Wisconsin Growers

The USDA encourages schools to purchase locally grown, unprocessed, agricultural products. The state of Wisconsin considers any farmer to be an approved food source. However, it is beneficial for schools to establish a standard process for purchasing foods from local growers which can be based on current Standards of Practices (SOPs) for fruit and vegetable procurement from current distributors.

Please refer to the following documents for further information about purchasing local fruits and vegetables and look under Safe Food Handling for information on food safety and preparation.

• Geographical Preference, Bidding and Guidelines for Purchasing
• WI State Regulations for Buying Locally Grown Foods
• Eat Smart - Farm Fresh! - USDA guide to buying and serving locally grown produce

Use these links to find fruit and vegetable growers in your area:

• Chart of when Wisconsin grown produce is available
• Local Harvest - Database of local growers
• WI Farm Fresh Atlases - Regional farm
• WI Fresh Market Vegetable Growers Association - Additional farm listings for vegetables
• Savor Wisconsin - Wisconsin Food Products Search Engine
• WI Apple Orchard Locator
  • A Bushel of Facts about Wisconsin Apples - Activity and coloring sheets, apple history and information
• WI Berry Picking by Region
• WI Farmers Markets Directory
• WI Homegrown Lunch - Resources for Food Service and additional links to local growers

You may also contact your county's UW Extension Office which may be able to assist you with locating local farmers and producers.

For questions about this information, contact Julie A. Cox (608) 267-9206

Last updated on 1/9/2009 10:12:50 AM