1. Great Lakes Regional
Farm to School Meeting
October 28, 2013
Kymm Mutch, MS, RD, CD
Regional Learning Lab Project Director
A Program of Public Health Solutions

2. Moving F2S into the Cafeteria via
Procurement Practices
• School Food FOCUS
• The Upper Midwest Regional Learning Lab
• Who we are
• What we are working on
• Understanding Procurement Pathways
• Supply chain research
• School district engagement
• Specifications for HRS foods
• How we are helping districts with Geographic Preference
• Harrison Institute for Public Law
• Regional Produce RFI
• Examples of progress

3. The Power of the Public Plate
Photo by Cynthia Torres

4. School Food FOCUS
… is a national collaborative that leverages the knowledge
and procurement power of large school districts to make school
meals nationwide more healthful,
and sustainably
produced.
regionally sourced,

5. Process Of
Procurement
Change
Peer
Learning
Supply Chain
Discovery
Procurement
change
Policy

6. FOCUS Approach and Values
It’s all about relationships

Participatory and stakeholder-driven

Comfort with, or at least tolerance for, not knowing

Co-learning and knowledge co-creation

Transformational leadership

Systems change

7. Upper Midwest Regional Learning Lab
• 2012 launch of first multi-district Learning Lab
 Builds on collaborative methods and lessons learned
in single-district Learning Labs
 Redirects procurement toward more healthful,
regional and/or sustainable (HRS) foods
 Funders:

W.K. Kellogg

Kresge

Surdna

Lowenstein

Robert Wood Johnson

8. Regional Learning Lab School Districts

9. Upper Midwest Regional Learning Lab
Participating School Districts and Partner Organizations
State
School District
District Partner
Aramark
Healthy Schools Campaign
FamilyFarmed.org
Illinois
Chicago
•
•
•
Iowa
Des Moines
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Michigan
Detroit
•
•
Minnesota
Minneapolis
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Minnesota
Saint Paul
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Nebraska
Omaha
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition
Ohio
Cleveland
Ohio State University Extension
Additional Partners
Detroit Eastern Market
Michigan State University Center for Regional Food
Systems
Great Lakes Region Farm to School Network (staff located in Wisconsin)
Asian Food Solutions, Inc. (Headquarters located in Ohio)
Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative

10. Upper Midwest Regional Learning Lab
Student Enrollment for School Year 2012-2013
Photo Source: www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/6241138870/
Total Enrollment: 690,533 Students-Lunches served daily: 430,000

11. Regional Learning Lab Districts
Total Combined Food Service Operating Budgets for 2012-13 School Year
Combined Food Expenditures
Combined Operating Expenditures
Total Combined Operating Budgets
$215 M
$190 M
$405 M

12. A Simplified Food Supply Chain
Melanie Pullman, Food Supply Chain Management:
Economic, Social and Environmental Perspectives, 2012.

13. Supply
Chain
Discovery
• Determine Baseline
• Explore options within commercial market and USDA Foods.
• Be creative: include growers, processors and products that
do not currently serve the K-12 market.
• Reach out to all processors large enough to serve one,
some, or all districts.
• Investigate potential for local supply.
• Identify gaps in infrastructure.

14. Combined Districts’ Food Priorities:
…
Work Group
Food items to start working on
Turkey
Clean label turkey roast (whole or sliced):
1. Smoked (ham with natural or no nitrates)
2. Roasted
Beans/
Grains
1. Start with regionally grown and processed pinto beans in
shelf stable, not canned, packaging;
2. Move towards a more healthful burrito
Fruit and
Vegetables
Chicken
RFI/RFP template including Geographic Preference and
Cosmetically Imperfect Seconds for:
1. Fresh produce
2. Frozen produce
RLL decisions about chicken made within the National
Procurement Initiative (NPI)
1. RWA/MSS drumsticks
2. RWA/MSS chicken strips (like fajita without seasoning)
3. RWA/MSS chicken packed by part

