Marketing Michigan Products to Schools: A Step-By-Step Guide

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Other• Crop insurance for compensation for crop failures or environmentally-relateddamage to crops• Motor vehicle insurance for farm trucks and other vehicles• U-pick operations may require special coverage or “endorsements”Michigan State University • C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems • www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu22 of 47
Step 1: Get Started - School Food BudgetsBefore embarking upon a farm to school or local food purchasing program, it isimportant to understand the conditions under which most school food service programsoperate. Below is a brief explanation of common procurement methods, fundingsources, and typical costs for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).ProcurementIf Michigan schools participate in the NSLP, they must join a consortium to receiveUSDA foods and contract for their processing. They may also participate in aconsortium to procure commercial (non-commodity) foods if they choose. The threeconsortia in Michigan are the Great Lakes Consortium (GLC), School Purchasing andResource Consortium (SPARC), and Macomb Oakland Wayne RESA (MOR).(Membership to MOR is limited to specific counties in southeast Michigan.)In order to maintain free and open competition, competitive bidding for best price and/orother criteria is required for all products a school purchases. Schools typically contractto purchase food from an average of four vendors, including:• One or two prime vendors known as broadline distributors (e.g. Sysco, GordonFood Service, VanEerden Food Service, etc.), which carry everything fromapples to napkins. Schools typically purchase 80-95% of their food from a primevendor to take advantage of early payments discounts and high volume rebates.Prime vendors typically require minimum orders of $250 - $500 and deliver a fewtimes per week.• Specialty vendors for produce, milk, and breadFederal FundingSchool food service programs that participate in the NSLP are primarily funded througha three-tiered federal meal reimbursement system, and commodity entitlement.Additional federal reimbursement is offered through other federal food programs suchas the Special Milk Program and School Breakfast Program.Children are eligible to receive free and reduced-price lunches based on their family’sincome level, based on a family of four 9 :• Paid meals: >185% of the poverty level ( > $40,793)• Reduced-price meals:130-185% of the poverty level ($28,665-$40,793)• Free meal:
Page 2: Michigan State University • C.S.
Page 7: Step 5: Begin Selling Your Products
Page 10 and 11: Step 1: Get Started - Farmer Self-A
Page 12 and 13: Tomatoes (cherry, slicing, etc.) T
Page 15 and 16: k. What are your requirements for p
Page 17 and 18: 3. House Packing Facility: receivin
Page 19 and 20: 5. Are baskets, totes, or other con
Page 21: Step 1: Get Started - Insurance Con
Page 25 and 26: • Utilities• Trash removal• E
Page 27 and 28: Step 2: Build Community Connections
Page 29 and 30: c. Numbers servedBreakfasts served
Page 31 and 32: Educate students about local food a
Page 33 and 34: Step 3: Prepare Marketing Packet an
Page 39 and 40: Are you available to visit school(s
Page 41 and 42: Appendix I - Buying Local: Approved
Page 43 and 44: Appendix II - School Food Programs
Page 45 and 46: Geographic Preference• Provision
Page 47: Appendix III - Sample InvoiceFarm N

Marketing Michigan Products to Schools: A Step-By-Step Guide

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