About The Common Market
The nonprofit, The Common Market, is on a mission to connect communities to good food grown by sustainable family farmers. Through their programs, The Common Market helps thousands of individuals access fresh, local produce in the 12 states they serve across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, as well as in Texas.
In the fall of 2021, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation launched a two-year partnership with The Common Market, supporting their Food Access Fund with a $100,000 grant. This fund works to increase the buying power of smaller, community-based nonprofit organizations such as early childhood learning centers, community garden and education programs, and more. It does so by offering these qualified food access partners a 25% discount on orders from The Common Market’s farmer partners.
A Look Back at 2022
Through the Food Access Fund, The Common Market distributed 93,500 pounds of produce over the past year through 28 nonprofit partners, impacting thousands of individuals and families. With the majority of recipients living in food deserts, these distributions are a key access point for nutrition and a starting point for increasing food equity.
“We are driving meaningful impact as we form connections with community leaders to move local and nutritious food through channels that appropriately address the culture of food in each neighborhood,” shares Bill Green, Executive Director of The Common Market Southeast. “The Food Access Fund makes this possible, and we are so grateful for the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation for seeing its value and investing in our communities.”
Local Produce in Sprouts Stores
Across various Sprouts stores, shoppers are also benefitting from The Common Market’s network of farmers. To become a partner of theirs, growers must commit to sustainability and transparency and hold a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. Baugher’s Orchard, Baywater Farms, and One Straw Farm, all Maryland growers whose produce is sold in all five of Sprouts’ Maryland stores, meet or exceed these health and food safety requirements.
Celebrating Our Partnership
To mark the first anniversary of supporting the Food Access Fund, representatives from both Sprouts Farmers Market and The Common Market gathered in Atlanta, Georgia this past October. They were joined by two local nonprofits, Welcoming Atlanta and Urban Recipe, for a tour of The Common Market’s Atlanta distribution center. Members from each group had the chance to reflect on the partnership and to celebrate the impact the Food Access Fund has had across Atlanta and many other communities. The event concluded with a check presentation for the second year of grant funds dedicated to this program.
To bring more goodness to an even greater number of people, Sprouts will be matching all end-of-year donations to the Food Access Fund, up to $5,000, from December 12 through December 23. We look forward to the many healthy meals and the community building yet to come made possible by the Food Access Fund and The Common Market’s network of farmers and nonprofit partners.