CommonTilth exists to strengthen Connecticut's local food system — making it easier for farms to be found, for institutions to source locally, and for neighbors to support each other. No fees. No algorithms. No gatekeepers.
We believe access to local food is a community infrastructure issue, not a consumer preference. When farms have visibility, they grow. When schools, food banks, and restaurants can connect with local producers, the whole system gets stronger.
CommonTilth is free to use and free to list on — always. We don't charge farms for visibility. We don't take commissions. We don't sell data. The platform is sustained by the community it serves.
What's live today — and where we're headed.
common-tilth.org — a free directory of Connecticut farms and producers, a community board for neighbor-to-neighbor resource sharing, a seasonal growing guide, and local food data. Core infrastructure for the entire CommonTilth ecosystem.
Aggregate data on Connecticut's local food landscape — farm density by town, food access gaps, seasonal availability. Built to inform producers, institutions, and policymakers alike.
CommonTilth's physical home — a space for programs, community gatherings, workshops, and day-to-day work. Windsor, CT is the leading candidate, well positioned on the I-91 corridor with train access and historic tobacco shade structures that could anchor the space. The Hub is where the online network becomes a physical one.
A physical market space at the Hub where Connecticut farms sell produce on consignment. CommonTilth handles the storefront; farmers stay in control of their product and pricing. A small cut sustains operations — no subscription, no platform fees, no middleman taking the margin.
Seasonal workshops, planting days, and skill-sharing gatherings tied to the agricultural calendar. Hosted at the Hub or partner spaces — building skills and community while connecting new participants to the broader CommonTilth network.
The first planned event is an Easter planting tradition we're opening to the community. On Easter evening, kids plant "magic seeds" — and by morning, thanks to a little Easter Bunny magic, lollipop flowers have grown overnight. But the planter they put together also holds a real succulent or starter plant, so the magic becomes something they can actually keep growing. It's a way of making planting feel like wonder before it feels like work — and sending families home with something alive.
Delivered, ready-to-grow planter boxes for porches, yards, and community spaces. Boxes are built from reclaimed pallets donated by local businesses — quality material becomes retail builds; lower-grade goes to subsidized or free boxes for families in need. Each planter includes a QR code linking to care guides on common-tilth.org, connecting recipients to the broader network. Volunteer build days at the Hub are part of the vision.
Most small farms lack the manpower to manage the full lifecycle of their produce — growing it is one thing, moving it is another. This program closes that gap with a refrigerated box truck that transports produce to the Hub and Market, and provides no-cost delivery for goods coordinated through CommonTilth. The focus is local: short-haul runs that make participation in the network practical for farms that couldn't otherwise get product to market.
A community garden on the Hub property, operating as community gardens do — shared plots, shared tools, shared harvest. Rooted in the Hub's physical space and connected to the broader CommonTilth network.
Community members can request support setting up a garden at home. CommonTilth helps with planning, materials, and setup — connecting naturally with the Planter Program and growing guides on the platform. The goal is to turn interested neighbors into active growers.
A supply chain model designed to eliminate spoilage in the consignment Market. When produce approaches end of shelf life, rather than letting it go to waste, CommonTilth routes it to partner restaurants who prepare meals from it. Farms and CommonTilth receive their standard consignment rates for the produce; the restaurant keeps everything else. Everyone earns, nothing is wasted.
CommonTilth grows with every farm that lists, every neighbor who posts, and every institution that chooses local. Join us — it's free, and always will be.