History

Born of a University

Formerly known as the Economics Institute, marketumbrella.org began with a simple mission: to promote ecologically sound economic development in the Greater New Orleans area, particularly among family farmers and other local agricultural enterprises. The Crescent City Farmers Market has been a laboratory of sorts where our ideas have taken root and flourished. From that simple mission, marketumbrella.org has expanded to become an educational organization for public markets throughout the region and beyond. By learning, sharing and growing, we cultivate the field of public markets for public good. We develop tools that help other markets build capacity and evaluate impact, stage peer learning opportunities, and launch a number of innovative programs to grow agricultural enterprises. Our reach now extends well beyond the New Orleans area, but our commitment to innovation and the economy of place — and of course, eating well — is still what drives us.

Twomey Center for Peace through Justice

Founded in 1947 at Loyola University New Orleans as the Institute for Industrial Relations by Father Louis J. Twomey, SJ, the Center has evolved into an incubator for innovative community/university projects that reflect Catholic social teachings. Originally driven by the ideas presented in the Papal social encyclicals, the Twomey Center operates a full-service print shop and publishing house, houses the New Orleans chapter of Bread for the World and its Global Network for Justice, and provides community facilitation and training services. Having incubated a number of projects that eventually spun off as independent NGOs, it was also the home of marketumbrella.org until August of 2008.

www.loyno.edu/twomey/