Jeff Jobe from the USDA Rural Development program presents at the Fairfield workshop.

“Many of the distributors showed a sincere interest in working with the small producer, and are willing to go the extra mile to get local produce. I’m very encouraged by what I heard,” Hardy said.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to show up at a warehouse or supermarket with a truckload of watermelons.

“They really like producers who want to sell to them to come to them first, even before they have products ready, to work out an arrangement,” she said. “They emphasized that they want a product with a story, something they can tell the customer about what makes this product special.”

Hardy said farmers should understand that food service distributors have customers with differing needs. Some primarily serve restaurants and health care facilities, while others might distribute to college dining services. She said national distributors often demand more product consistency and availability throughout the year, which can be a limiting factor for Iowa producers.

The information was presented to about 80 people who attended “Bridging the Gap” workshops in Fairfield, Atlantic, Sergeant Bluff and Waterloo during March. Also presenting were several farmers and representatives from Hy-Vee Food Stores and SYSCO Corporation.

Future grant activities include discussions with food service customers, production of web-based tools on forming producer supply networks, and availability for one-on-one consultations with producers. To get a list of food sales contacts or other information from the workshop, contact Hardy at (515) 294-8519, chardy@iastate.edu