Extension > Family > Farm to School > Minnesota Toolkit for School Foodservice > Sourcing Food > Sourcing Carrots
Sourcing Carrots
Finding Local Food
- Local Foods Partnership online searchable database through the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. It includes a wide range of food products from farmers mostly in northwest, western, and central Minnesota.
- The Minnesota Grown wholesale database lists Minnesota farmers interested in selling their products to schools. You can search online by product type and by region.
- The Land Stewardship Project has a Farm Directory for schools looking to purchase sustainably raised foods.
- Food Alliance Midwest is a national organization that certifies farmers who follow sustainable farming practices. Contact Bob Olson, the director of Food Alliance Midwest, for assistance in finding farmers: 651-265-3682
- Pride of the Prairie farmers have experience in selling to retail food buyers. For assistance in finding farmers, contact Terry VanDerPol: 320-269-2105.
Carrots are widely available in the late summer and fall in Minnesota. Carrots are a root crop that stores well. There are a number of farmers in the state who have climate-controlled storage areas that allow them to offer carrots for most of the winter.
Regulations on Buying Carrots Directly from Farmers
Minnesota state laws permit retail establishments and food services to purchase raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables from any farmer who is selling the produce of his or her own farm.
Best Time to Buy
Order carrots in August, September, or October. Carrots are a good storage crop. If you are fortunate enough to have a farmer in your area who has storage facility, talk to that person in September or October about the possibility of carrot deliveries in November and December.
Food Buying Guide Specifications
Reference: Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
Food As Purchased (How the Product Can Be Purchased) |
PurchaseUnit(How You Should Order the Product) |
Servings per Purchase Unit(How Many Servings You Will Get Per Purchase Unit) |
Serving Size per Meal Contribution(For Each Meal Component Category) |
Amount Needed to Buy of the Purchase Units for 100 Servings |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carrots, Fresh Sliced Peeled Ready-to-Use Carrots, Fresh Sticks Ready-to-Use (1/2-inch by 4-inch) |
Pound
Pound |
12.6
15.4 |
¼ cup raw vegetable slices (5/16 inch slices)
¼ cup raw vegetable (about 3 sticks)
|
8.0
6.5 |
1 pound AP = 3 1/8 cups ready-to-serve or cook carrot 1 pound AP = 3 ¾ cups carrot sticks |
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