Schools and Institutions
Schools and institutions have long been identified as potential markets for local and regional food crops. These markets have both generated greater interest and purchases during the past 20 years due to consumer interest, food and health policy initiatives, and changes in school and institutional purchasing and procurement systems. Large institutional buyers, from government entities to wholesale food brokers, expanded local and regional sourcing programs.
Key Requirements
| Marketing Time Required | Medium |
| Required Product Volume | Medium |
| Potential Sales Volume | Medium |
| Price Per Item | Medium-Low |
| Difficulty of getting into this market | Medium |
| Importance of Product Quality & Shelf-Life | High |
How do I get started in marketing to Schools & Institutions?
Selling to public schools will start with connecting with the local food service director. They will be able to give you a sense of desired product type, volume, pricing, and timelines for purchase. Larger institutions will also have someone responsible for purchasing. For help in scaling up and accessing larger markets in Kentucky contact the UK Food Connection or consider attending a MarketReady program.
Challenges
- In educational institutions, the traditional school-year does not overlap with the main growing season.
- Some institutions may have higher food safety certifications than you currently have.
- Producers transitioning from direct markets may struggle with volume and product quality expectations.
- Price per unit will be lower than direct markets.
- You may need larger transport/delivery vehicles than you currently own.
- Most school systems lack centralized food distribution so selling to multiple schools means delivering to multiple sites.
Opportunities
- May allow for larger volumes of product sales even if prices per unit are lower.
- Marketing time may be less than other direct market approaches.
- A producer may be able to focus on growing a small number of crops rather than the greater variety required by other market types.
- There are some incentive programs available to support local products going to local schools.