1. Seed to Student: Selling to Schools
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference
Friday, January 24th, 2020: Little Rock, Arkansas
2. Presentation Outline
Introductions
What is Farm to School?
Getting Started
Identifying Products
Purchasing, Pricing, and Procedures
Marketing
Tracking and Sharing
Questions and comments
3. Who is in the room?
Growers – fruit and vegetables, animals, other
specialty crops
Buyers – schools, food hubs, distributors, other
institutions
Support service organizations – extension, state
agencies, non-profits, academia
Experience with farm to school?
4. Arkansas Farm to School
Access to Healthy Foods Research Group
Arkansas Farm to School, program transitioning from the Access to Healthy
Foods Research Group at Arkansas Children’s to the Arkansas Department of
Agriculture
Mission of Research Group is to
build evidence, capacity, and support for an equitable food system that
fosters the health and wellness of children, families, and communities in
Arkansas.
development, delivery, and evaluation of individual and environmental-level
interventions such as farm to school, school and community gardens, and
support for increased local and healthy food production, distribution, and
consumption.
Arkansas Farm to School aims to ensure that farm to school activities are
happening in all child learning facilities in the state.
Emily English
5. What is “Farm to School”?
Farm to School is broadly defined as a program that
connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the
objectives of:
serving healthy meals in school cafeterias,
improving student nutrition,
providing agriculture, health and nutrition education
opportunities,
supporting local and regional farmers
6. National and State Connection
State Farm to School
Coordinator
State agency (Ag or
Education, Child Nutrition
commonly)
National Network website –
search by state
Farm Bureau, Extension Service
Supportive policies – encourage
local procurement, support farm
to school programs, farm to
school month proclamations
National Farm to School
Network
USDA Office of Community
Food Systems
Farm to School Grant
Program
Farm to School Census
Growing support in early
childhood environments and
other institutions
October is National Farm to
School Month
Farm to School looks different in every community
7. Mission Statement
The mission of the Fayetteville Public Schools’ Child Nutrition
Department is to serve safe, innovative, healthful, and delicious meals
made with real food that nourish the whole student, and provide
nutrition education opportunities that facilitate a meaningful connection
with food and those who grow it.
Ally Mrachek
8. FPS Child Nutrition Program
10,800+ students
16 schools
~2,100 breakfasts and ~4,500 lunches daily
38% of students are free/reduced meal eligible
Meal programs:
Breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom, Breakfast After The Bell, Grab N’
Go Breakfast and Lunch, Lunch, Afterschool Snack, Summer and Snack
Program + Mobile Site, A la Carte, Catering, Food Truck, Winter Meals
Scratch cooking
Farm to School program (SY19-20, 25% of food budget)
$54,478.20 spent directly with local farmers
$273,901.06 spent with local food businesses
9. FPS Seed to Student
Experiential Learning Opportunities
School gardens
Cafeteria special events (taste tests, local lunch events)
Classroom curriculum (Science, Nutrition/ PE, and Math, Field Trips)
Local Procurement
Purchase directly from farmers for meal programs
Community Outreach
Nutrition & food education / marketing
Farmer training and support
Community partnerships
11. Arnold Family Farms: Alma, AR
Randy Arnold
Farming for 30+ years
10 acres in production
Products
Beef, cattle, hay, poultry
Strawberries/ fresh produce
Other farm products
Markets
Farm store, U-pick, schools,
restaurants, other farm stands
Additional Offerings
Farm tours
School field trips
Support classrooms and school
gardens
12. Dickey Farms: Tontitown, AR
Involved in Farming/Ag for 40 years
Bs in Ag. Econ, MS in Poultry Nutrition/Research
Full time job
Began Dickey Farms in 1999
Own 20 acers: `10 Ac. In production
Rent other property on occasion
Three high tunnels
Diversified fruit and vegetable production
Markets: Fayetteville FM, restaurants, F2S
David Dickey
13. Students & Community
Hands-on learning opportunities
Life skills
Fresher, healthier meals
Take part in a national food movement
Students voice opinions and ideas to
improve school meals
Increase student fruit and vegetable
consumption
Recognize community partners
Promotes environmental stewardship
Why Farm to School?
14. Increased participation
Greater pride in meals served
Make cooking fun again!
Share our story
Food Services/ Child Nutrition Dept.
Improved community and district
support of food services
“New face” of school food
Recast kitchen staff as heroes
Training opportunities for staff
Recipe development
Why Farm to School?
15. Partner Producers
Encourages kids to value local,
healthy food
future informed consumers
message goes home
Builds community relationships
Supports farming families
Increases market diversity
Provides consistent market for
small farmers
Market for seconds/ bulk deliveries
Bulk buying during peak growing
season
preservation projects
Learning opportunities
Farm marketing & promotion
Why Farm to School?
