NEWARK, DE & WASHINGTON, DC - If you’ve ever been to a speed dating event, you know how hard it can be to find a match. That is why the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is here to help with connecting the buy- and supply-sides. The association recently coordinated a series of “speed dating” meetings to connect produce companies with menu planners and procurement officials from several major city U.S. school districts.

“This program brings together audiences that often do not speak with each other, bridging the gap to better understand school foodservice needs and interests,” said Andrew Marshall, IFPA’s Staff Liaison for wholesaler-distributor members, and Lead Staffer on engagement opportunities with the K-12 school nutrition community. “Increasing the variety of fresh produce that students are exposed to at school is a shared priority, and this ‘speed dating’ program is helping to jump-start these types of conversations, new ideas, and new partnerships.”

With 11 school districts participating, and just as many produce companies, IFPA helped to facilitate more than 120 meetings. The program, also referred to as a School Foodservice Partner X-Change, connects buyers and sellers for 15-minute meetings over Zoom. School administrators get to ask questions and share information about a range of topics, including menu planning, procurement, packaging needs, and their interest in nutrition education, a press release stated. Produce suppliers share their knowledge of the industry, while also highlighting their company’s capabilities and products, including bulk produce, fresh-cut items, ordering processes, and more.

In addition to traditional grower-shippers and fresh-cut processors, this year’s program included companies that provide schools with small-scale kitchen equipment for peeling and processing fruits and vegetables in-house, as well as a company that’s working with schools to provide vertical hydroponic growing towers with an accompanying nutrition education curriculum.

“As a company that services a range of foodservice customers, we value these meetings as an opportunity for interaction with school menu planners, many of whom are looking for new, on-trend slaws and veggie blends that mimic what their students see at local quick-serve and other restaurant formats,” said Crystal Chavez, Marketing Manager for Gold Coast Packing. "Sharing about our produce, where it’s grown, the importance of packaging technology to achieve maximum freshness, and then learning about how the schools plan their menus and prepare meals, we know we can be a solution for them.”

IFPA is once again planning to coordinate a K-12 School Forum programming track at the Foodservice Conference July 25–26.

Cheers to fresh produce connection!