Community Markets uses its refrigerated trailer (top) to deliver food across 10 counties in the WV Eastern Panhandle.
Mark Peiffer recalls when Community Markets brought him on board as its first hire four years ago. “The initial plan was about ecommerce. The USDA had announced plans to allow SNAP benefits to be processed for online grocery purchases from farmers markets.” he said. “The plan was for us to connect with local farmers who would be too small to set up their own online processing and provide a service that could help with economic development and healthy eating.”
The USDA online program ended up focusing on grocery retail stores, but the seed was planted for Community Markets to build up a local network. Peiffer now works full time for the non-profit as its operations manager. He has a staff of five, with four of these positions funded in part through the AmeriCorps VISTA program.
According to information provided by Peiffer, Community Markets serves 10 counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Since the beginning of 2023, the organization has provided 134 thousand pounds of food to 12,300 people in its service area. He estimates that equates to over $300,000 in business for the local farmers and small businesses from which Community Markets sources its food.
Peiffer says he works closely with the other local organizations that run food pantries in Jefferson County. One of the Community Markets programs is a food box that they deliver at the end of each month. According to Peiffer, the intent of this program is to bridge the gap as household funds run short at the end of the month.
County Commissioner Pasha Majdi (left) stopped and spoke with Mark Peiffer (right) by the Community Markets office on the Covenant Church campus outside of Shepherdstown.
The local sourcing and supporting local farmers is an important aspect of the organization’s work. As Peiffer described it “ it’s about getting more food grown locally, and getting nutrient-dense food to people that would otherwise not be available to them.”
Community Markets also operates a farmers market every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:30 pm on the grounds of St. James Catholic Church (49 Crosswinds Dr, Charles Town). Both the food box program and the farmers market rely on volunteers — Peiffer says he welcomes all the help he can get.
More information about Community Markets programs, volunteering and donations at CommunityMarketsInc.org.
By Steve Pearson