US Edition‘Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating’ Aims to Get Locally Grown Food Into Schools
The program pairs farmers and cafeteria staff to expand local food purchases and improve traceability, with schools saying some items cost less than distributors.
- On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the Farm to Kids Roadshow held a "Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating" event at Bagley High School, connecting local farmers directly with school representatives to encourage purchasing local produce.
- Organizers design the roadshow to provide technical assistance in areas like Cloquet and Mankato, helping farmers navigate school procurement where local food access is difficult.
- During the event, farmers detailed their offerings and swapped contact information; Bjorn Solberg, representing potato farmers, praised the initiative for "traceability," saying it strengthens connections between growers and schools.
- While school budgets must remain profitable, Olson noted certain items like cherry tomatoes are often cheaper when purchased directly from farmers rather than distributors.
- Seasonality and summer school closures remain primary challenges for farmers, though the Minnesota Department of Education provides resources and further program information online to help navigate these obstacles.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Duluth News Tribune
‘Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating’ aims to get locally grown food into schools
BAGLEY, Minn. — Technically speaking, the March 19 Farm to Kids Roadshow event at Bagley High School could be called a “local producer-institutional buyer networking workshop.” But as Renewing the Countryside’s Brett Olson said, “that's a snooze.” Instead, Olson and his partners with Farm to Kids call the event “Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating.” It introduces farmers to school representatives so they can get some of their locally grown food into …
‘Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating’ stops in Bagley, aims to get locally-grown food into schools
BAGLEY — Technically speaking, last week’s Farm to Kids Roadshow event at Bagley High School could be called a “local producer-institutional buyer networking workshop.” But as Renewing the Countryside’s Brett Olson described, “that's a snooze.” Instead, Olson and his partners with Farm to Kids call the event “Farmer-Lunch Lady Speed Dating.” It introduces farmers to school representatives so they can get some of their locally-grown food into caf…
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