Common Market
Common Market is a nonprofit regional food hub network operating in four U.S. regions (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, Great Lakes) that aggregates and distributes produce from 300+ sustainable family farms to 1,800+ institutional partners, including schools, hospitals, universities, and food-as-medicine programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Common Market does
Common Market (legal entity: Common Market Philadelphia, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, that operates a network of four regional food hubs aggregating and distributing fresh produce, proteins, and artisanal goods from sustainable family farms to institutional buyers. Its core technology and infrastructure comprises cold storage warehouses (including a 15,000 sq ft refrigerated facility in Houston completed in October 2025), HACCP-compliant food safety and traceability protocols with source identification on every case, and route-optimized regional delivery. Proprietary tools include the Farm Impact Assessment (a 100-question sustainability evaluation across local/community, environmental, nutrition, and animal welfare categories) and the Farm-Fresh Box Program, a standardized pre-packed produce box (5-8 seasonal items, ~10 lbs) that enables direct-to-community distribution through hospital, school, and church aggregation points. Common Market earns revenue through a hybrid model combining transaction-based wholesale food distribution to anchor institutions with philanthropic grants and donations that subsidize mission-driven programs. Institutional customers include K-12 schools, colleges and universities, hospitals and healthcare systems, food-as-medicine providers, municipal governments, and corporate sustainability programs; channel reach is extended through partnerships with food service management companies (Aramark, Sodexo, Morrison Healthcare, Bon Appétit). The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales, supplemented by community-led coalition building (Georgia ACRE Collective) and event-driven thought leadership. The organization has channeled over $120M in direct investment into local food systems since 2008, served an estimated 58 million meals, supported 30,000+ acres of farmland, and grown to 1,800+ partner institutions across 15 U.S. states; in 2024 alone it partnered with 146 family farms and 700+ institutions, and is publicly targeting expansion to a national footprint by 2033.
Common Market firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Market
- Legal name
- Common Market Philadelphia, Inc.
- Website
- https://thecommonmarket.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Market is a nonprofit regional food hub network operating in four U.S. regions (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, Great Lakes) that aggregates and distributes produce from 300+ sustainable family farms to 1,800+ institutional partners, including schools, hospitals, universities, and food-as-medicine programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Market industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Food Distribution
- NAICS
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Noncommercial/Institutional Broadline Distributors (K-12, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Government) (AFAIAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)
Keywords
Where Common Market is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Common Market business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Food Sales to Institutions: Earned revenue from wholesale food distribution services to schools, hospitals, universities, and other anchor institutions. Revenue generated through sale of fresh produce, proteins, and artisanal goods sourced from regional farm network. Transaction-based pricing model for food products.
- Philanthropic Support and Grants: Reliance on philanthropic support from foundations and donors to achieve mission beyond earned revenue. Funding supports food access initiatives, supply chain development, infrastructure investment, and national replication strategy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Institutional wholesale pricing for anchor institutions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Common Market product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Market is a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor that aggregates fresh produce, proteins, and artisanal goods from a network of 300+ sustainable family farms and delivers them to anchor institutions including K-12 schools, hospitals, universities, and community organizations across four U.S. regions. Operations span four regional food hubs (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, Great Lakes) with logistics infrastructure including cold storage, refrigerated transport, and HACCP-based food safety protocols. The organization supplements core distribution with specialized programs including the Farm-Fresh Box Program for community food access, the Food as Medicine Program for healthcare partnerships, the Farm Impact Assessment for sustainability verification, and a Working Capital Loan Fund for underserved growers.
Product overview
The Common Market is a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor operating a platform-plus-hubs model that connects communities to good food from sustainable family farmers. The core offering is food aggregation and distribution services across four regional chapters (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and Great Lakes), supplemented by specialized programs including the Farm-Fresh Box Program for food access initiatives, the Food as Medicine Program for healthcare partnerships, and the Farm Impact Assessment for sustainability verification. The organization sources from over 300 sustainable family farms and producers, distributing to 1,800+ partner institutions including schools, hospitals, universities, and community organizations. Supporting services include a Working Capital Loan Fund for farmer financial assistance and impact reporting capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Farm-Fresh Box Program: A food access program conceived in partnership with farmer networks as a COVID-19 response, providing farmer boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to communities and institutions.
