The Common Market Georgia is a relatively new player in Atlanta’s local food movement. Its parent organization, The Common Market, was founded in Philadelphia in 2008. The Georgia operation launched just last year.
This nonprofit food distributor connects farmers within a 250-mile radius of Atlanta with the food service companies that run the kitchens in many schools and universities or like Morrison Health Care that works with hospitals and health care facilities. They’re able to offer fruit, vegetables, dairy and grains and some value-added items like Doux South pickles and Atlanta Fresh yogurts. As a part of the process, they help small to mid-size farmers become wholesale-ready.
Lily Rolader, The Common Market Georgia’s operations manager, says part of their strength is that they can pool produce from several local farmers. A large institutional order may be more than one farmer can handle, but when their produce is matched with that of other farmers, the customer gets the local, sustainably raised produce they want and the farmers get a new and larger market. Come June, when Georgia blueberries are ready to harvest, Rolader knows they’ll be popular with The Common Market Georgia’s customers.
“Blueberries don’t require a pitch at all,” Rolader said. “Any time people can get local fruit, they want it. One reason our customers are interested is they appreciate that our farms are working towards certification in Good Agricultural Practices or GAP.” That’s a voluntary program that verifies fruits and vegetables are grown, handled, packed and stored as safely as possible to reduce food safety hazards.
“Each week on Monday and Thursday we put out a list of what’s available. Our customers order by noon on Tuesday or Friday and get their delivery a few days later. Because our farmers harvest to order, our customers know the product is fresh.”
The Common Market Georgia’s blueberries this year will come from Mountain Earth Farm in Clarkesville with its certified organic berries and West Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative in Hamilton, a collective of seven small family farms practicing sustainable agriculture.
Blueberries are sold by the flat of 12 or 24 pints each. The farmers package the berries and get them to the market’s warehouse in time for the biweekly deliveries. Part of their relationship with The Common Market Georgia is the assistance they get in understanding how to package their products so they work in the wholesale market.
Katie Chatham, The Common Market Georgia’s procurement manager, says they love working with farms and helping them get into the wholesale market. “We have the flexibility to work with folks who haven’t had access to these customers.”
She explains there’s a lot those farmers have to do. In addition to meeting the strict packaging requirements, the farms must have a million dollar liability policy that protects them and their customers in case there’s a food safety issue. “We have a recall program in place so if there were ever a problem, we could track it back to the source. Food safety is a big issue,” says Chatham.
She sees a big demand for blueberries from their customers this year. “We were moving about 40 flats of strawberries a week this season and I think the demand for blueberries will be the same, maybe larger. Blueberries are a big Georgia crop and they’re very popular with customers. I call them ‘nature’s candy’ because they’re delicious and nutritious. They’re especially in demand in hospitals and schools.”
Macerated Georgia Blueberries with Lemon Diplomat
Last July, Matthew Ridgway of Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman demonstrated this recipe at the Morningside Farmers Market. The combination of lemon and blueberry is a classic, and turning lemon curd into a “diplomat” — a mixture of pastry cream or whipped cream with a fruit curd — was inspired. Then to top off the whole thing with tiny meringues? Divine.
For sale at local farmers markets
Vegetables and fruit just coming to market: English peas, green beans, peaches, summer squash, tomatoes
Vegetables, fruits and nuts: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccolini, cabbage, cardoon, carrots, chard, collards, cornmeal, cutting celery, dandelion, escarole, fava beans, fennel, frisee, green garlic, green onions, grits, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, microgreens, microherbs, morels, mushrooms, mustard greens, parsnips, polenta, radicchio, radishes, spinach, strawberries, sugar snap peas, turnips
From local reports
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