15. Baseline Turkey Data
Number
SY2011 to 2012
Number of
Item Category of school
products
districts
Total Pounds
Total Dollars
Ham
Whole muscle
Hot dog
Lunch meat
Sausage
Patty
Ground
Bacon
Total
4
7
4
5
3
3
3
2
7
5
23
8
12
14
4
3
1
70
333,000
517,000
302,000
220,000
147,000
147,000
91,000
13,000
1,800,000
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
663,000
543,000
360,000
594,000
226,000
357,000
191,000
34,000
3,000,000
July 2012 to Dec 2012
Total
Pounds
32,000
231,000
141,000
191,000
60,000
58,000
117,000
2,800
834,000
Total Dollars
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
66,000
238,000
169,000
338,000
120,000
164,000
235,000
7,200
1,300,000

16. Baseline Turkey Data
Manufacturer
Jennie-o Turkey Store
Butterball
Foster Farms
Rose
J T M Food Group
USDA
Patuxent Farms
Conagra Food Sales
Ferndale
House of Raeford
Perdue
Midamar Corporation
Hillshire Brands
AdvancePierre Foods
Leons Texas Cuisine
Total
Jennie-O share
Number
of items
47
1
4
1
2
5
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
70
67%
SY2011-2012
Total Pounds
1,300,000
200,000
84,000
29,000
23,000
81,000
19,000
14,000
8,200
2,100
3,900
900
2,200
300
400
1,800,000
74%
Total Dollars
$ 2,400,000
$
230,000
$
130,000
$
68,000
$
47,000
entitlement
$
23,000
$
18,000
$
14,000
$
4,300
$
6,300
$
5,500
$
4,400
$
1,100
$
1,000
$ 3,000,000
80%
July 2012 to Dec 2012
Total Pounds
550,000
120,000
27,000
11,000
26,000
55,000
Total Dollars
$
960,000
$
150,000
$
46,000
$
25,000
$
52,000
entitlement
6,500
36,000
100
$
$
$
8,900
65,000
200
900
$
5,500
830,000
66%
$
1,300,000
72%

17. Baseline Bean Data
SY 2011 - 2012
July 2012 to Dec. 2012
Item Category
Number of
products
Number of
districts
Burrito
4
3
165,000
255,000
2
270,000
177,000
Chili
8
2
61,000
79,000
2
21,000
30,000
Refried
2
5
137,000
39,000
6
110,000
294,000
Great Northern
6
3
44,000
29,000
2
5,400
45,000
Baked
4
4
161,000
17,000
6
73,000
150,000
Black
5
4
64,000
14,000
6
25,000
63,000
Kidney
3
4
131,000
14,000
6
137,000
339,000
Pinto
6
4
72,000
5,000
4
6,500
28,000
Garbanzo
1
3
9,900
3,500
5
18,000
47,000
Blackeye pea
2
1
1,700
890
3
2,500
10,000
Lima
4
0
0
0
2
2,600
5,000
Navy
9
0
0
0
1
4,200
5,500
Grand Total
54
7
847,000
456,000
7
675,000
1,194,000
Note: Missing some data
Pounds
Number of
districts
Dollars
Pounds
Dollars

18. Baseline Bean Data
Dollar Usage
SY2011-2012
July 2012 to Dec. 2012
0
18,000
Manufacturer
Allens
Number of
products
1
Angelina's Appetizers
1
54,000
24,000
Assltonsdm
Basic American
Bruce Foods Corp
Bush Bros.
Captain Ken's
Conagra Food Sales
El Pasado
Foster Poultry Farms
Kelley Bean Company
Knorrkerry
Lakeside Foods
Los Cabos
Michigan Maid
Monarch
Private Label
Ready Foods Inc
RFS-cedar Rapids
USDA
Weigh Brothers
Grand Total
1
3
2
8
2
3
3
1
1
1
5
4
1
1
2
1
1
11
1
54
9,800
10,000
2,300
34,000
13,000
1,400
36,000
32,000
0
4,000
17,000
170,000
0
2,600
3,300
0
0
6,800
61,000
456,000
6,500
14,000
8,200
124,000
26,000
23,000
0
0
2,100
0
272,000
153,000
800
0
0
3,500
3,400
$517,000 estimated
0
1,194,000
Note: Missing some data

