Extension > Family > Farm to School > Minnesota Toolkit for School Foodservice > Sourcing Food > Sourcing Tomatoes
Sourcing Tomatoes
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.
Regulations on Buying Tomatoes Directly from Farmers
Minnesota state laws permit retail establishments and foodservices to purchase raw, unprocessed grains from any farmer who is selling the produce of his or her own farm. A few farms in the state have licensed facilities for milling grain to produce flour. There are also some small mills that purchase grain from Minnesota farmers and produce flour.
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 (AP = As Purchased) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh, Cherry | Pound | 12.1 Servings |
1/4 cup whole vegetable (about 3 whole cherry tomatoes) | 8.3 Pounds |
1 pound AP = about 3 cups stemmed, whole cherry tomatoes |
| Tomatoes, Fresh, Whole, All Sizes | Pound | 7.6 Servings |
1/4 cup diced tomatoes | 13.2 Pounds |
1 pound AP = .87 pound ready to eat raw, diced tomato |
| Tomatoes, Fresh, Whole, All Sizes | Pound | 10.4 Servings |
1/4 cup tomato wedges | 9.7 Pounds |
1 pound AP = about 2 ½ cups ready to serve ½ inch tomato wedges |
| Tomatoes, Fresh, Small or Medium, Whole; Approximately 2 1/8 inch to 2 1/4 inch diameter | Pound | 8.53 Servings |
1/4 cup sliced vegetable (about 5 slices, 1/8 inch thick) | 11.8 Pounds |
1 pound AP = about 2 1/8 cups 1/8 inch, sliced tomato |
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