To our trusted School Food Service leaders and partners…
Happy New Year! We hope you had some well-deserved rest over the holidays and are ready to make 2026 another incredible year for farm to school. As we kick off this year, we wanted to reach out with some exciting updates and opportunities coming your way.
Bid season is here!
Spring bid season is just around the corner, and we’re here to help make it easier than ever. Bid Generator 2.0 is ready to simplify your RFP process! This FREE and easy-to-use online tool now supports General Produce, Local Produce, Local Milk, and Local Meat contracts. Whether you’re creating your first farm to school RFP or you’re experienced with local procurement, Bid Generator’s preset scoring options can guide you toward achieving your local food goals.
Last year, school districts across California awarded over $500,000 in annual contracts to local food hubs and family farms. Let’s make 2026 even bigger!
We offer FREE one-on-one assistance with school food professionals who want support through the RFP contract process for SY 2026-2027. If you’re interested, please email Michelle Duong at mduong@caff.org.
Start using Bid Generator today: https://www.bidgenerator.org/
Set your district’s procurement priorities to select fit vendors.
Fresh mandarins available starting February!
Winter is mandarin season, and two of our wonderful farm partners have delicious California-grown citrus available:
- Twin Tree Farms (Madera, CA): Sustainably grown Tango and Murcott mandarins available through April (Product Sheet, 1 pallet shipping minimum)
- Growing Healthy Fresh (Reedley, CA): Organic Murcott mandarins available February and March (Product Sheet, 1 pallet shipping minimum)
Supporting these family farms means bringing fresh, seasonal, locally grown fruit to your students’ plates while keeping dollars in our local economy. For more information, see the Product Sheets for the farmers’ contact information.
Farmer Sarah Weil and her daughter in their mandarin orchard at Twin Tree Farms
Save the date! California Small Farm Conference 2026, Feb 22-27, 2026
Mark your calendars for our 38th annual gathering, a week of learning, inspiration and community featuring over 50 online workshops followed by a dozen in-person events around the state! Join farmers and small farm allies from across California for inspiring workshops, networking, and celebrating our shared commitment to local food systems.
Learn more and register: https://caff.org/conference2026/
Join our new Friend of the Farmer community!
Are you passionate about supporting California’s family farmers? We’ve launched a new mailing list and community for farm allies like you! Friend of the Farmer is your connection to updates, opportunities, and ways to champion the backbone of our local food system.
Sign up here: https://caff.org/farmerfriends/
CAFF’s Farm to School specialists, Claire “Eggplant” Tauber and Michelle “Avocado” Duong.
Looking forward
There would be no farm to school without dedicated leaders like you. Thank you for prioritizing our local food system and holding space for California’s family farmers. We’re excited to partner with you throughout 2026 as we continue building stronger connections between farms and school cafeterias.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the new year!
Thank you for supporting local farmers!
Sincerely,
CAFF’s Farm to School Team