March 4, 2025 Washington, DC – The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) BB #:378962 recently hosted the School Foodservice Partner X-Change, coordinating a series of virtual “speed dating” meetings that brought together produce companies and menu planners from several major-city U.S. school districts.
Over two days, 12 school districts connected with just as many produce companies, totaling more than 150 meetings.
K-12 foodservice professionals are not only involved with menu planning, procurement and nutrition education for school children, they are also some of the largest volume buyers in foodservice. Many of this year’s participants represent the largest school districts in the nation, serving anywhere between 30,000 and nearly 1-million meals each day.
Across the United States, 31 million children participate in the National School Lunch program each day, and students must leave their lunch line with at least one fruit or vegetable on their plate.
Considering that schools must offer a variety of produce options for students to choose from at lunch, as well as that many schools also offer breakfast, snacks, and an after-school meal program, there are significant opportunities for produce companies to service this customer.
“K-12 schools are the ‘largest restaurant in town’, “said Andrew Marshall, who leads the association’s engagement with the school nutrition operators, as well as with IFPA’s wholesaler-distributor membership. “K-12 foodservice leaders are balancing many factors to build nutritious menus that appeal to school children. Our ‘speed dating’ program connects these professionals directly to the produce industry, providing ‘line of sight’ to guide menu planning, procurement, and introducing these important operators to new and current fruit and vegetable offerings. Plus, with these meetings being virtual, everyone can participate from the comfort of their desk. here are few other opportunities that are as valuable and efficient.”
Participating school professionals represented 12 different districts including: Atlanta Public Schools; Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (TX); Douglas County School District (CO); Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD (TX); Greenville County Schools (SC); Little Rock School District (AR); Metro Nashville Public Schools; Montgomery County Public Schools (MD); MSD of Wayne Township School District (IN); NYC Dept. of Education (NY); Richmond City Public Schools (VA); and Southwest Foodservice Excellence/SLA Management (multi-state).
“These conversations were eye-opening,” said Ty Erling, account manager for RPE, a potato grower-shipper based in Bancroft, WI.
“I’ve been selling potatoes for 25-years, and talking with the school menu planners was definitely a learning experience. The volume of meals produced on a daily basis is wild. Plus, we’re excited about our baby potatoes for this customer segment – – easy prep, fast cooking, and kid-friendly sizes – – all make this a great option for schools looking to offer more scratch-cooked, healthy options.”
Companies participating in this year’s School Foodservice Partner X-Change, included: DNO Produce, Dark Side Equipment, Gaia K-12 Software, Grimmway Farms, HMC Farms, The Mushroom Council, Steinbeck Produce/Nature’s Reward, Okanagan Specialty Fruits/Arctic Apples, Cool School Fresh, RPE LLC, Sunkist Growers, Taylor Farms, and the IFPA Foundation for Fresh Produce.
“IFPA’s school-focused events have been a great way to connect school districts across the country with the people who grow their food,” said Jakob Smith, director of value-added sales for HMC Farms. “The virtual ‘speed dating’ sessions and the in-person interactions at the Foodservice Conference’s K-12 Summit are two prime examples, and we appreciate the opportunity to work together with the shared goal of increasing students’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables!”
IFPA will continue to bring together school Foodservice professionals and the produce industry at this year’s K-12 Foodservice Forum at the Foodservice Conference in Monterey, CA. Over the 3-day program, attendees will tour produce fields and processing operations; participate in menu ideation and collaborative discussions with industry and school colleagues; and explore the IFPA Foodservice Expo.
About the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our members’ prosperity by conducting advocacy, connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to take action with purpose and confidence. IFPA represents member companies from small family businesses to the largest international corporations throughout the global fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh-cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations.
Contact: Ashley Sempowski, asempowski@freshproduce.com, (202) 303-3406