16. Is it right for your farm?
Price
negotiation
Time and
energy to build
relationships
Learn new
procedures
and
requirements
New markets
New
customers
Launchpad
for other
institutions
Consistency
17. Finding the Right Partners
In-School Partners
FS Director/ Staff
Teachers
Administrators
Students
Parents – PTA/PTO
Coordinated School
Health/Wellness Committee
Friends/ relatives in district
Out of School Partners
Parents
Community Members
Local Nonprofit Orgs.
Local College / University
Distributors
State Agencies /
Cooperative Extension
Local Businesses
Farmers’ Markets
State Farm to School
Getting Started:
20. Establish Goals
School examples
Organize a taste test with local product
Source one product locally for the salad bar
each season
Start a Harvest of the Month program at the
elementary schools
Preserve one item in the summer
Farm examples
Call 3 schools this month (start early)
Pilot a local product at one school
Local items in summer lunch program
Develop school selling points
Drop a sample off at Child Nutrition Office
Getting Started:
START
SMALL!
21. Educating Your School Customer
Lead time
Seasonality
Growing practices
Varietal differences/ fun & interesting
varieties
How to handle and store
Preparation and preservation ideas
Sharing best practices from other school
relationships
Other customers/ institutional markets
experience
Getting Started:
22. Getting Started:
Identify Products
Work with growers to identify easiest crops for timeframe
Set specifications
Availability / Forecasting
Student familiarity
Product preparation and staff
Recipe development & training
Shelf life
Realistic price
Check with Child Nutrition Dept. for necessary documentation
Start with a simple class lesson
23. FPS Local Foods
Local Products
Frozen: sweet potato fries and
ground beef
Fresh: apples, beets, bell and
banana peppers, broccoli,
cabbage, carrots, cauliflower,
cucumber, eggplant, green beans,
grapes, kale, lettuce, nectarines,
onions, okra, peaches,
strawberries, spinach, winter and
summer squash, Swiss chard,
tomatoes, turnips, watermelon
Preserved: ratatouille blend
24. “Low Hanging Fruit”
Rice: Ralston’s Family Farms, Producers Rice Mill or Riceland Foods
Sweet Potatoes: Dickey Farms (fresh), Bright Harvest SP. Co. (frozen)
Buns and Rolls: Harris Baking Co.
Ground Beef, frozen: JAGGZ Farm, Classic Grassfed Beef Co.
Strawberries, fresh/ frozen: Arnold Fam. Farm, McGarrah Farm
Apples: A & A Orchards; Vanzant Fruit Farm
Lettuce: Heifer USA, Ozark All Seasons, farmers market growers
Bell peppers: McGarrah Farms, Dickey Farms, farmers market
Cucumbers: McGarrah Farms, farmers market
Summer and Winter Squash: McGarrah Farms, Dickey Farms
26. Talking Details & Developing Procedures
Procurement/ Purchasing/ Bidding
Product, volume, seasonality, price
Product specifications
Documentation (guidelines)
Food Safety
Ordering
Communication process?
How far in advance?
Ordering units: lbs, quarts, cases
Minimum order
Delivery
Location, what day, what time
Packaging, labeling (tote
exchange/ pallet exchange)
School storage
Payment
W-9 & Invoice (Most schools
require itemized invoice)
Payment within 30 days
Getting Started:
27. Food Safety: Approved Sources
Raw, uncut (whole) fruits and vegetables purchased
directly from the producer who grew it
IF a grower uses regulated pesticides, a Private Applicators pesticide
license issued by the Arkansas State Plant Board is required, unless
Certified Organic
In Arkansas, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) NOT required BY
SCHOOLS
Meat, poultry and processed produce products
Meat and eggs: Slaughtered, processed, inspected in a USDA-inspected
facility
Fruit/ vegetable, grains, milk: processed in a FDA-inspected facility
Must bear an approved label
29. Optional Measures
Program Guidelines (signature)
Responsible and responsive vendor
Traceability
Product Liability Insurance
$250,000 policy : Fruit/ Veg
$1 million policy: meats, value added
Post-harvest Wash H2O Test for e. coli
Educational Programming
Farm Checklist and Visit
30. FPS Seed to Student
Farm Checklist
Adapted from the University of Arkansas Research & Extension Checklist for Arkansas Voluntary
Farm Self Assessment Program
31. Arkansas Basics: Bidding
Informal Threshold (>$10,000 -
$≤20,910/grower/yr)
No sealed bid necessary
No contracts required
Choose growers, solicit price
Document three prices
*Compare to current prices
Geographic preference not necessary
Keep on file for 5 years
Formal Threshold (>$20,910/grower/yr)
Adapt existing bid documents
Sealed bid, advertise widely
No contract required
Geographic preference optional
Defining local gives preference (points) to
local growers during evaluation
Evaluate and award bids. *Three prices per
product is best practice
*Compare to current prices
Keep on file for 5 years
Micro-purchase Threshold: No bidding required if ≤$10,000/ grower/ yr
33. Micro-purchasing threshold
No bidding necessary
Forecast how much you think you’ll need of each
product
Find a grower(s) with the amounts you need
Purchase from grower (s) of your choice
Document amount spent per grower per bid term
(year)
Cannot break up/ shorten bid terms to stay below
threshold
Keep on file for 5 years
34. Informal Bidding
Forecast your needs and find your growers
“Three bids and a buy”
Collect three price quotes from growers of your choice
At minimum collect two
Geographic preference & local definition not necessary
Document amount spent per grower per bid term (year)
Excel, billing, inventory system
Cannot break up/ shorten bid terms to stay below threshold
Keep on file for 5 years
35.
