Indiana Farm to School Success Stories

Fischer Farms has begun selling our meats to schools in Indiana through both direct purchases from the school Food Service Director, but also when schools participate in the Local Food for Schools Program. This USDA program is administered in Indiana through the Indiana Department of Health and Indiana Grown for Schools. Qualifying schools can request to receive certain amounts of no-cost meats and produce that is from Indiana. The producers need to meet certain food safety standards, which Fischer Farms does. Schools can offset their costs in the lunchroom as well as open doors to make relationships with farmers and producers in their areas, which is something that is hard to find time to do in the day to day.

Through this journey of Indiana farm to school relationship building we have met SO many new people and learned a great deal about what it takes to get food from the farm to the lunch tray. It's not easy, it's not fast, and it takes a lot of patience and collaboration. Luckily, Indiana is full of culinary professionals dedicated to feeding our most vulnerable population local, fresh, healthy food- our school children.

Hear from a few of the many new Indiana farm to school friends we have made thus far, below!

Partnering with Fischer Farms has been great for our Farm to School program! Their commitment to providing fresh, high-quality meat ensures that we can serve meals that are both delicious and nutritionally sound for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. We love that Fischer Farms partners with one of our distributors!  It simplifies procurement and delivery. Working with a local producer strengthens our community connections and supports sustainable practices.  
Vickie Coffey
Nutrition Services and Healthy Schools Director
Richland Beanblossom Schools
Ellettsville, IN

We began our relationship with Fischer Farms as a result of the Indiana Uplands Winter Food Summit in February of 2024. While we were there, we had expressed our interest in finding local protein growers to help supply our school with products to serve our students. As we spoke about what we were seeking to the group gathered there I clearly recall Joseph’s eyes lighting up and a huge smile come upon his face when I asked if they thought they would be able to keep up with our demand for the school.

After the meeting we formally met Dave and Joseph, and they began to tell us more of their story and that of Fischer Farms. We were very excited to learn that they were local, that they cared about our environment and that they were truly a family farm. We have been blessed with a great working relationship ever since.

The folks at Fischer Farms are very genuine. As you get to know each of them you will find that the person you meet today is the same tomorrow. They are just good people who are working hard to provide the best product they can to their consumers. We had an Indiana Food Day in October of 2024. Heather came on site to our high school and spent a large portion of her day explaining to our students how the proteins we use in the cafeteria. It was fun to watch the kids interact with Heather as she invested her time and resources in helping our students learn more about how their farm helps bring food to our school tables. She met them at their level and delivered a great message to our kids.

We had the fortune of being able to visit the plant and the farm early in our relationship with Fisher Farms. You can tell quickly as you listen to them, and you walk with them on the farm that they truly care for the environment and are working to ensure that the current generation and many future generations at their farm are good stewards of their resources and are protecting the environment. It has been fun to watch just in the time we have been involved with them to see how far they have come in being able to present a more honest narrative of how their cattle can be produced with great benefit to the environment. I love to watch and hear the passion that Dave delivers as he speaks about what they have learned and what they continue to learn about their process on the farm. I have not had a conversation with Dave yet where I did not walk away learning even more interesting facts about food and how it is produced.

Most important in any business relationship is to know that you can depend on the other party. We have come to know that the customer service which Fischer Farms provides to us is simply without reproach. As we began to use their products in student nutrition there were a lot of additional steps and requirements to be met in order to meet state and federal guidelines. They actively listened to what we needed today and where we felt we would have needs tomorrow. Without fail their team has been able to provide what we needed or worked to get what we needed and well within desired timelines.

We truly value the relationship with have with Fischer Farms. They have been an amazing partner and mentor to us as we have developed and grown our Farm to School and Indiana Grown programs here at North Daviess School Corporation. We have no doubt that as our program evolves, they will be here as a partner to us and are going to support us as we grow.
Timothy Stoner
General Manager -Aramark Education
North Daviess / North Knox / Loogootee, IN

At Damar Services, we are committed to providing high-quality, nutritious meals to the children and young adults we serve. Thanks to the USDA's Farm to School program, we have been able to place a greater emphasis on Indiana Grown products, including Fischer Farms beef and turkey.

