Blog

By The Common Market Wholesale Distributor on Sep 14, 2023

Brittani Rowe, the culinary manager for the Marietta City Schools, is unafraid of innovation. “It’s something we thrive on,” she said.

Putting that philosophy into action will be tested this fall when the district’s high and middle school cafeterias introduce a notably kid-scary option: kale. The love-it-or-hate-it leafy green will be one piece of the fresh produce and meat options Rowe and her crew will receive this fall through a $60,000 grant from the Georgia Advancing Agriculture, Community, Resilience and Equity (ACRE) Collective, a new initiative co-led by nonprofit, regional food distributor The Common Market Southeast and other food and health organizations.

By The Common Market Wholesale Distributor on Sep 05, 2023

Forward commitments are a key component of our work to support values-based procurement practices within area institutions. But, what is a forward commitment and how do they benefit both farmers and institutional buyers? Read on to learn more about this impactful strategy to ensure community values and historically underserved farms are represented in procurement practices and how food service management company Aramark is adopting the philosophy in the Southeast.

By The Common Market Wholesale Distributor on Aug 29, 2023

At The Common Market, we’re aware that adopting a values-based approach to school food procurement – one that prioritizes community values, like supporting local businesses or climate, over price – can present unfamiliar challenges for school districts and their food service teams. We also know that once a program is in place, the benefits of local procurement can outweigh the burden of the initial effort it takes to implement. Values-based procurement strengthens communities, contributes to resilient local food economies, and positively impacts student health.

But, how do schools get there?

By The Common Market Wholesale Distributor on Jun 21, 2023