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(877) TEX-MEAL (Se habla Español)
FandN Resources > Texas Farm Fresh > Tools for Producers
Farm to School — Tools for Producers
Direct Marketing to Schools
Farmers in a fieldIf you are a producer who wants to establish new markets for your fruits and vegetables, you can start by contacting our office. Today, school nutrition directors work to include more fruits and vegetables from local sources in their menus and have numerous resources to help them accomplish their goals. You will find that many school nutrition professionals are willing to work with you to establish supply lines for your products. Here are some resources to help you prepare for working with schools. 

Resources  Maximize 

Know Your Region’s Farm Fresh Market

These regional profiles use data collected from districts statewide to capture a snapshot of each regions activity. Information included on the regional profiles include food budget ranges, local food purchasing habits, and meal components most often bought from Texas producers/ranchers. Become familiar with your region’s Farm Fresh market!

Enroll in the Texas Farm Fresh Network
Gain exposure to schools and child care centers in Texas that are interested in purchasing local products through this free tool maintained by TDA. Joining the network is quick and easy. The only information needed to join is current contact information, distribution radius, and a list of products available to sell to schools and child care centers. Watch this short video to learn how to enroll today!

Producer Checklist
Use this checklist to prepare for meeting with a contracting entity to discuss establishing a purchasing relationship. The checklist includes pre-meeting considerations such as reviewing seasonal availability of produce, establishing price structures, and submitting a vendor application. The checklist also includes tips and discussion topics when meeting with a contracting entity. 


Farm to School Videos

These videos, produced by the University of Minnesota Extension program, feature local producers and distributors sharing tips for building successful farm to school programs. Topics include Marketing Your Farm Fresh Products, Partnering with Schools — Advice for Farmers, Local Farms & Distributors Working Together and Partnering with a Distributor — 5 Tips for Farmers.

 

School Food Service: A Market Place for Producers
Farm to School thrives because of great agriculture partners. If you’re a producer interested in selling to schools, this resource will help set you up for success.

 

School Food Service: A Market Place for Producers
 

Additional resources for producers can be found on USDA’s Farm to School Web pages.



Selling Directly to a School
Family Selling ProduceConnecting Texas Producers with Statewide Nutrition Programs
We’re making it simple for Texas producers to connect with local schools, child and adult care centers, and summer meal programs. Farm Fresh Network members provide a wide variety of seasonally available Texas-grown food products. Click here to learn more about joining!


Texas Food Companies Decision Tool
Selling to Schools
Try the tool now!
There are several avenues for selling food products to Texas schools. This tool will help guide you through two considerations when deciding whether school food service is a marketplace for your products and provide information about how a company can sell food products to schools. There are two questions at the beginning of the tool related to estimated annual gross sales and distribution capacity.


Federal and State Regulations

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Agricultural producers considering sales to schools, child care centers, and summer meal program sponsors, should review these applicable federal and state regulations and policies related to selling products wholesale. This list may not include all regulations applicable to your business.

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
FSMA shifts food safety regulations from a system that focuses on responding to contaminations to one that focuses on preventing them. FSMA was enacted on January 4, 2011, and authorizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take a preventive approach to food safety.

FSMA - Produce Safety Rule

TDA's specific role is through a cooperative agreement with FDA to advance efforts for a nationally integrated food safety system through the planning, establishment, and/or enhancement of state produce safety programs that encourage the safe production of fresh fruits and vegetables, and to promote understanding and compliance with the requirements of FDA’s Regulation “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption” (commonly referred to as the Produce Safety Rule). TDA is creating the necessary infrastructure and conducting grower outreach, education and inspections based on the FSMA regulation. Visit TDA’s FSMA – Produce Safety Web page for more information, resources and agency contact information.


FSMA - Preventive Controls for Human Food and the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food 
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is the regulatory agency for implementation of FDA rules related to manufacturing, warehouse storage, and transportation of food for human consumption. More information about the related policies is available through the DSHS website.

Meat Safety
An individual who contemplates engaging in a business slaughtering livestock and/or processing meat or poultry or meat or poultry food products should contact the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Meat Safety Assurance (MSA) Unit to determine whether the proposed business is required to have a Grant of Inspection. A Grant of Inspection is an authorization from DSHS to engage in a meat or poultry related business. More information is available through the DSHS website.

Bottled and Vended Water for food manufacturers, wholesalers, and warehouses

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) licenses businesses that process and bottle water in sealed containers. More information about the required Food Manufacturer license is available through the DSHS website.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Food Safety Program
This website, developed by Texas A&M’s AgriLife Extension Service, includes a variety of food safety resources, as well as information about upcoming training and events.

Additional resources can also be found on USDA’s Farm to School Web pages.



Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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