Operating two schools in Indianapolis and serving three meals a day in our residential childcare facility, having access to fresh, locally sourced ingredients is essential. Our partnership with Piazza Produce and Specialty Foods has made it possible to receive Fischer Farms products nearly every day of the week, ensuring our meals are made with the freshest ingredients available.

We also greatly appreciate knowing that our proteins are being raised the right way, right here in Southern Indiana. Dave, Joseph, and the entire Fischer family have been incredibly transparent about their sustainable farming practices, and we truly value how much they care for the animals they raise and the environment in which they raise them.

The impact has been undeniable—our kids have truly noticed and appreciated the fresh options as we continue to reduce processed foods from our menus. We've seen a significant rise in both excitement and meal consumption, reinforcing our belief that fresh, local ingredients make all the difference.

We are proud to support Indiana farmers and provide our students with meals that are not only nutritious but also delicious. Fischer Farms has been an invaluable partner in helping us achieve our goal of serving wholesome, high-quality meals every day.
Seth L. Grant CDM, CFPP
Director of Food and Nutrition
Damar Services, Inc.

At Monroe County Community Schools in Bloomington, Indiana, we are proud to partner with Fischer Farms, a local beef and pork vendor that shares our values around quality and community. Their commitment to providing fresh, locally sourced products has been a game-changer for our farm-to-school program.

Thanks to this partnership, we’re able to serve our students high-quality beef and pork for meals that are not just nutritious but also delicious and appealing. Fischer Farms has been more than just a vendor; they’ve been a true partner in our mission to bring farm-fresh foods to our cafeterias. Their consistency, reliability, and willingness to collaborate have been key in helping us strengthen our connection to Indiana’s local food system.

Through this collaboration, we’ve seen increased engagement with our menus, pride in serving Indiana-sourced products, and a deeper connection between our schools and the farming community. Working with Fischer Farms shows how schools and local businesses can team up to make a real impact. We are excited to keep growing this partnership and expanding our farm-to-school efforts.
Matt Tomrell 
Director of Food Service
Monroe County Community School Corporation

One of my biggest continuous goals as the Nutrition Coordinator for MCCSC is to partner with local farms and create a culture of equity in the community. All kids, regardless of social economic status, deserve the opportunity to experience farm fresh food at the best quality. As a kid, I grew up on discounted cans of fruits and vegetables, cheap processed foods, and market special meat. I was a free lunch program kid, and my family relied on tight stipends from my father's military career or the bartering system to get our family of six by. I did not have access to nutritious meals until I started working in restaurants at 13 and learned how to process fresh caught fish from local fishermen. It is a mission of mine to change the negative stigma of school nutrition and provide the best meals to our 10,000 students. 

When looking to partner with local meat farmers, I knew that sustainability and transparency would be a top priority to me along with quality. I feel like we struck gold with Fischer Farms! The quality is superb, the open table (literally) feel of their business is unheard of these days, and how much research and effort they put into their farming practices to make it sustainable is immeasurable. To get all of this and student AND staff buy-in it is a no-brainer. I look forward to only growing with Fischer Farms and expanding kids' palettes.

Westley Penland

Nutrition Coordinator- Food Services

Monroe County Community School Corporation

This is a big THANK YOU and SHOUT OUT to the family and folks at Fischer Farms for supplying Indiana schools and families with the highest of quality products available to us. When we started receiving the meat products in April 2024, through the Farm 2 School program, I was completely blown away by what I saw. Everything we get delivered is top notch. I found myself searching for recipes just so that we could use the variety of meats they supply us. From turkey meatloaf, roasted pork loin, to smash burger patties, the students at Brown County Schools are getting highly nutritional meals from the best quality local product available! The pride they take in their operation is highly visible in the product they deliver! Thank you, again!

Don Hymer
Chartwells K12
Director of Dining Services
Brown County Schools

Stay tuned as we add more success stories here as well as a recap of our newest collaboration with the Southeast Dubois School Corporation! Read more about that here