Mission & History
Vision
We envision a future in which Atlanta will be home to a diverse, interconnected food system that promotes healthy food, sustainable ecosystems, and living wage working conditions. CFM is a leader in this system, leveraging the power of communities by providing resources, educational programs, and sustainable modes of food distribution for farmers, producers, chefs, and consumers.
Mission & Purpose
The mission of Community Farmers Markets is to develop a local food infrastructure for long term sustainability and meaningful community impact. Our purpose is to root, grow, and preserve a diverse local food culture by maintaining an authentic space for all people to share community, fair food, and healthy lifestyles while providing a sustainable living for producers who steward the earth.
Team Values
We value creativity, innovation, and agility in executing our mission.
We value mutual respect, candid communication, and opportunities for feedback and growth.
We value personal accountability and a supportive team environment.
History
Community Farmers Markets, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded in 2011 by leaders in the local food movement in Atlanta, GA to meet the demand for more efficiently-managed, community-based, sustainable farmers markets. These stakeholders included farmers and local leaders who worked for a more vibrant local food system and who have special interest, talents, or resources to build a stronger local food movement.
CFM addresses food access & security through four programmatic methods:
1) Distribution of food through farmers markets, and the MARTA Markets;
2) Education about food through educational programming and events;
3) Financial incentives to make local food more affordable;
4) Vendor support and professional development.
CFM leverages strong partnerships with mission-critical partners in our communities and the city at large to carry out programs. CFM’s markets and models have had an extensive impact on the local food system in Atlanta. Our founding market, the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, was the first market in the state to accept food stamps and the first to pilot the Wholesome Wave Georgia double food stamps program. In 2023, CFM served over 65,000 in person shoppers and over 160 vendors at weekly markets, and vendors reported earning over $2 million at the farmers markets.
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