Buy Local

Large volume buyers have many options for sourcing local Wisconsin produce and value added products:

Source local through a distributor

Contact IFM for information about distributors that carry Wisconsin-grown produce and local foods. And keep asking your primary vendor for local! Before they carry it, distributors must know that there is a demand. Be sure to discuss with a distributor how you define local. Do you want produce from Wisconsin, the Midwest, or 100 miles from your institution?

Buy from a local produce auction

Wisconsin produce auctions aggregate produce from local growers, resulting in a diverse selection of high quality product at wholesale prices. You do not have to attend the auction to buy – you can place an order by phone and the auction Order Buyer will purchase for you.

Purchase farm direct

Some institutions purchase directly from a farm or farm cooperative because they receive high quality products with a personal connection. Be sure to review your regulations (refrigeration, insurance, billing) with the grower. Contact us for information about farms near you.

Buy through the IFM Local Foods Program

You can source local year-round with value added products. Find producers of milk, cheese, beef and more through the IFM Local Foods Program. These producers have wholesale pricing, deliver, are Wisconsin companies, and use Wisconsin ingredients.

Find local producers through Something Special from Wisconsin

The Something Special from Wisconsin program lists producers of vegetables, dairy, meat, cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt and other more in their directory. These great Wisconsin items are all marked with the SSfW logo – a great way to highlight local product to your customers.

Buy local food online

Bid on local produce online! The website LocalDirt.com works like eBay for produce. It’s easy to use and may score you a great deal!

Buyer Links

Downloadable fact sheets and guides

Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation
View conversions of fresh product into portion sizes.
Internal Protocol Sample Fact Sheet
Sourcing locally may require developing new internal protocols. Use this sample fact sheet as a template to help prevent disruptions in your supply. It contains ordering, receiving, and contact info.
Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
Wisconsin Department of Public Health on Local Foods
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Farm to School
Food Miles: Background and Marketing

IFM Coalition Partner Associations

Wisconsin Local Food Initiatives

How food service directors
use local produce

"Replace what you are already currently using and processing with locally grown when in season, such as Waldorf and tossed salads, soups, omelets, quiche, casseroles."

"Integrate sourced items into your recipe files, and use them in your salad bar or as fresh cooked vegetables."

"Pick one item and create a signature dish around it."

"We use fresh summer offerings on the salad bar, or on the steam table and often in our prepared salads for our cafeteria customers and for our patients."

"Fresh fruits, vegetables and salads, cooked vegetable of the day, potato menu items, side dishes, etc."

"We created oven browned potatoes, cucumber salad, corn on the cob, and a vegetarian chili. We also use pumpkins for carving activities"

Sue Liebenstein, St. Mary's Hospital; Emmy Benson, Mendota Mental Health, with their local foods poster featuring Badgerland Produce Auction at the Wisconsin Dietetic Association Conference 2009. Photograph courtesy of Kathryn Lederhause.