36. Formal Bidding
Use sealed, written bid process
Unsure verbiage compliance with Child Nutrition procurement
regulations
Include all important clauses
Evaluate based on price and other preferences
Geographic preference & local definition is optional but
important
Document amount spent per grower per bid term (year)
Excel, billing, inventory system
Cannot break up/ shorten bid terms to stay below threshold
Keep on file for 5 years
37. Defining Local
Why?
Important for formal bidding
geographic preference
Promotion
Helps say “yes” or “no”
How?
School district defines local
Can define for each product
Based on location & growers
Should not inhibit competition
Ask Extension, farmers
market, University resources
Fayetteville’s definition
Tier one: AR state lines
Keep food $$ in state economy
Tier two: out of state but within
100 miles of district warehouse
Fayetteville is in NWA
38. How to Set Pricing
Producer Considerations
It’s a wholesale market
Price
Product type/ cut
Grade
Consider inputs/ time
Delivery method
One drop
Pick-up
Packaging
Bulk
Reduce disposable
Cooperative buying
Post-harvest methods
Wash/ don’t wash
Ask for current produce company and
local pricing
School Considerations
Plate cost
$0.30 per produce serving
Price offered determines
Menu frequency
Quantity purchased
Type of meal service
Product mix
How to showcase
Sharing the love
39. Specifications adapted from Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Selling, Postharvest
Handling, and Packing Produce
46. Evaluate & Share Stories
Track sales data
Supply and demand
Reflect and adjust
Set new goals
Get feedback from buyers
Tell your story:
Social media, newsletters, board of directors,
Farm to School affiliate, press releases
47. Social Media and Online Presence
Fayetteville Public Schools Child Nutrition
Facebook: FPS Seed to Student
Instagram: @whatsforlunchfayetteville
Arnold Family Farms
Facebook: Arnold Strawberries
Dickey Farms
Facebook: Dickey Farms
Instagram: @dickeyfarms
Arkansas Farm to School
Facebook: Arkansas Farm to School
48. Resources
National Farm to School Network
www.farmtoschool.org
State Coordinator/Leaders
USDA Office of Community Food Systems
www.fns.usda.gov/cfs
ATTRA and NCAT
www.attra.ncat.org
University of Wisconsin Toolkit for Producers
www.cias.wisc.edu/toolkits/
Georgia Organics resources for farmers
https://georgiaorganics.org/for-schools/the-
farm-to-school-resources-for-farmers/
50. Contact Information
Emily English
Assistant Professor/ Univ. of Ark Medial Sciences
ESENGLISH@uams.edu
Randy Arnold
Arnold Family Farms
rarnold1015@yahoo.com
David Dickey
Dickey Farms
dickeyfarms@gmail.com
Ally Mrachek, MS, RD
Director of Child Nutrition/ Fayetteville Public Schools
Allyson.mrachek@g.fayar.net
Editor's Notes
Objectives align with National Farm to School:
Serving healthy meals
Improving student nutrition
Providing agriculture, health, and nutrition education opportunities
Supporting local and regional farmers
Positive PR
Randy – what are the benefits to producers?
David - pros and cons, trade-offs; FPS vs. other schools
Find allies in your school or community
Talk and build report with kitchen staff. Work along side them/ get your hands dirty
Diverse team
Partnerships in and outside the school
Teachers, parents, farms
Kids, non-profits, UofA
Kitchen staff…a team
Yes, we buy direct
A local processor too
Oh boy, that weather
Randy and David - What have you found are the lessons/teaching points that your school customers need to hear from you?
Ally - Product selection has to be negotiated; David and Randy chime in…
Ally -
How do you get them from the farm to school? Logistics…
Of note…
To be able to assign extra pointed to a grower based using geographic preference or your definition of local, the product must meet the following criteria…
Ally – invoices and labels; David – totes
Include that we require $250K liability coverage produce / $1 mil for meat. This is not required.