19. Common uses in School Meals:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Baked beans
Bean chili
Black bean & corn salsa / salad
Salad bars
Hummus (mixed reviews)
Dried peas and lentils (little use)
Source: www.nuggetmarket.com
Source: www.simplyrecipes.com

20. Produce Baseline – a work in progress

21. Initial Thoughts on Fruits & Vegetables:
• Kale
• Roasted Root Veg
”
• Berries
• Frozen regionally grown produce
• Cosmetically-imperfect regional “seconds”
Source:
edinburghselfcatering.wordpress.com
Source: commons.wikimedia.org

22. Produce Baseline Data
Total Dollars
Item Category
Kale
July 2012 to Dec.
2012
SY 2011-2012
0
0
Roasted Root Vegetables
15,000
6,400
Berries
300,000
140,000
Dark Green Vegetables
1,190,000
790,000
Red/Orange Vegetables
740,000
600,000
12,300,000
8,400,000
Grand Total

23. RFI for Local Fresh and Frozen Produce

24. Local Fresh and Frozen Produce RFI
Sought specific information:
1. Availability of local produce, including CIS
2. Capacity to aggregate, process and freeze
locally grown produce
3. Gaps in infrastructure that inhibit capacity
to serve large urban school districts
While projected pricing is requested, it is not binding and does not impact individual school districts current
procurement practice. Information from this RFI will be used to determine practicality of local produce
procurement and to develop a bid template for future local fresh and frozen produce that may be used by
the identified districts and other districts for the following school year

25. Cosmetically Imperfect “Seconds”
• What are they?
• Too large, small, or misshapen.
• Cosmetically imperfect (color,
scratches) but same nutritional quality.
• What are they not?
• Gleaned.
• Diseased or nutritionally
compromised.
Source: r3n3.net
Source: 123rf.com

26. Cosmetically Imperfect “Seconds”
• Why are we interested?
• Typically plowed under - environmental impacts.
• Cost savings
• (e.g. MPS & Organic Valley Squash).
• Avenue to access local/organic/sustainable food.
Source:
viroquafood.coop

27. Geographic Preference and Produce
• Geographic Preference Primer at
www.schoolfoodfocus.org
• UMRLL Districts’ procurement documents reviewed
and updated by the Harrison Institute for Public Law at
Georgetown University Law Center
• Clearly stated intent to value local purchases creates
awareness of local procurement

28. Supply Chain Conundrum:
Transparency vs Traceability
Transparency – knowing who/where product
comes from before the purchase is made
Traceability – knowing who/where product
comes from after the purchase is made
Transparency is the gold standard, traceability is the first step

29. Locally grown
Wisconsin
Harvest
Medley

30. Roasted Root Vegetable Blend
•
•
•
•
Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes
Carrots grown by Growing Power
Carrots grown on Sysco owned land
Partnership that is greater
than the sum of the
players involved!
Source:
edinburghselfcatering.wordpress.com

31. Roasted Root Vegetable Blend
• WI DATCP grant to develop local crops
• Goal: 100,000 servings to students in Oct.
Educational materials are available –
Contact WIharvestmedley@gmail.com
Source:
edinburghselfcatering.wordpress.com

32. Supply Chain Work in Process:
Farm to School via DoD Fresh

33. DoD Local Produce spend by State
Data from 2011-12 School Year

34. National Procurement Initiative for Chicken:

35. National Procurement Initiative (NPI)

36. Wanted: Healthier chicken—
on the plate AND in the environment.

37. NPI Combined Purchasing Power
15 NPI Districts’ Chicken Procurement SY 2011-2012
Commercial / Open Market
Total: ~$9.4 Million
=
USDA Foods / Commodity*
Total: ~$18.2 Million
* Includes direct diversion processing costs
$ 27.6 Million
GRAND TOTAL

38. Chicken Baseline: #1 center of the
plate protein served in School Lunch

39. NPI
Change
Goals
 Institutional procurement of chicken grown without
antibiotics or with minimal, safe, sustainable (MSS) use.
 Replacement of “formed” items (i.e. nuggets) made with
additives and fillers with minimally processed whole
muscle chicken.
 Increased use of fresh and fresh-frozen chicken.

40. Find us online:
www.schoolfoodfocus.org
Thank you.