K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change connects produce suppliers with school menu planners

The International Fresh Produce Association coordinated a School Foodservice Partner X-Change to connect produce companies with leading school menu planners.

The virtual event in early May brought together produce company executives with K-12 school menu planners from 15 of the largest U.S. school districts, according to a news release. It was developed to enhance the produce industry’s understanding of this unique, large-volume foodservice customer and to create opportunities to increase children’s access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables at school. 

“K-12 schools are a unique customer that’s serving meals and snacks to thousands of schoolchildren every day,” Andrew Marshall said in the release. Marshall is IFPA’s staff liaison for wholesaler-distributor members, and a lead staffer on engagement opportunities with the K-12 school nutrition community. “This Partner X-Change connects school foodservice administrators and produce companies to [help them] learn from each other, discuss current needs and potential collaboration opportunities, all while also helping both sides understand each other’s business priorities and challenges.”

The virtual event connected buyers and sellers for 15-minute “speed dating” meetings where school administrators share information about a range of topics including menu planning, procurement processes and more, according to the release. 

Produce suppliers also had the opportunity to highlight their company’s capabilities and products including bulk produce, fresh-cut items and other items.

Every day, 31 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program, the release said. Schools are required to offer a fruit and a vegetable, and students must exit their lunch line with at least one serving of produce on their plate.  

“Schools are an important customer for our business, and having the opportunity to connect with a geographically diverse selection of major city school districts is very helpful, in part so we can get a greater sense of what’s happening in school foodservice departments across the country,” Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer of DNO Produce, said in the release. “These meetings provide an opportunity for our team to ask questions, share industry insights, and also highlight the products and services DNO provides to school customers and distributor partners.”

Barbara Harral, child nutrition director for the Montgomery County Public Schools in Gaithersburg, Md., was one of this year’s School Foodservice Partner X-Change participants, along with members of her menu planning and procurement team.

“We value our collaborations with IFPA and the produce industry, and this virtual program creates a new opportunity for our team to learn about the variety of produce options that exist,” Harral said in the release. “We’re hopeful that this will lead to more insightful conversations with our distributor, and also enable the more than 100,000 students that we serve each day, to experience some new fruit and vegetables going forward.”

Schools and produce suppliers participating in the 2023, K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change included:

School Districts

• Aurora Public Schools (Colorado)
• Capistrano Unified School District (California)
• Cobb County School District (Georgia)
• Detroit Public Schools Community District (Michigan)
• Elk Grove Unified School District (California)
• Houston Independent School District (Texas)
• Leon County Schools (Florida)
• Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland)
• North East Independent School District (Texas)
• Oklahoma City Public Schools (Oklahoma)
• Omaha Public Schools (Nebraska)
• Sodexo at School (multistate)
• Urban School Food Alliance (multistate)
• Wake County Schools (North Carolina)
• West Ada Public Schools (Idaho)

Produce Company Participants

• Bee Sweet Citrus
• Church Brothers Farms
• DNO Produce
• Gold Coast Packing
• Grimmway Farms
• HMC Farms
• Mushrooms in Schools
• Nature's Reward  
• Prime Time International 
• Produce Alliance
• Sunkist Foodservice Equipment
• Taylor Farms
• The Healthy Family Project

This July, the association will also host K-12 school menu planners at the IFPA Foodservice Conference, July 27-28, in Monterey, Calif.

The association has already begun inviting K-12 school buyers from major city school districts. School attendees will get to explore new products at the expo, participate in tours of nearby growing fields, and connect with existing and new suppliers, the release said.