technical assistance to help them meet volume, food safety, and specification requirements.

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.

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.

Agnes Scott College earns Farmer Champion Award for commitment to local food and farms

Decaturish

At the annual SOWTH conference, Agnes Scott College earned the 2024 Farmer Champion Award from Georgia Organics for its commitment to strengthening local food systems and supporting sustainable agriculture.

The college was honored with the award after serving students local food and consistently purchasing locally sourced foods in 2024. Agnes Scott committed to purchasing food from local farmers through its local food distributor, The Common Market, and supported 19 regional farmers and producers through their purchases.