Supplying Local Food to Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia
October 29, 2024 by 4P Foods
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.
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. We are able to give these students really great healthy local nutritious foods,” says Fairfax County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services Operations Specialist Lindsay Capo.
What is The Centralized Local Procurement Pilot Program?
Funded through a USDA Supply Chain Assistance grant, The Centralized Local Procurement Pilot Program (CLPPP) is a program set up to “strengthen regional food systems and avoid supply chain disruptions.” This program gives 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. Sourcing from local farms will continue thanks to the USDA’s most recent $1.7 Billion investment.
Through the CLPPP, Fairfax County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services has 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!
What is the Fresh Fruit and 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.
FFVP falls under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which is a USDA assisted meal program designed to get nutritionally balanced lunches to school-aged children. In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Education administers the NSLP to Virginia Public Schools. The school divisions then work hard to source, cook, and serve lunch to students through agreements with the VDOE.