Local Food Procurement
The process of finding, purchasing, processing and serving local food at schools and early care sites takes partnership and creativity. While shifting menus and procurement systems may be initially challenging, the benefits of buying local are long lasting and rooted in community. In Iowa, there are several working models recommended for local food procurement, and years of learning and experience have generated some best practices and resources highlighted here. Each school district and early care site is unique, so find the resources most relevant to your team, and contact us for support!
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This guide illustrates when local produce is in peak season as well as when it is available as a storage crop or with greenhouse production.
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The following foods are recommended as the “go-to” local foods for starting local food procurement in Iowa. These foods can be grown or produced at a similar price to conventional school food and early care sources. Consider requesting “seconds” (i.e. produce with minor blemishes) which are great for chopping and are often priced very competitively.
Apples
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Peppers
Radishes
Summer Squash
Watermelon
Winter Squash
Yogurt
Source: Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative -
Local Food Coaches across the state can support schools and early care sites with consultation and planning. The Local Food Coaching Program is under the direction of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Read more and get in touch here!
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This is a monthly survey, compiled by USDA, of schools and colleges on prices they are paying for local foods. Link
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Bringing school and childcare nutrition professionals and Iowa producers together to increase local procurement. Learn more.
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Registration and resources for the annual celebration of Iowa foods!
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New in 2022! Learn more and register for the Great Apple Crunch - October 13, 2022.
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Finding Local Food
Make it Fresh: A Guide to Procuring Local Foods is a new resource (released Jan 2022) from the Iowa Department of Education. This document aims to assist Child Nutrition Program operators in navigating the regulations by providing information and resources that operators need to successfully incorporate local products into their menus.
The Iowa Food Hub Directory lists locations, products, and contact information for food hubs actively serving Iowa communities. A food hub is a centrally located facility that purchases and aggregates local food from numerous farms, then stores, sometimes processes, and distributes locally. Food safety measures are strictly followed, and consumers can trace product origin.
The Iowa Farm to School Producer Directory is hosted and maintained by IDALS.
The Iowa CSA Farm Directory is maintained by ISU and provides a current list of known community supported agriculture (CSA) farms serving Iowa. In the CSA model, purchasers (aka “share-holders” or members) pay up-front for a share of a farm’s production for an entire growing season and receive (often through delivery or convenient pick-up) a weekly box of seasonal farm products.
The Iowa Farmers Market Directory is maintained by IDALS and offers locations, dates, and times of farmers markets operating across the state. Farmers markets are a great option for early care sites as providers can choose exactly what local food they want to try while directly meeting farmers.
Iowa MarketMaker is maintained by ISU and operates as an online directory for local food consumers and producers. Several filters are offered to allow for specific search functions.
Farm to School & Early Care Menus
Early Care Menus
CACFP Menu with Best Practices: The Iowa Department of Education created this sample menu with best practices to incorporate seasonal and locally grown foods into meals.
Farm to School Cycle Menus
The NE Iowa Farm to School Cycle Menu was created by school food service directors as an easy way to incorporate more Iowa-grown foods onto school lunch trays. The Cycle Menu:
Incorporates Iowa-grown foods each week including fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy
Fall, Winter and Spring variations
Meets the nutrition requirements of the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act for grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12
Uses recipes from sources like USDA Recipes for Schools, Iowa Gold Star Cycle menu, Healthier Kansas Menus, etc.
USDA Farm to School Planning Toolkit
The toolkit offers questions to consider and helpful resources to reference when starting or growing a farm to school program. It is designed for use by schools, school districts, and community partners. Filled with tips, insights, and resources related to many areas of farm to school, the summarized steps for starting local procurement are an effective way to make it happen.