Getting Started
The Oklahoma Farm to School Program wants to make selling food to Oklahoma’s Child Nutrition
Programs easy and help facilitate a partnership between producers and schools.
Explore Your Potential Farm to School Market
Choose a school that’s right for you and your business.
Schools and care centers across Oklahoma are eager to source locally produced food, and many are located near you. Start by reaching out to schools or daycares where you have personal connections—having a teacher or child in mind can be a great entry point.
To effectively market your products, learn about the schools you want to work with: What meals do they serve? How many students do they feed daily? Do they serve summer meals? What are their current food sourcing methods and distributors? Consider visiting the school or reviewing their menus online to get a better sense of their needs.
Explore and leverage the tools below to help you capitalize on the success of farm to school and forge new relationships.
The USDA Farm to School Census website is a great resource to find districts near your operation interested in purchasing local foods, along with details on current and future product preferences based on their census responses.
Getting to Know Your Local School Market Worksheet will help you identify current local food-purchasing practices in schools and districts in your area.
Required Approval for All Producers
All producers are required to complete the Local Food Vendor Application through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) website to become an approved vendor. Completing this application helps ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations.
Once you have received an email from ODAFF stating you are an approved vendor, you can start connecting and selling to local schools.
A list of producer requirements can be viewed below.
To ensure Oklahoma schools receive safe, wholesome, properly labeled meat and poultry products, the producer must be registered with ODAFF’s Food Safety division before being added to the approved list. Producers must list which state or federally inspected facilities process the products they wish to sell.
Send submissions to: Ron Hall ron.hall@usda.gov or Christy Shephard christy.shephard@ag.ok.gov
All producers of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms must be registered with ODAFF’s food safety division to comply with state and federal regulations before being added to the approved list.
Producers must submit official food safety certifications and proof of insurance if applicable. If a producer lacks certification, they can complete the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Course through OSU-FAPC.
Liability insurance is not required to be on the approved producers list but is recommended, as some schools may require it.
Complete the Oklahoma Produce Farm Registration form HERE.
After completing the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Course, email your certificate to: Justin McConaghy at Justin.McConaghy@ag.ok.gov.
Produce Safety Learning Opportunities
Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course
ODAFF collaborates with OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center to offer the Produce Safety Alliance curriculum statewide. To register for a course, call 405-744-6277 or visit the FAPC website.Oklahoma Produce Farm Food Safety Review
Oklahoma produce farms can receive a free, on-farm food safety review. Experts from OSU Extension and ODAFF will visit your farm to help identify improvements for produce safety and reduce foodborne illness risks. To request a review, please fill out this online form.Developing a Food Safety Plan and other Assistance
OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center offers support for developing food safety plans and addressing inspection-related issues or third-party audits. Visit the FAPC website for more information.
Producer must obtain a Small Egg Packers License and follow the requirements of the Oklahoma Egg Law. Eggs must be washed, graded, sized, refrigerated, packed in new cartons, and labeled.
Milk and other dairy products must be pasteurized and processed in a permitted facility that is inspected by ODAFF Dairy Inspection. For more information visit ODAFF’s Food Safety website.
Producer must process the produce in a commercial kitchen and abide by all Oklahoma Health Department regulations.
How to Sell to Schools: Four Paths
Schools purchase local products through various channels. Some buy directly from farmers or pick up orders at farmers’ markets, while others use distributors or acquire items through the USDA DoD Fresh program. Schools may also purchase processed, ready-to-eat items or raw ingredients for scratch cooking. Note that these methods are not mutually exclusive—schools may use a combination of them.
Click below to learn more:
Selling Directly to Schools
Selling directly to schools connects local producers with school buyers, forming a local supply chain. Producers market products to school districts and handle logistics like distribution and delivery.
Some school districts, charter, and private schools buy directly from producers, depending on the producer’s ability to meet volume, packaging, and delivery requirements. It’s important to align your capacity with the school’s needs. Schools may have varying demands (e.g., a large district might need only a few cases of jalapeño peppers per week for a taco bar).
