Buyer + Supplier Meet-ups
The Buyer + Supplier Meet-ups are a collaborative effort of partners of the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition Procurement Strategy Team. The meetings provide a venue where school and child care nutrition professionals and Iowa food producers can build their networks and ask questions related to local food procurement.
The network has scheduled four meetings in 2025. The meetings are open to school and childcare food service staff who are making purchasing and programming decisions for their districts and participating in Child Nutrition Programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Iowa farmers, producers, processors, local food aggregators and distributors currently selling into school markets are also welcome.
The networking meetings are intended to give:
School and childcare food service direct access to suppliers on the calls who are selling local foods to schools and childcare. Buyers are encouraged to come with their specific needs and wants.
Suppliers direct access to school food service directors and managers who are making purchasing and programming decisions for their districts and participating in USDA's Child Nutrition Programs. Suppliers are encouraged to come prepared with their product availability and information on how schools and childcare can procure their product(s).
Meetings will be held on Zoom. Contact information can be exchanged during calls through the chat function. These calls will not be used for advertising or making specific purchasing/supplying agreements.
Questions?
Buyers should contact:
Brenda Windmuller, Education Program Consultant
Iowa Department of Education
515-681-5752
brenda.windmuller@iowa.gov
Food Producers should contact:
Teresa Wiemerslage, Food System Specialist
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
563-794-0599
wiemer@iastate.edu
2025 Topics and Registration
August 21: Celebrating Local Foods. Get ready to share about plans for Iowa Local Food Day, Great Apple Crunch and Choose Iowa Sourcing. Register here.
September 11: F2S Communication: How do schools find farmers and how do farmers approach schools? Hear communication tips from schools and farmers who have successfully connected. Register here.
October 9: Promoting Farm to School beyond the cafeteria. Hear about classroom visits, virtual field trips, taste-tests and other activities. Register here.
November 6: Sourcing Local During Winter. Learn what Iowa foods are available all year and how procurement planning is a helpful strategy for year-round purchasing. Register here.