Extension > Family > Farm to School > Minnesota Toolkit for School Foodservice > Sourcing Food > Sourcing Rhubarb
Sourcing Rhubarb
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.
Rhubarb is one of the first crops to be ready in the spring in Minnesota, and it continues to be available through most of the summer. Rhubarb does not store very long fresh, but it can be readily frozen and the frozen product is easy to use.
Regulations on Buying Rhubarb Directly from Farmers
Minnesota state laws permit retail establishments and foodservices 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 fresh rhubarb in April for delivery in early to mid-May in most of the state. In the far north, rhubarb might not be available yet in May. If you have adequate freezer space, purchase quantities of rhubarb in June when it is most abundant, and freeze it for use in the fall and winter. Freezing rhubarb is very easy: wash the stalks, cut them into 1" pieces, seal the pieces in plastic bags, and freeze. Frozen rhubarb can be used 1:1 in place of fresh rhubarb in any recipe.
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) |
Purchase Unit (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhubarb, Fresh Without Leaves |
Pound |
6.2 |
¼ cup cooked fruit, sugar added |
16.2 |
1 pound AP = .86 ready-to-cook rhubarb |
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