K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change Connects Produce Suppliers with School Menu Planners

May 4, 2023

Newark, DE and Washington, DC – This week, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) coordinated a School Foodservice Partner X-Change to connect produce companies with leading K-12 school menu planners from 15 of the largest U.S. school districts.

The Partner X-Change 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 and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables at school. The virtual event connects 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. Produce suppliers also had the opportunity to highlight their company’s capabilities and products including bulk produce, fresh cut items, and more.

“K-12 schools are a unique customer that’s serving meals and snacks to thousands of schoolchildren every day,” said Andrew Marshall, IFPA’s staff liaison for wholesaler-distributor members, and lead staffer on engagement opportunities with the K-12 school nutrition community. “This Partner X-Change connects school foodservice administrators and produce companies to 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.”

Every day, 31 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program. 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. In addition to lunch, many schools also offer breakfast and an after-school supper program, both of which must adhere to nutrition standards that require offering fruit and vegetables. Additionally, more than 7,000 elementary schools across the country offer in-class fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, as part of the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

“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, said Alex DiNovo, president & COO of DNO Produce .“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, RDN, child nutrition director for the Montgomery County Public Schools in Gaithersburg, Maryland was one of this year’s School Foodservice Partner X-Change participants, along with members of her menu planning and procurement team. She shared, “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. 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 include:

School Districts

Aurora Public Schools (CO)
Capistrano Unified School District (CA)
Cobb County School District (GA)
Detroit Public Schools Community District (MI)
Elk Grove Unified School District (CA)
Houston Independent School District (TX)
Leon County Schools (FL)
Montgomery County Public Schools (MD)
North East Independent School District (TX)
Oklahoma City Public Schools (OK)
Omaha Public Schools (NE)
Sodexo at School (multi-state)
Urban School Food Alliance (multi-state)
Wake County Schools (NC)
West Ada Public Schools (ID)

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, CA. 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.

For additional information about the K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change, and other programs and resources for school foodservice operators, contact Andrew Marshall, Wholesaler-Distributor Relations and External Partnerships at (202) 303-3407.

K-12 School Foodservice Partner X-Change Connects Produce Suppliers with School Menu Planners

Additional Press