Representatives from several hospitals in Philadelphia were honored by a local nonprofit on Wednesday for their efforts toward making the city healthier. According to a press release for the ceremony, when anchor institutions commit to providing local and healthy food, farms increase their production to meet that demand. This increases jobs and financing opportunities for more money to be spent locally.
Currently 10 Philadelphia hospitals are participating in the initiative — part of the health department’s “Get Healthy Philly program — that began two years ago. The program is funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the city health department with technical assistance, educational resources and marketing support from The Common Market, a distributor of local foods to the Mid-Atlantic region.
Six local hospitals were honored at City Hall Wednesday for increasing access to fresh, healthy food for patients, employees and visitors. One honoree, Temple University Hospital, has transformed their cafeteria, offering more fruits and vegetables thanks to The Common Market, a non-profit which helps distribute local produce.
If you've ever opted for a Boston Lettuce Cup stir-fry at honeygrow, you've tasted the passion, love + hard work that the Gehman family puts into their hydroponic farming operation in Telford, PA. Thanks to our friends at The Common Market, we were able to tour the Gehman greenhouses to see what makes their lettuce, pea shoots + basil stand out. Read on as Tim Gehman provides a brief history of their operation, with additional insight from Margaret Smith of The Common Market.
Though affluent Philadelphians had long been enjoying local fare at restaurants and from farmers markets, Johnston says, “access to good food had not yet been democratized.” “We want to make local food in an institutional context the norm.”
"The third wave of innovation in urban ag is upon us, and it’s all about supply chain and distribution. ...there’s hope that Common Market can disrupt the status quo"
“The $5 million IMPACT grant will amplify the great work already underway by these exemplary local nonprofits to help middle and high school students embrace healthy lifestyles and lead the way for a healthier Philadelphia.”
Last year, Common Market won funding through USDA’s Local Food Promotion Program2014 Farm Bill and administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service(AMS). With this grant, Common Market was able to add a fourth truck and purchase coolers that will streamline their delivery system.
These improvements in operating efficiency will also help keep more food dollars in farmers’ pockets, further increasing the positive impact for both the rural and urban communities that work with Common Market.
"Part of our mission is to get money into the economy so family farms in the region stay in business. The way we're different than other food distributors is they don't have the same transparency and relationships with their suppliers. We've only scratched the surface and grown mostly by word of mouth. There's demand nationally for what we're doing."
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.”
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.
"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