Member Perspective

Q&A with Bill Green, Executive Director of The Common Market Southeast

Bill explains how the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) positively impacted The Common Market Southeast and its ecosystem of family farmers and community partners.  While the programs are ending, they helped catalyze the local food distributor’s mission of building small farmer capacity.


How was Common Market Southeast using LFPA and/or LFS funding? Were there specific programs you were able to create or expand? 

The LFPA and LFS programs have had a catalytic effect on The Common Market’s mission in the Southeast, and as proof of concept of how intentional investment in small to midsize regional producers is vital to the long-term sustainability of our local supply chain. Many of the producers who have benefited from these government programs have been historically excluded from meaningful wholesale selling opportunities. These programs have largely targeted small, local producers, offering them a consistent revenue stream over the past few years. The steady markets allowed them to invest in their businesses,  to secure financing to build infrastructure, obtain food safety and other training, hire needed staff, and acquire supplies to support their agricultural production. 

These government programs also allowed The Common Market to expand its investment in local farms through its direct investment zero-interest farmer loan program that is administered in tandem with farmer crop plans used for production for the LFPA program.  The commerce generated primarily  by LFPA and LFS  also led to the establishment of a farmer mini-grant infrastructure program that we initiated in 2024, with support from our funding partners at The Rockefeller Foundation.  Lastly, The Common Market has been framing its activities under these programs as a bridge to partnership development with our institutional partners that are seeking sustainable sources of fresh, local food.

As it relates to the LFS program, The Common Market has been able to develop relationships with 30 different school districts in Georgia who are discovering new possibilities in sourcing fresh, local food. Public school students all over Georgia are now enjoying nutritious food grown by nearby farmers thanks to this program.

How did the funding available through LFPA and LFS benefit the farmers and communities you serve in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee?

In Georgia, this funding has created the revenue streams and opportunities for self-investment referenced previously.  This funding has not only benefited farmers but also the local labor market, service providers, last-mile logistics companies, consultants, and community organizations serving the most vulnerable among us.

Through partnership with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the LFPA program within the state has focused exclusively on Georgia producers. Consequently, to date, no farmers from the adjoining states have been invited to participate. However, the LFS program has communicated a more extended definition of what constitutes “local” so our farms in Alabama and South Carolina have also benefited from this program.

What is the scale of impact your organization is facing due to these program cuts?

The expiration of the LFPA and LFS programs will have a significant impact on The Common Market Southeast and the farmers it represents.  That being said, since the beginning of these programs, conversations with institutional partners have been geared toward increased levels of partnership to offset the loss due to the end of the LFPA program, to minimize the drop-off of purchasing from these farms once the program officially ends.  The Common Market’s wholesale markets can only absorb a fraction of this production, meaning much of the farm output will remain underutilized. 

How can funders, both philanthropy and investors, support your work right now?

Right now, it is more important than ever for all stakeholders in local food system work, and especially philanthropy and investors, to advocate with their voices and budgets; and to be intentional about projects that support long-term farmer prosperity.  When we circulated a request for proposals for up to $20,000 in farmer mini-grants for infrastructure improvements, we had over 35 Georgia farms respond with over $450,000 in projects. We were only able to fund 10 farms with the funding available, but the response speaks to the tremendous need for meaningful investment in infrastructure, logistics, and increased partnership. Developing incentives for organizations with purchasing power to include incentives for purchasing locally, consistent with values-based procurement standards, is essential.

The Common Market operates in four regions, including the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Texas, and Great Lakes. LFPA and LFS programs had a significant impact on farmers in The Common Market network and communities across Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and beyond.