What problem is being addressed?

Lower income residents of Philadelphia lack access to healthy foods and farmers lack a place to sell produce.

What is their innovative solution?

• Actions: This project provides affordable, healthy foods to the lower income people living in Philadelphia. Also, this allows local farmers to sell produce locally and the community is able to connect with those farmers.
• People: Management and employees with Common Market, 8 other partnering groups, and local Farmers
• Resources: Food is bought from the farmers by Common Market using funds received from foundations, partnering organizations, and grants.

How is this relevant to Meadville?

Meadville is considered a food swamp, a community where unhealthy food is more prevalent and available than healthy alternatives, despite the agricultural nature of our county which includes many local farmers seeking markets for locally grown, raised and produced vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy products, natural sweeteners, and much more. Many Meadville residents could benefit from a program to provide affordable, healthy foods to those with a lower income. Small programs such as the ability to use SNAP benefits in the Market House, the Meadville Medical Center funded voucher system in collaboration with the Meadville Mobile Market, and Project O.N.E. (Offering Nutrition for Everyone) which offers cooking classes and subsidized community shared agriculture subscriptions provide a strong foundation for a holistic solution in Meadville.

http://www.healthyfoodaccess.org/resources/library/common-market-case-study