A key element of Full Futures is helping procure nutritious and locally sourced ingredients for schools to incorporate into student menus. This year, the Camden School Nutrition team was again able to work with The Common Market and its farm partners to receive weekly deliveries of locally sourced produce from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
"In partnership with The Common Market, The Caring Center sources as much fresh produce and protein as possible from local farmers (including the delicious, local apples Ms. Erica used recently to make “Apple-pie-in-a-cup” with the children.
"On this particular day, The Common Market, a regional, non-profit wholesale food distributor, whose mission is to connect communities with good food from sustainable family farms, had supplied farm-fresh foods."
"The Coalition for Healthy Food in Newark Schools (HFiNS) steering committee includes agencies that serve Newark, including the Greater Newark Conservancy, The Common Market, FoodCorps NJ, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, United Way of Greater Newark, Urban Agriculture Cooperative, Wellness in the Schools and more. All work together with the shared goal of transforming Newark’s school food system, these partners are committed to ensuring every student has access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant foods."
"Hudson County and the three partner agencies have developed on-site food pharmacies, where patients provided food prescriptions can redeem vouchers of $40 for free fruits and vegetables on a bi-monthly basis.
The fresh, seasonal produce will be provided through a partnership with The Common Market, a regional non-profit food distributor whose mission is to provide urban communities with food from sustainable family farms."
Raven Santana sits down with farmers and agricultural experts to highlight the top crops in the state, how fresh produce makes it to our schools and the legacy of black farmers in New Jersey. Kenny Bartee from K&J Farms, a Black-owned vegetable farm in Elmer, NJ, explains his farming legacy and how The Common Market has played a role in helping him gain committed markets for his product.
"The Local Foods Incentive Pilot is taking off in Bridgeton Public Schools, with farm to school meals providing better nutrition, benefiting area farmers, and boosting the local economy."
"New Jersey may be known as the Garden State but in low- and middle-income towns, getting nutritious food from farm to table is harder than you think, especially for schools. One South Jersey school district is partnering with The Common Market, a nonprofit food distributor that connects farmers with communities, to bring Jersey-fresh fruits, vegetables and meats directly to the lunch table."
"The farm to school pilot’s goal is to provide these school districts with additional incentives, to dream with them about what that will look like, and what products they always wished they could source on their school meal lines, but maybe couldn’t afford to do, Rachel Terry said."
"Bridgeton Public Schools in Bridgeton, N.J., has partnered with The Common Market, a nonprofit food distributor, for a pilot program that brings locally sourced food to students."
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"The Common Market has a great selection of local and sustainable products that meet our school's needs and wonderful customer service as well. Quality of products is always high and getting orders delivered timely is consistent. We can feel good about our contribution to our local vendors as well."
— Germaine Appel, Executive chef and Nutritional Planner, Soulshine Preschool