August 06, 2025 by 4P Foods

In partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), 4P Foods is an aggregator and distributor for the Virginia Farm-to-School program. This important program promotes opportunities for school nutrition programs, food hubs and local farmers to work together to increase the volume of locally grown foods served in school cafeterias. Thanks to our partnership with VDOE 4P Foods was able to deliver local food to 644 schools in Virginia in 2024.

Benefits of Farm-to-School programming includes:

• fresh and nutritious meal options for Virginia students
• community interest in Virginia Grown products
• increased market opportunities for farmers

Students learn about the seasonality of produce through the Harvest of the Month and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), the importance of supporting local agriculture and the benefits associated with reducing transportation costs and protecting farmland.

Regenerative, local ground beef in schools

4P Foods delivered regeneratively raised, local ground beef to Virginia Public Schools in 2024. Some of that ground beef was sourced from Triple E Farm, a regenerative farm in Romney, WV that both nourishes people and the soil. They use farming practices that build soil health and boost the nutritional content of their crops and protein. They raise grass-fed beef and dairy cattle, pasture-raised chicken and turkey, and forested pork.

Triple E Farm 100% grass-fed ground beef made it to schools like Berkley Glenn Elementary School in Waynesboro, VA where it was made into delicious meatloaf.

Case Study: Supplying local food to Fairfax County Public Schools

For the past two years, 4P Foods has been working closely with Fairfax County Public Schools Food And Nutrition Services to bring locally and regionally sourced food to school cafeterias in their county. We are working with Fairfax County Public Schools Food And Nutrition Services mainly through two Virginia Department of Education programs: The Centralized Local Procurement Pilot Program and The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. In 2024, Fairfax County Public Schools spent $600K in the regional food system earning them our 2024 Farm to School Leader Award.

4P Foods supports menu planning via seasonality calendars and communication and planning with our network of growers. Schools can better support farmers by letting them know months in advance how much the school will order of what fruits and vegetables. This planning brings consistency for both the schools and the farmers.

However, nature can sometimes get in the way, and that is where 4P Foods comes in to support. For example, if flooding ends the heirloom tomato season early, our account managers and procurement team can suggest a suitable substitute or track down more tomatoes from a regional partner. Flexibility is important in a resilient regional food system.

“We really appreciate the partnership with 4P Foods. We are able to give these students really great healthy local nutritious foods.” -Lindsay Capo, Fairfax County Public Schools , Food & Nutrition Services Operations Specialist

 

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) brings fresh fruit and vegetable snacks and nutrition lessons to children at eligible elementary schools for free. FFVP encourages children to try new foods, learn about seasonal produce, and set healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.

Fairfax County Public Schools has 10 schools participating in the FFVP. Students at these schools receive 3 fresh fruit or fresh vegetable snacks per week while school is in session. For the Fall semester, students received Ramatazz Grapes from North Carolina and Kiwi Berries from Pennsylvania as part of 4P Foods regional sourcing efforts.

The Centralized Local Procurement Pilot Program

Funded through a USDA Supply Chain Assistance grant, The Centralized Local Procurement Pilot Program (CLPPP) was a program set up to “strengthen regional food systems and avoid supply chain disruptions.” This program gave Virginia Public Schools room in their budget to source locally for items such as seasonal fruit, salad greens, pasture-raised ground beef, and so much more.

Through the CLPPP, Fairfax County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services set up a salad bar in every school in their county. That is 200+ schools being served local greens and local fruit every school day!

Case Study: Partnering with Prince William County Public Schools

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCPS) received our Emerging Leader in Farm to School award for 2024. This award celebrates a school system who is building orders around seasonal produce and locally sourced protein and dairy. They embrace the changing seasons and enjoying a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, they are not only supporting local farmers, but also promoting a healthier and more sustainable food culture.

Looking ahead to 2025, the PWCPS nutrition team toured the 4P Foods warehouse in Warrenton, Va. and met with 4P Foods CEO Tom McDougall to discuss more opportunities to get local food into school cafeterias.

Make school meals an opportunity to fuel kids’ curiosity and interest in the local food system! 4P Foods makes it easy to feed kids healthy, local foods at lunchtime to support the important work their brains are doing. Visit 4PFoods.com/wholesale/farm-to-school for more information.