Implementing Farm to School Activities
Farmers/Farmer Organizations Working with Schools

Learn about the School Food Service Market
School food service can be a steady, reliable market for farmers, but they also have buying policies that are unique and specific to their industry. As is the case in any business venture, a good initial step is to learn more about the customer - in this case, the school food service market.

Determining if a local school district is a viable market for your farming business is an important assessment to make. Key questions to ask yourself may include:

	What school districts are within my community?
	o See Contact a School District within your Community for tips on how to      connect with districts in your area.
	What types of products are the school districts within my community looking for?
	What volume of product does the school districts within my community need?
	How can my product meet the needs of the school district?
	Does the school district have specific packing requirements?
	o Do I currently meet their packing needs? Or, will I need to adjust my current      packing system to meet their needs?
	How will my product reach the school?
	o What type of transportation and delivery options am I able to provide?   o Does the school district want the product delivered? If so, to which location(s)?   o Is the school district able and willing to pick up my product?
	What type of payment schedule does the school district operate on?
	o Does it fit into my payment needs?
	How will my agreement with the school district be handled if a crop comes in late or not at all?
	Does the school district have any food safety requirements, such as Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) audits or training, before they will purchase product from me?
	Does the school district require liability insurance from me? If so, what type and how much?
	Am I able to sell my products through a local distributor if I choose to?
	o Does the school district require this?
	Are the school districts interested in conducting student field trips to my farm?
	o Is my farm available for students to tour?   o Am I available and open to talking to students at the school district about agriculture      and farming?
	What is the best method of communication with the school district?
	What is the best mode of communication for the school district to contact me?

Getting answers to the example questions above will help determine if selling to local school districts is a good fit for your particular farm, but more in-depth business planning is important and resources are available to assist farmers with this process. For more information on these available resources, contact your State Department of Agriculture.

If selling to school districts individually does not seem feasible, you may want to consider other distribution models such as becoming part of a farmer cooperative (co-op) or selling your products through a local distributor.

For additional information on working with school districts, please consult the School Food Service Infrastructure, Farm to School Implementation and Promotion, and Farmers’ Perspective in Selling to Schools sections of the USDA Farm to School Team 2010 Summary Report and visit our resources.