- Georgia ACRE Collective
Products and services
- Regional Wholesale Food Distribution Core wholesale distribution service aggregating and delivering fresh produce, proteins, and artisanal goods from a network of 300+ sustainable family farms to anchor institutions (K-12 schools, hospitals, universities, government agencies, community organizations) across four U.S. regional food hubs (Mid-Atlantic/Philadelphia, Southeast/Atlanta, Texas/Houston, Great Lakes/Chicago). Services include sourcing coordination, food safety compliance with HACCP and recall protocols, refrigerated transport, and direct-to-site delivery within 250-300 miles of each hub.
- Farm-Fresh Box Program Pre-built boxes of 5-8 seasonal produce items (~10 lbs each) sourced from the network of sustainable family farms, delivered via Drop & Go model directly to community aggregation points including hospitals, community centers, childcare facilities, and churches for distribution to community members. Designed for easy execution by organizations running food access, food as medicine, and emergency food relief programs.
- Food as Medicine Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 58 million meals served with fresh, healthy foods since 2008
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Market
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Common Market technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Common Market partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Georgia ACRE CollectivecoreCoalition co-led by The Common Market Southeast and other Georgia-based food and health organizations. Focuses on garnering purchasing commitments from Atlanta-area anchor institutions while shifting procurement to producers sharing institutional values. Enabled $150,000 in local food purchases across pilot districts.
- USDA / Texas Department of Agriculturecore18-month, $5.2M program through USDA's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) to procure from socially disadvantaged farmers in Texas. Creates sustained market demand for Black farmers, farmers of color, women farmers, and Veteran farmers.
- ChiFresh KitchencoreCooperatively owned catering company based on South Side of Chicago partnering with Rush University Medical Center and The Common Market Great Lakes for medically tailored meal program. Mission to support Black women oppressed by the criminal injustice system.
- Rush University Medical CentercoreChicago healthcare system partnering with The Common Market Great Lakes and ChiFresh Kitchen for Food is Health medically tailored meal pilot serving approximately 60 food-insecure patients on Chicago's West Side.
- Food Connect GroupcoreOrganization helping execute at-home deliveries for Sanitas Medical Center's Food as Medicine program using last-mile delivery and SMS text-based communication solutions.
- Sanitas Medical CentercoreHealthcare provider in New Jersey implementing Food as Medicine program with home delivery of fresh produce to patients with diabetes or prediabetes. Partnership provides weekly fresh fruits and vegetables and educational sessions.
- Wholesome Wave GeorgiacoreGeorgia-based organization partnering on food access and food as medicine initiatives, including produce prescription programs and Farm-Fresh Box distribution.
- BakerRipleycoreHouston-based community organization partnering on food access programs including Senior Health and Wellness program, distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh food to Houston families.
- Bon Appétit Management CompanycoreFood service management company operating at multiple institutional accounts (including colleges) sourcing through The Common Market for sustainable, local food.
- Morrison HealthcarecoreHealthcare food service management company partnering with The Common Market to support producers of color through forward commitment schedules. Partnership enables Morrison chefs to communicate purchasing commitments in advance.
- AramarkcoreFood service management company with multiple accounts in Southeast and Texas sourcing through The Common Market, including at Agnes Scott College, Oglethorpe University, Fort Worth ISD, and Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.
- SodexocoreFood service management company operating accounts including Lehigh University (PA) sourcing through The Common Market Mid-Atlantic.
- Arkansas River RiceminorLargest Black-owned rice mill in the U.S., sourced through The Common Market partnership with Aramark collegiate accounts in the Southeast.
- World Central KitchencoreDisaster relief organization partnering with The Common Market Texas to deliver nearly 17,000 boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to Texans affected by Winter Storm Uri across Houston, Austin, and San Antonio areas.
- Local FoodscoreDecade-old local food wholesaler in Chicagoland area acquired by The Common Market in November 2023, extending the nonprofit's network of healthy food hubs to Greater Chicago area.
- American Heart AssociationcoreNational health organization partnering with The Common Market Texas and University of Houston College of Medicine to deliver fresh produce boxes to underserved Houston communities and public housing complexes.
- Harris County Precinct 4coreGovernment precinct partnership providing $1.2M+ in ARPA funding for food box distribution to Harris County residents experiencing food insecurity, extending through December 2026.
- Sustainable Food CentercoreAustin-based organization partnering on Farm to School initiatives with Texas Department of Agriculture, The Common Market Texas, and City of Austin's Office of Sustainability.
