The Common Market in the News

Regional food distributor envisions food partnerships in Chicago area

Farm Week Now

Co-founder Haile Johnston told FarmWeek the Chicago area seemed a great fit as one of the country’s largest urban centers with leadership in food and food aggregation and a vibrant food scene. Yet, the area also struggles to support small- and medium-scale family farms and is home to food-insecure communities where families face significant economic challenges.

Johnston and Eliana Pinilla, director of partnerships for The Common Market Chicago Great Lakes, will share their vision March 23 during the Live Local: Food & Farmers Market Conference in East Peoria’s Embassy Suites.

IDEAS WE SHOULD STEAL: WORKING FARMS FUND

The Philadelphia Citizen

"The program has helped 25 small, organic farmers preserve and cultivate 355 acres of farmland around Atlanta, launching new generations of growers and a healthy locally produced food scene. Could Philly be next?"

Deep Roots

Georgia Trend

Small and urban farms are flourishing after helping Georgians weather the COVID storm.

“It does feel like this type of work has a mission, a community aspect and a human significance.”

This Thanksgiving, Let’s Celebrate Our 10 Favorite Foodpreneurs

The Story Exchange

"Garcia-Granados was shocked to see how many people in her Philadelphia Strawberry Mansion neighborhood had health-related diseases. After digging to the root of the problem — lack of access to nutritious food — Garcia-Granados and her husband founded The Common Market, a nonprofit that connects local farms to public schools, hospitals and workplaces. The NGO currently functions in the mid-Atlantic region, Southeast and Texas."

Counting the Hidden Costs of Food Adds Up to Real Progress | Opinion

Newsweek

"Results don't lie. If we stacked up initiatives like SFHC, The Common Market, Community Managed Natural Farming and others against industrial agriculture, there wouldn't be any contest. Clearly, doing the right thing as a food producer is a choice with huge positive impacts across a wide range of challenges—poverty, hunger, nutrition, health, climate, justice. If the world could compare, we'd never go back."

3 Nonprofit Leaders Offer Advice on Surviving and Thriving During Crises

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

"Before the pandemic, the organization had created a food distribution network that included things like trucks and warehouses as well as strong relationships with food producers. So when the pandemic struck and the food chain was disrupted, the nonprofit was well-positioned to pivot toward meeting urgent hunger needs."

The Benefits of Farm to School ft. the Texas Farm Fresh Network

Texas Department of Agriculture

"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."

How Six Food Producers are Redefining Success and Driving a New Kind of Progress

SEE Change

"But The Common Market’s approach is anything but typical, connecting urban communities with family farms and sourcing food from small and local producers. The Common Market (which co-author Haile Johnston co-founded) is democratizing food access and creating a thriving market for locally grown and produced foods, which too often are shut out of procurement processes."