Ally talk about farm visit. Randy’s experience with the checklist and the visit. Building relationships…
-Per federal regulation, all products used in federal meal programs must be bid on.
-Once you know what products you are interested in you can start requesting bids.
-When starting to purchase local products, you will most likely start by purchasing a small amounts of product so you can use the simple, informal bid process. This means you plan to buy less than $10,000 worth of product from each grower you use each year.
For each product you are interested in purchasing, you request a price quote from three different sources. Prices can come from directly from growers but also distributors and grocery stores can be used to obtain three price quotes. After that, choose the bidder with the lowest price and start the purchasing relationship. Be sure to keep price quotes on hand for at least three years. Obtaining at least three bids ensure fair competition. An example of informal bidding evaluation form is on an upcoming slide.
-If you forecast that you will purchase greater than $10,000 worth of product from a grower, you will use a more detailed formal bidding process. You will write up and advertise a request for proposal similar to what you might use when selecting your produce distributor. This bid solicitation should be advertised in a way that does not inhibit competition. We advertised our RFP to our current growers, via the farmers market and U of A Cooperative Extension. It could also be advertised in the newspaper. The goal is to obtain three prices for each product, this does not always happen because you can not directly ask sources for prices. If you cannot obtain three bids you must have documentation showing how you did not inhibit competition.
-During the formal bid evaluation process you can give additional points, or preference, to local growers, based on your definition of local. This is called using geographic preference. This can help them complete and hopefully win the bid. We use a two tiered definition of local. Tier one: grower within Arkansas state lines. Tier two: within 100 miles of the district warehouse. We chose this definition because it is important to our department that food dollars stay in the state economy. However, we are in the NW corner of the state so wanted to be able to include growers in OK and MO if they are interested in our program. An example of our formal bid eval sheet in on an upcoming slide.
-After all is said and done. Its important to make sure products that win the bid are affordable by comparing their prices to products you already use. Even though a local grower may win the bid, if you cannot afford the product you are not obligated to purchase it.
-To use geographic preference, first you must define what local means to you
-For example, your local meat and poultry could have a certain local radius while your produce has another local radius. As long as it meets your districts needs while not being to restrictive you are not inhibiting competition.
-Not all districts use a two tier definition of local. The two tier definition of local works best for our program because of our geographic location within the state, we are in the NW corner of the state near Missouri and Oklahoma). All of our current growers all fall within tier 1 definition of local but our local radius still includes many, many other farms with a variety of products.
-Talk with your local extension or farmers’ market manager to learn where local growers are located and what products they have before setting your definition of local.
-To use geographic preference, first you must define what local means to you
-For example, your local meat and poultry could have a certain local radius while your produce has another local radius. As long as it meets your districts needs while not being to restrictive you are not inhibiting competition.
-Not all districts use a two tier definition of local. The two tier definition of local works best for our program because of our geographic location within the state, we are in the NW corner of the state near Missouri and Oklahoma). All of our current growers all fall within tier 1 definition of local but our local radius still includes many, many other farms with a variety of products.
-Talk with your local extension or farmers’ market manager to learn where local growers are located and what products they have before setting your definition of local.
Point out where local growers may earn extra points on this form (Hx of service, open to participating in ed. Programming, local definition)
-To use geographic preference, first you must define what local means to you
-For example, your local meat and poultry could have a certain local radius while your produce has another local radius. As long as it meets your districts needs while not being to restrictive you are not inhibiting competition.
-Not all districts use a two tier definition of local. The two tier definition of local works best for our program because of our geographic location within the state, we are in the NW corner of the state near Missouri and Oklahoma). All of our current growers all fall within tier 1 definition of local but our local radius still includes many, many other farms with a variety of products.
-Talk with your local extension or farmers’ market manager to learn where local growers are located and what products they have before setting your definition of local.
Randy and David – talk about how they consider what price to set for schools.
Ally – talk about her pricing
How to reach your customer? – Ask David and Randy about their experiences being in the schools with the kids.
We host a few farm to school events. We put on National Farm to School month apple tastings, seasonal educational lunches, farm visits, and garden clubs. These events give students hands-on experiences that allow them to interact with the food they eat and help them appreciate where their food comes from. This will help them grow up to be informed consumers. We have noticed increased participation from events like our Educational Lunches and the plate cost is comparable to an average school day’s cost.
In addition to Harvest of the Month posters…
Tong posters in all cafeterias: Simple wording, pictures for those who can’t ready yet. We already use tongs so we use green ones for local product. Instead of adding something new to the cafeteria we adapted something that we already do.
-Farmer photos or signage showcasing new menu items or local products