Local food isn’t limited to the lunchroom, it can also be used in educational activities, special events, or fundraisers. If selling to the cafeteria feels too large a step, start with smaller opportunities to build relationships.
Schools follow specific procurement guidelines, often involving quotes, bids, or contracts. Some plan ahead for set quantities at set prices, while others work month-to-month. Delivery requirements vary, so be mindful of schools’ advanced menu planning. For more information regarding procurement guidelines and policies, refer to the Understanding School Procurement section below.
Start small, set realistic sales volumes, and create a delivery schedule that works for you.
Getting Started
Register as an Approved Vendor
All producers are required to complete the Local Food Vendor Application through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) website to become an approved vendor. For more information, please see the Required Approval for All Producers section above.
Accessing School District Solicitations
Solicitations are how school districts communicate about what products they’re looking for, when they need them, how much they need, and any requirements they have for potential vendors. There are several types of solicitations used by school districts seeking to purchase local products.
Informal solicitations do not require public posting. These can be conducted through direct outreach to producers with new or existing relationships with the school district.
Formal solicitations require school districts to publicly announce and advertise Requests for Proposals (RFP) or Invitations for Bid (IFB). These can be found on school district websites.
Meeting with School Nutrition Directors
If a producer cannot meet all the specifications in a school’s formal solicitation, or no bids have been announced, they can request a meeting with the school nutrition director. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the solicitation process, clarify questions, and for producers to share what they can offer, such as crop availability and volume.
School districts can have very different approaches to procurement, depending on the school nutrition program model and goals. Therefore, the individuals responsible for school food procurement can have many different roles and responsibilities. Here are some common titles for school buyers: School Food Authorities, School Nutrition Directors, School Foodservice Managers (FSMC), and Procurement Managers.
Once your meeting is set, be sure to prepare by reviewing the following documents and worksheets designed to help you prepare for the meeting.
Product Availability and Pricing Worksheet
Farm Bio Worksheet
Producer Checklist
Selling to Intermediate Markets that Provide Food to Schools
Schools often purchase local products through intermediaries like distributors, food hubs, and agricultural cooperatives. These organizations contract with school districts to supply specific foods, including local produce. During the procurement process, districts may request local products, and intermediaries are responsible for sourcing them. This simplifies purchasing for schools and helps producers who may not meet delivery or other requirements. While there’s no federal requirement for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification to sell to schools, some schools or intermediaries may require it.
- Local Food Cooperatives: Local food cooperatives are member-owned organizations, ranging from retail outlets to volunteer-run groups. They prioritize community benefits for both consumers and producers. These cooperatives can help schools by aggregating, storing, and delivering products. However, depending on their structure and mission, they may impose significant vendor fees and requirements.
- Food Hubs: Food hubs are local or regional businesses focused on financial viability while fostering positive economic, social, and environmental impacts. They aggregate products from multiple producers and distribute them to consumers, grocery stores, and schools. Benefits include supporting local procurement by handling aggregation, distribution, and marketing of regional foods, often across multiple school markets. Food hubs also assist with value-added processing and help producers meet certification and insurance requirements for school sales.
Wondering if a Food Hub is the right fit for your oper ation? Check out the Food Hubs: Considerations for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers | Oklahoma State University . Learn how Food Hubs work and how they can help you diversify your sales channels and reduce risk.
- Regional Distributors: Regional distributors, often small to medium-sized, local, or family-owned businesses, can play a key role in school markets. Benefits include reducing marketing burdens for producers, offering flexibility with smaller volumes and diverse products, and supporting wholesale practices for schools. They are a good fit for producers familiar with wholesale distribution and needing school-site support. Many regional distributors source from small, diversified farms, sometimes through food hubs.
