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Indiana Grown seeking food suppliers in guide to schools
 

By STAN MADDUX

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — An aggressive push is underway to increase the amount of locally grown and processed foods in schools throughout Indiana – the strategy involves making it much simpler for schools to find local suppliers of fresh produce, meat, milk and other foods, said Heather Tallman, program manager for Indiana Grown.

Indiana Grown, a program under the umbrella of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, is partnering in the effort with Purdue University extension, the Indiana Department of Education and the State Department of Health.

"Our hope is by joining forces, all of us together can power up a group effort to just get a little bit more Indiana-raised and -grown and -packaged food in the school corporations. There's really no better time than now to do that,” Tallman explained.

She likes the potential of making a real impact for farmers, food processors and distributors, with Indiana having close to 600 school corporations.

Gene Matzat, an educator with the extension office in La Porte, said providing a list of suppliers to schools can't hurt. "It will certainly raise awareness for the local schools as to what type of things are available locally.”

Presently, food producers and distributors are being surveyed to see who's interested in selling to schools. Those parties and their contact information will be listed in a resource guide to be delivered to all of the school corporations in the state.

Producers and distributors wanting to be in the guide will be listed by county. Tallman said farmers and others in the food industry have until the end of the February to complete the online survey at www.IndianaGrown.org

Surveys are also being mailed to producers and distributors preferring a hard copy. “We want to make sure everyone has access to be able to fill it out,” she noted, adding the goal is to complete and start delivering the guides to schools in November.

Tallman said a handful of schools already purchase locally grown commodities, but many who might want to don't know and don't have time to find out who is available locally to help meet their food supply needs. She believes schools having a list of suppliers at their fingertips should lead to positive results.

“Our hope is that it's very impactful for Indiana agriculture,” she said.

All suppliers are eligible to be in the guide as long as their product or at least some of it is grown or processed in Indiana. The makers of ketchup and spaghetti sauce are one example of food processors eligible for the program, as long as some of the ingredients and activities related to getting it to market are grown or carried out in Indiana.

Matt Schafer, who raises about 90 head of cattle in La Crosse in the northwestern part of the state, said he plans to advertise in the guide. He doesn't have nearly as much beef as a school goes through, but the guide could work for small suppliers who join forces to meet the full needs of a school.

Schafer said a school customer could help farmers sell the rest of their unsold product and even expand, depending on demand. "You never know," he pointed out.

Tallman believes smaller producers will be able to compete with major suppliers in the effort because the volumes schools require would open the door for low- and mid-level suppliers to drop their prices by securing the extra business.

“What I would like to think is there could be some ‘economies of scale’ here,” she explained.

Matzat said another pricing advantage for local suppliers could lower transportation costs of getting their food to the schools. "Perhaps, through this, new markets will develop. It's a good thing," he said.

Currently, Indiana Grown has an online shopping guide. It's strictly a list for members to highlight the products they offer to individual consumers, like travelers who might want to swing by during their trip to pick up something.

Tallman said the new guide will be for members and non-members of Indiana Grown to list what they can provide to schools.

1/4/2019