- Hackensack Meridian HealthcoreNew Jersey's largest healthcare network committing nearly $7 million to combat food insecurity, partnering with The Common Market for fresh produce through HMH Healthy Connections Nutrition Pack Program.
- Local LandscoreBlack-owned farm in Lamar County, GA benefiting from state funds distributed by The Common Market Southeast. Scaled up operations through LFPA program providing guaranteed market for goods.
- City of AtlantacoreMunicipal government committed to purchasing through The Common Market in alignment with community values including supplier diversity and sustainability.
- Baltimore City Food Policy and Planning DivisioncoreMunicipal food policy division partnering for equitable food relief during COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing food access initiatives.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Common Market competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aramark: Major institutional food service management company that is both a Common Market channel partner (Agnes Scott, Houston Methodist Willowbrook, Fort Worth ISD) and a broader potential competitor for institutional foodservice contracts.
- Baldor Specialty Foods: Northeast specialty produce and food distributor serving restaurants and institutions. Represents the scaled specialty-distribution alternative that competes for institutional produce spend.
- FreshPoint: Sysco's specialty produce distribution division serving restaurants and foodservice operators nationwide. Largest scaled competitor in fresh produce distribution to institutional and foodservice accounts.
Direct peers
- Appalachian Sustainable Development: Nonprofit operating regional food distribution (Appalachian Harvest) connecting Appalachian family farms to wholesale markets including schools and retailers. Comparable in mission, regional focus, and institutional customer mix.
- Red Tomato: Northeast nonprofit food hub that aggregates and distributes produce from mid-sized family farms to retailers, schools, and wholesalers. Mirrors Common Market's mission of building regional food systems and supporting sustainable farmers.
- Local Food Hub: Charlottesville-based nonprofit regional food hub aggregating from local farms and distributing to schools, hospitals, and universities in Virginia. Operates a structurally identical hub-and-spoke model serving similar anchor institutions.
- Farm Fresh Rhode Island: Nonprofit local food aggregator and distributor running a food hub that supplies schools, hospitals, and grocers across Rhode Island. Closely comparable in mission, customer segments, and hub-based distribution model.
Emerging players
- Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit running produce prescription and healthy-food incentive programs with healthcare and community partners. A stated Common Market collaborator in Georgia; competing for the same funder and healthcare partnership dollars.
- Imperfect Foods (Misfits Market): Mission-driven produce and grocery distributor that works directly with farmers to redistribute surplus and off-grade product. Differentiated model but competes for institutional and consumer attention to mission-led sourcing.
- About Fresh: Nonprofit operating food-as-medicine programs including Fresh Connect produce prescription platforms with health systems. Competes in the same Food-as-Medicine vertical where Common Market has partnerships (Rush, Sanitas, Hackensack Meridian).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Common Market social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Market financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Market leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Common Market subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Common Market funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Market M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Market
What does Common Market do?
Common Market is a nonprofit regional wholesale food distributor that aggregates fresh produce, proteins, and artisanal goods from a network of 300+ sustainable family farms and delivers them to anchor institutions including K-12 schools, hospitals, universities, and community organizations across four U.S. regions. Operations span four regional food hubs (Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, Great Lakes) with logistics infrastructure including cold storage, refrigerated transport, and HACCP-based food safety protocols. The organization supplements core distribution with specialized programs including the Farm-Fresh Box Program for community food access, the Food as Medicine Program for healthcare partnerships, the Farm Impact Assessment for sustainability verification, and a Working Capital Loan Fund for underserved growers.
Is Common Market a public or private company?
Common Market is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Market founded?
Common Market was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Market based?
Common Market is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Market make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Food Sales to Institutions are the primary driver. The others are philanthropic Support and Grants.
Who are Common Market's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Aramark, Baldor Specialty Foods and FreshPoint. Direct peers are Appalachian Sustainable Development, Red Tomato, Local Food Hub and Farm Fresh Rhode Island. Emerging players are Wholesome Wave, Imperfect Foods (Misfits Market) and About Fresh.
Does Common Market have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Market.
What industry is Common Market in?
Common Market's product category is Wholesale Food Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAAAC, Noncommercial/Institutional Broadline Distributors (K-12, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Government), with a secondary code of AFAIABAE, Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables). Its NAICS code is 424480 and its SIC code is 5140.