IFPA program matches school districts with produce suppliers

The International Fresh Produce Association has entered the matchmaking business.

In late February, IFPA coordinated more than 120 “speed dating” meetings to connect produce companies with procurement officials and menu planners in 11 school districts in several major U.S. cities.

The program, officially known as the K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change, connects buyers and sellers for 15-minute Zoom meetings. School administrators ask questions and share information about topics including menu planning, procurement, and packaging needs while receiving insight into where and how produce is grown. Produce suppliers share industry knowledge while highlighting their company’s products, including bulk produce and fresh cut items as well as ordering processes.

“This program brings together audiences that often do not speak with each other, bridging the gap to better understand school foodservice needs and interests,” Andrew Marshall, IFPA’s staff liaison for wholesaler-distributor member and lead staffer on engagement opportunities with the K-12 school nutrition community, said in a news release.

“Increasing the variety of fresh produce that students are exposed to at school is a shared priority, and this ‘speed dating’ program is helping to jump-start these types of conversations, new ideas and new partnerships.”

This year’s program included companies that provide schools with small-scale kitchen equipment for peeling and processing fruits and vegetables in-house, as well as a company providing schools with vertical hydroponic growing towers.

“As a company that services a range of foodservice customers, we value these meetings as an opportunity for interaction with school menu planners, many of whom are looking for new, on-trend slaws and veggie blends that mimic what their students see at local quick-serve and other restaurant formats,” Crystal Chavez, marketing manager for Gold Coast Packing, said in the release.

“Sharing about our produce, where it’s grown, the importance of packaging technology to achieve maximum freshness, and then learning about how the schools plan their menus and prepare meals, we know we can be a solution for them.”

IFPA plans to coordinate a K-12 School Forum summer program at the Foodservice Conference, set for July 25-26 in Monterey, California. The program will focus on supporting school menu planners’ efforts to source, serve and promote fresh fruits and vegetables. School foodservice leaders from across the country will explore new products and tour nearby growing fields while connecting with suppliers.

“We appreciated that many of the produce companies we spoke with were familiar with school meal pattern requirements and either had products that were individually packaged according to these specifications or could speak with knowledge about half-cup and other required portion sizes,” said Leiling Hwang, director of child nutrition for the Long Beach Unified School District. “Having these brief meetings was much more informative, and inspirational, than just reading a flyer about available products, and we look forward to following up for additional conversations.”

More information is available by contacting Marshall at [email protected] or (202) 303-3407.