Extension > Family > Farm to School > Minnesota Toolkit for School Foodservice > Sourcing Food > Sourcing Squash
Sourcing Squash
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.
Buying Tips for Squash
Squash come in a great variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Zucchini and other summer-type squash will typically be available from mid-summer through the fall frost. Winter-type squash begin to get ripe in late August in the southern part of the state. Some farmers have storage facilities that allow them to keep winter squash for sale through February.
Regulations on Buying squash 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.
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 |
Servings per Purchase Unit |
Serving Size per Meal Contribution |
Amount Needed to Buy of the Purchase Units for 100 Servings |
Additional Information (AP = |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Squash, Fresh, Acorn, Whole |
1 Squash |
2.0 |
½ small squash baked in skin (about ¼ cup cooked vegetable) |
50 |
1 pound AP = .87 pound ready to eat cooked squash in skin |
Squash, Fresh, Butternut, Whole |
Pound |
5.40 |
¼ cup cooked, pared, drained, mashed vegetable |
18.6 Pounds |
|
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