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San Diego County launches 'Sprout' program to boost local food sourcing under Cisco contract
Summary
County staff told supervisors that procurement changes and a new 'Sprout' technical-assistance program will help small local farms sell into the county's $12 million food contract with Cisco, including steps to lower insurance and packaging barriers and to increase organic and locally sourced produce.
San Diego County officials on March 3 described early progress in using the countywide food contract with Cisco to expand purchases of local, organic and regenerative food.
Staff said the county spends roughly $12 million annually through the Cisco contract, about $1.6 million of which is for produce. To increase local sourcing and advance board policy B75 (sustainability and local sourcing priorities), county staff and Cisco have launched "Sprout," a technical assistance and outreach effort that provides growers with guidance on food-safety training, grant writing, procurement steps and opportunities to connect with Cisco’s distribution channels.
Assistant Director Garrett Cooper (Agriculture, Weights and Measures) told supervisors the county has shifted from broad outreach to targeted onboarding: Cisco has begun working with a San Diego egg supplier and lowered the insurance requirement to $500,000 for that vendor to participate. Purchasing and contracting staff said they amended the Cisco contract to allow direct purchases from FreshPoint (Cisco’s specialty-produce distributor) and that Cisco agreed to waive certain fees to reduce costs for organic options.
Brenda Miller (Purchasing and Contracting) said staff will track six B75 value categories — organic/regenerative agriculture, local sourcing, nutritional co-benefits, equity-informed sourcing, elevated labor standards and low carbon intensity — and report back with metrics. Cisco also committed to providing quarterly updates on San Diego–based suppliers and to help identify value-aligned vendors.
UC Cooperative Extension and hospital system representatives praised the approach. "This program deepens our collective commitment to a food system that is sustainable, equitable, and rooted in local producers," Chandra Richards (UC Cooperative Extension) told the board. Supervisors expressed support for ambitious targets and asked staff to maximize opportunities for local aggregators and community farms.
The board voted unanimously to receive the report and asked staff to return with a progress update in December that will include Sprout implementation, local-supplier onboarding, and performance across the six value categories.
Why it matters: County purchases can provide stable markets for small farms and help shift institutional menus toward more nutritious, sustainable choices. Staff emphasized that changing procurement practices requires adjusting contracting terms, logistics, and early demand signals so growers can plan crops.
