Farm To School Project
Information for Farmers Interested in Participating

Growing Washington advocates for the coalition of farmers in our community and surrounding areas, securing demand from schools, businesses, and citizens. We know what products farmers have, at what time they have them, and at what price they are willing to sell. Farmers then transfer produce and products to Growing Washington at a slightly discounted rate. The discounted rate helps to pay for marketing and staffing the project, picking up foods from farms, separating into individual orders, providing cold storage, transporting the produce to local schools, and administering the project and all the associated details.

Growing Washington focuses its energies on the ground, coordinating transportation, cold-storage, and the actual exchange between farmers and those purchasing farm products. We vigorously seek out new clients for farms, create promotional and advertisement materials for farms, and ensure that both farmers and merchants (restaurants, facilities, schools etc.) receive a fair exchange.

Do you market your products at local farmers markets? If so, there’s a good chance that we’re there too. Taking advantage of farmers markets, where farmers already gather on a weekly basis, is a great way to make distribution of products from multiple farms more efficient. You pack a special order for a school or business in your truck alongside your market supplies, transfer it into our truck before or after the market, and we make sure it gets to its final destination fresh and on time! Growing Washington is currently initiating a farmers market-based collection and distribution program focused on combining food from all the market farmers to then deliver to schools and restaurants!

Our Farm To School Program Allows Farmers To Receive:
· Hassle-free, convenient transactions
· New markets(s) without the marketing
· Reduced transportation and storage costs
· Increased community exposure
· Marketing and promotional materials
· Sense of community service
· Vigorous promotion by Growing Washington

Growing Washington receives:
· Charitable project that has potential for self-sufficiency
· Reduced purchase price in exchange for services
· Tangible preservation and promotion of farming
· Project worthy of future funding and promotion

Feel free to call or email our staff if you have any questions about how you can begin to have Growing Washington bring your food directly to schools or other businesses and institutions in your area! While the barriers to entry are many and the fundamental challenges can be daunting, working together there are solutions!

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