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

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• Prepare product availability and pricing forms to help market your products andrespond to requests for quotes or bids from schools. Include seasonal availabilityand pricing for all varieties, sizes, and packs of products you grow and market.Tool: Pricing for school meals programsTool: Completing product availability and pricing formsTool: Sample product availability and pricing sheetTool: Sample vendor questionnaire• Gather and include copies of documents pertaining to inspections, certifications,insurance, and/or food safety in your bid packet. If you can, provide contactinformation of other customers who would be willing to offer positive references.• Understand how your bid will be evaluated when you respond to schools’requests for quotes or bids. Review typical criteria for evaluating and selectingbids, and describe how your products stack up. Determine which value-addedservices you can offer, like participating in school visits or school fundraisers, andinclude those services in the marketing materials and bids you submit to schools.Tool: Sample evaluation criteria for selecting vendors• Submit your bid to prospective customers.Step 4: Develop Contract or Agreement with Schools• Invite new customers to tour your farm/business before you begin sellingproducts to them, and ask for a tour of the schools’ food service facilities.• Meet face-to-face with school food service directors to determine your mutualneeds prior to establishing an agreement or contract. Be sure to discuss anordering schedule, delivery and packaging requirements, and payment terms.Co-write agreements or contracts with your new school customers. Be sure todiscuss the best methods for maintaining contact (phone, email, or fax) andsharing news about new products or services. You can use a sample invoice inAppendix III as a template for invoicing school customers.Michigan State University • C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems • www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu6 of 47
Step 5: Begin Selling Your Products to Local Schools• Stay in regular touch with school customers to ensure customer satisfaction,maintain a good professional relationship, and notify them of new products orservices.• Be proactive, and keep the value-added services coming! Offer to visit schoolclassrooms and cafeterias to do educational programs and/or taste tests withstudents. Offer to host school field trips at your farm. Suggest products that maybe particularly suitable to school fundraisers. Develop clear plans for any of theseopportunities before discussing them with school customers.AppendicesI: “Buying Local – Approved Food Sources for Food Establishments” fromMichigan Department of AgriculturalII: School Food Programs and RegulationsIII: Sample InvoiceMichigan State University • C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems • www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu7 of 47
Page 2: Michigan State University • C.S.
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 and 22: Step 1: Get Started - Insurance Con
Page 23 and 24: Step 1: Get Started - School Food B
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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