The Common Market

05/27/2026

We're excited to share that The Common Market was featured throughout the Spring 2026 edition of NACUFS Campus Dining Today Magazine - highlighting our partnerships with Hopkins Dining (p. 56-59) and Montclair State University (p. 14-18).

Hopkins Dining at Johns Hopkins University has committed to sourcing 40% of its food locally. The Common Market has been at the heart of this strategy.

"This relationship [with The Common Market] enables our chefs to source locally at scale without compromising operational efficiency, a challenge faced by dining programs nationwide." -Graham Browning, Sustainability Manager for Hopkins Dining

In the last academic year alone, Hopkins Dining supported over 20 local farms and producers and served 300,000+ pounds of local products.

Check out the articles through the link in the comments below.

05/25/2026

Our team was on the ground for a visit to Frecon Fruit Farms in Boyertown, PA, recently. Farmer Steve Frecon drove us through the orchards and explained how the April freeze weather event will impact his operations this year. His spirit remained optimistic.

"Not all is lost," Steve shared. "While many farms did loose 100% of their tree fruit and berry crops, there are pockets of fruit that survived the freeze in the region. The orchard community is working together to identify that fruit and make it accessible."

How you can help:

1. Enjoy the fruit that did survive and continue to purchase what you can from local farms; every dollar will help.

2. Be open and flexible to fruit size and appearance. A small peach is still delicious, and a dent or discoloration doesn't impact the flavor.

3. Support local farms year-round, not just for a specific season, to help them withstand unexpected loss due to climate and unexpected challenges.

Together, we are building strong climate-resilient regional food systems.

05/22/2026

Carmen and Michelle Petranglo are the faces behind Buster Petranglo & Son Farms in Vineland, NJ.

Carmen is a fourth-generation vegetable farmer. His great-grandfather came to New Jersey from Italy and started farming over 100 years ago. He taught his family that farming is not just a job, it's a way of life.

Buster Petrango & Son Farms says its combination of good soil, good weather, and hardworking employees leads to its success in growing a variety of vegetables, including yellow sweet corn, cabbage, eggplants, kale, spinach, and string beans.

Right now, you can order their spinach and red radishes, fresh from The Common Market Mid-Atlantic!

05/20/2026

We're growing into North Texas!

Since expanding delivery into North Texas in early 2026, we've made great strides in connecting local farms to nearby schools, universities, and corporate cafeterias. The work is creating reliable markets for producers and making it easier for institutions to serve fresh, local food!

Last week, we gathered in Dallas (at Pegasus Park) to bring together producers, buyers, community partners, and advocates to connect and "Grow the Table" in North Texas.

We heard from Garland ISD Student Nutrition Services about their Farm to School initiatives and met Greener Pastures Chicken Armagh Creamery, and Reeves Family Farm through a farmer panel and vendor fair.

Thank you to everyone who joined us - we're so excited about what we are building together!

05/18/2026

Apply today! ⭐ FREE scratch-cooking trainings for K-12 schools.

The Common Market Great Lakes is collaborating with Beyond Green: Sustainable Food Partners to host scratch-cooking training sessions for K-12 school districts this summer. These free, hands-on trainings are designed for school foodservice staff to strengthen scratch-cooking skills with local, fresh, regeneratively grown ingredients.

June 3 - La Porte, IN
June 8 - Evanston, IL
June 25 - Chicago, IL
July 23 - Kalamazoo, MI

Participants will:

🔪 Practice knife skills, baking techniques, and safe raw protein handling
🥗 Prepare a variety of fresh, school-friendly dishes
🍎 Learn strategies for incorporating local products into menus
👩‍🍳Build skills in kitchen production planning, including scheduling, teamwork, and efficient workflows

Apply today - comment the name of the city you would like to attend, and we'll send you the link to apply by May 22.

05/18/2026

Congratulations to our Morrison Healthcare partners at Northside Hospital-Cherokee for receiving this year's Sustainability in Action Video Award for their work highlighted in our video, 'The Power of Forward Commitments.'

We're so excited to see Chef George Sigeti and his team celebrated on the national level for their dedication to local farmers and producers 👏

05/18/2026

05/11/2026

At The Common Market, regenerative agriculture means more than sustainable production practices. It embodies deep-rooted conversations across the land, community, and food production.

Regenerative Agriculture:
🌍 Supports ecological restoration
🚛 Creates sustained and fair markets for farmers
🌱 Produces clean, healthy food for communities
👏 Offers dignified work for everyone

We're not just regenerating soil; we're regenerating the entire food system.

In the Great Lakes, and beyond, we are advancing regenerative agriculture and regenerative school meals - and we're hitting the ground running in the Midwest this summer with new programs and initiatives. Stay tuned!

05/06/2026

When chefs get together with local producers, great things happen!

We brought together our partners at Bon Appétit Management Company and local producers to discuss our shared goals in supporting regenerative agriculture and good food purchasing throughout the Great Lakes region.

Bon Appétit has been a long-time supporter of local products through their Farm to Fork program, which creates a meaningful opportunity for local farmers and producers to supply food to colleges and universities, like Beloit College, and the corporate cafeterias Bon Appétit serves.

Thank you for visiting us at The Common Market Great Lakes in Chicago!

Hildebrand Fruit Farms
Janie's Mill
Heaven's Honey Inc.
Makowski's Real Sausage Company
Mick Klug Farms