Many faces, many voices

From Farm to Institution:
The Common Market in Philadelphia

Vibrant regional food systems reduce energy use, support nearby agriculture, and increase access to fresh, healthy food. But local food systems depend on local distribution networks. By focusing on distribution, Philadelphia’s Common Market project has succeeded beyond all expectations, creating new markets for local farmers and improved access to fresh produce — at better prices — for urban households.

The East Park Revitalization Alliance (EPRA) works to promote health and improve the environment in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. As part of their health promotion work, EPRA wanted to improve neighbors’ access to healthy food with a farmers market or buyers club. They met with the local non-profit Farm to City, and learned that this wouldn’t be easy at all.

“In our meeting with Farm to City, we learned that a number of barriers existed to bringing food from local farms into the city,” says Tatiana Granados, EPRA’s co-founder and Executive Director. “Prices at farmers markets tend to be higher because of the cost to the farmer of driving in, not to mention the time it takes away from farming. We also learned that demand for local food outstrips supply,” a problem complicated by the absence of a distribution infrastructure for local foods.

EPRA envisioned a food distribution network that would become the Common Market project. “We wanted to find a way for farm products to get into the city, especially to families with lower incomes, says Granados. “We brought together a consortium that included the food co-ops, Farm to City, White Dog Community Enterprises, the Urban Nutrition Initiative, and distribution consultants.”

In 2005 with the help of Farm to City, EPRA was awarded a $100,000 State of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant for a comprehensive feasibility study. Their analysis of both supply and demand for local produce showed that the institutional market, although it involved particular challenges, was one of the greatest niche opportunities for local farmers.

“Selling to institutions is our greatest challenge,” says Johnston. “There are insurance, regulatory, and licensing requirements that most farmers don’t have the resources to negotiate.” The Common Market steps in to meet these requirements, opening this market to the farmers they work with.

Institutional clients’ demand typically greater and more variable have fluctuating than a single farmer can supply. The Common Market consolidates and manages supply to provide the quantities institutional customers need. The volume and scalability of the institutional market provides the benefits of increased stability and reduced risk to the farmers that they may not find elsewhere.

The Common Market’s interest in the institutional market caught the attention of Ann Karlen, the founding director of Fair Food, a program of White Dog Community Enterprises that works with mid-scale farmers, distributors, and institutions to improve the local food system. “When I learned about the Common Market,” says Karlen, “I saw immediately the ways that our projects could work together.”

“One thing we know is that consumers want to know where their food comes from,” says Karlen. “We’re committed to maintaining the identity of the producers — this is an important component of buying local.”

The team credits the lengthy planning stage and focus on market feasibility with the project’s initial success. “The gap between paying the producer and waiting to be paid by the client is a challenge for many distributors,” says Karlen. Common Market secured a $100,000 line of credit to provide the required safety cushion. “We have planned carefully,” says Granados.

The team hasn’t just planned for the launch of the Common Market, they’ve planned for future growth. This may really pay off — interest has already surpassed their expectations. A week before the first delivery, Granados said, “We’re prepared to scale, we just might be scaling a little more and a little sooner than we thought — we’re really pleased at the success so far.”