However, working with distributors can be challenging for direct-to-consumer sellers. Key considerations include:
- Most distributors require a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or forward contract, with clear expectations.
- Food safety certifications, like GAP, and farm inspections are often mandatory.
- Discuss post-harvest handling and product quality standards in the contract.
- Distributors typically expect computerized invoicing, such as QuickBooks.
- Contingency plans for unforeseen issues (e.g., crop failure) should be outlined in the contract.
Working with the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (USDA DoD Fresh)
The USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows schools to use USDA Foods entitlement funds to purchase fresh, domestically grown produce for the National School Lunch and Summer Food Programs. This program partners the USDA with the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which contracts with commercial produce distributors to deliver produce to participating schools.
Producers interested in supplying fresh produce to schools through this program should work directly with USDA DoD vendors in Oklahoma or consult the “Market Fresh” contract for their state. To participate, distributors and producers must meet the quality and food safety requirements specified in the contract.
USDA DoD Fresh Program Factsheet
For more information, visit the USDA DoD Fresh website.
Becoming a USDA Foods Vendor
USDA Foods provides about 15-20 percent of the food served in the National School Lunch Program. USDA purchases American-grown fruits, vegetables, livestock, poultry, eggs, fish, grains, dairy, nuts/seeds, and oil for USDA Foods in Schools. Procurement is managed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) using competitive solicitation and award processes. Businesses (including farmers, fishers, ranchers, growers, and processors) must become approved USDA vendors to submit bids to supply USDA Foods. Producers can learn more about the AMS procurement process and how to become approved vendors at the AMS Become a Food Vendor webpage.
USDA Foods: A Resource for Maximizing Food Budgets To Buy Local Factsheet
Producer Resources
The following resources were created to help producers capitalize on the success of farm to school and help forge new relationships.
A comprehensive checklist that helps guide producers through the entire Farm to School process.
Product Pricing Worksheet
This digital template helps producers share available products and pricing with schools, making it simple to highlight what’s in season.
This fillable resource helps producers organize and share their farm’s story, products, and contact details for school buyers.
Getting to Know Your Local School Market
Use this worksheet alongside the USDA Farm to School Census data to identify nearby districts interested in buying local foods.
View All Resources and Factsheets
Understanding School Food Procurement
USDA regulations require School Food Authorities (SFAs) to ensure full and open competition when purchasing goods or services using school food service funds to effectively use federal dollars. Each SFA must have a written procurement plan, approved by the local school board, outlining the purchasing periods for goods, equipment, and services related to the Child Nutrition Program (CNP). The plan also details the procurement methods used and justifies the choice of each method.
By understanding this process, timeline, and channels through which schools get their food, producers will be able to forge relationships that benefit both their business and the school or care center.
Purchasing Methods
Informal Methods:
Micro-Purchasing: The purchase of products and services (similar or dissimilar, purchased once as a single, collective unit) whose aggregate costs do not exceed $15,000. No bid solicitation is required for one-time purchases under $15,000, but SFAs must document the vendor selection. If purchasing becomes regular, a bid process is necessary. When practicable, micro-purchases will be distributed equitably among qualified suppliers.
Federal Simplified Acquisition Threshold Procedures: Used for purchases under $350,000, requiring price quotes from at least two vendors and either verbal or written specifications.
Formal Methods:
Formal Procurement: Required for purchases over $350,000, involving public notification and a formal Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid process.
Procurement – The process of purchasing a product. Each school has a defined and regulated procurement process they must follow when entering into a contract to purchase a product.
School Food Authority (SFA) – The food school authority is the entity responsible for school food service operations and may or may not correspond to a school district.
The Child Nutrition Director (CND) – The person within a school responsible for preparing the budget, creating the menus, and procuring the food products.
Geographic Preference
To support local producers and simplify sourcing, the Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans final rule expands the geographic preference option for Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs).
CNP operators, state agencies purchasing for CNPs, and the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (USDA DoD Fresh) can now specify “local” when purchasing unprocessed agricultural products.
