Last week senior staff from USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) visited Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms' baby carrot facilities in Bakersfield, California to discuss details related to a possible purchase of baby carrots for schools in the fall. USDA started a pilot purchase of fresh-cut sliced apples earlier this year, and has indicated that it is also interested in purchasing individual packages of baby carrots for the school lunch program next year.

With the goal of offering more fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables to schools as part of its commodity purchasing program, USDA is expected to issue another invitation to bid for fresh-cut sliced apples and an initial invitation to bid for baby carrots by the end of the summer. United Fresh has worked closely with the industry and with AMS on this initiative for the last 2 years and hopes that fresh-cut apples and baby carrots will become nationally available to schools thru USDA's commodity purchases next school year.

For more information, please contact Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh Vice President of Nutrition and Health at 202-303-3400