Many local farms are expanding their businesses by selling directly to schools and other institutions, writes Philip Gruber for Lancaster Farming. 

Jake and Becky Yohe deliver 100 pounds of ground beef from their Spring Hope Farm in Nottingham to the nearby Unionville-Chadds Ford School District each month. Another 150 pounds goes to Avon Grove School District. Sometimes they are asked to deliver extra, and the districts switch which of their schools get the beef from the local farm each month. 

The farm-to-institution marketing is organized through the Pennsylvania Beef Council program, and while it is a small piece of the couple’s overall business, it is no less important. 

“We were happy to be able to supply to the local schools,” said Jake. 

Farm-to-institution wholesale arrangements have become a growing trend, which is now a $14 billion industry that is larger and expanding faster than organic. 

The opportunities are there, from grocery stores and restaurants to schools and universities. Hospitals are also considered institutional buyers. These are especially attractive due to their interest in healthy eating as well as the growth in the “produce prescriptions” approach to managing diet-related diseases. 

Read more about Spring Hope Farm and farm-to-institution business in the area at Lancaster Farming. 

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on VISTA Today in March 2025.