While geographic preference is optional, CNP operators can choose to require that products be “locally grown,” “locally raised,” or “locally caught” for program meals, snacks, and milk. They may exclude any products or bids that don’t meet this requirement.
What is a School Meal?
For millions of children, school meals and snacks make up more than half of their daily food intake during the school week. For many, these meals are not only a significant source of nutrition but also often the most balanced and healthy foods they receive in a day. School nutrition staff work tirelessly to ensure that children are provided with meals that are both delicious and nutritious, supporting their growth, development, and learning.
School meals are designed to meet rigorous nutrition standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These standards, known as the meal pattern, are based on the most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The meal pattern ensures that every school meal contains the right balance of essential food groups.
Fruits: A variety of fruits are included, often focusing on whole fruits, to provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables: Meals include a range of vegetables, including dark leafy greens, red/orange vegetables, legumes, and starchy vegetables, to support health and provide key nutrients.
Dairy: Dairy products are included to provide calcium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients for bone health.
Whole grains: Meals incorporate whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oats, providing fiber and helping to keep students feeling full and energized throughout the day.
Lean protein: Proteins from sources like beef, chicken, turkey, beans, and nuts provide the building blocks for growth and development.
School Nutrition Programs & Meal Service
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
NSLP provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. Schools receive reimbursement for meals served based on predetermined rates for free, reduced-price, or full-price meals. In return, NSLP institutions must meet federal meal pattern requirements and offer meals at a reduced price to eligible children. Schools can also receive reimbursement for snacks served in approved afterschool programs.
School Breakfast Program (SBP)
SBP provides low-cost or free, nutritionally balanced breakfasts to children in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It aims to ensure students who arrive without an adequate breakfast have access to one and to increase the number of breakfast programs in schools. Schools receive reimbursement for meals served at predetermined rates based on eligibility for free, reduced-price, or full-price meals.
After-School Snack Program (ASSP)
ASSP provides snacks to children participating in organized after-school enrichment or educational programs at schools running the National School Lunch Program. Schools can claim reimbursement for one snack per child per day. Programs in areas where at least 50% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals can receive reimbursement for snacks at the free rate. Other programs may receive reimbursement at free, reduced-price, or full-price rates, depending on the percentage of eligible students.
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
CACFP provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults in daycare centers, after-school care programs, emergency shelters, and adult daycare centers. Eligible public or private nonprofit childcare centers, Head Start programs, and other licensed daycare providers can participate in CACFP. The program offers two types of assistance: cash reimbursement for meals meeting USDA guidelines (up to three meals per day per child) and commodities donated by the USDA through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
The USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP)
FFVP provides K-8 students in participating schools with federally reimbursed fruits and vegetables as a snack before or after lunch. FFVP supports nutrition education, encourages healthy eating habits, and promotes local farming by sourcing locally. Schools deliver these snacks along with bite-sized lessons on seasonal produce, helping children try new foods and develop lasting healthy habits. Priority is given to schools with the highest percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Seamless Summer Option (SSO)
SSO encourages School Food Authorities (SFAs) to provide meals during summer and extended school breaks. It combines elements of NSLP, SBP, and Meals, reducing paperwork and making it easier to serve low-income children. Eligible public and non-profit private schools can apply, provided at least 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Sites can serve up to two meals daily, with federal reimbursement for each meal served.
Participation Beyond the Sell
In addition to selling products to schools, producers can play important roles in exposing children to agriculture and teaching them about food and nutrition. Educational opportunities such as farm tours or classroom/cafeteria visits might be a good fit. Sometimes schools can pay for these services through grants or other funding streams, but even if they can’t the relationships are mutually beneficial. You might benefit from a chance to teach students about the food system and healthy eating, creating future customers while getting to build relationships in a new potential market space. We all know that students who feel a connection to the local food served in their meals and snacks are more likely to actually eat it!