The below content replicates the content of the physical exhibit at CSU Spur. It can be used for reference, language translation, and additional accessibility.
Distribution: From farm to fork
Food needs to reach customers (like you!) once it’s ready to eat and enjoy. The system of how food is sold and transported from where it is grown to where you get food is called distribution. Distribution channels can extend from county, to state, to region, to country, and even between continents! Food is usually put into one of the following categories for distribution:
- Resources (animal feed, seeds, fertilizer, machine parts)
- Processed commodities (foods like flour, sugar, fiber, cornstarch)
- Fresh foods (fruits and vegetables)]
Image caption: The distribution channels in Colorado can range from railroads to the interstate to country roads.
Where does this meal come from?
Ingredients in a recipe can come from many different places around the world.
While you can get many foods grown close to home or work, we also get different types of food from other states and countries depending on the season and the type of climate the food needs to grow.
Green Chile Beef Burger with Sweet Potato Fries
All of these foods grow in Colorado, and they can also come from around the world!
- Wheat: Canada
- Beef: Argentina
- Green Chile: Mexico
- Onion: India
- Cheese: Netherlands
- Tomatoes: Turkey
- Lettuce: Spain
- Sweet potatoes: Nigeria
Panel C
Distribution is how we get food from where it is grown or produced to you! Many different people and transportation methods like trucks, boats, and planes make food distribution possible.
Careers in Distribution
There are many different jobs that help distribute food to the community! These can include figuring out new ways to keep food fresh and safe while on its journey to you, coordinating where food should be delivered, and transporting food across the world.
- Food Bank
- Grocery Store
- Food Shipment
What meals can you make?
Many different foods grow in the United States and around the world. The distribution stage of the Sustainable Food System helps us get the ingredients we need to make all kinds of different meals.
Use the ingredient pieces to create a meal you or a friend would like. Try making a meal with ingredients from the different circles on the map.
Where does food come from?
Distribution helps get food to as many people as possible. Can you make a meal using ingredients from the first two circles around Colorado? How about the largest circle?
- Avocado
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Beef
- Broccoli
- Lettuce
- Corn
- Wheat
- Chiles
- Sweet Potato
- Tomato
- Potato
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Rice
- Chicken
- Beans
- Fish
- Squash
- Carrots
- Pineapple
- Peach
- Apple
- Bacon
Distribution for Food Access
Many people and communities here and around the world don’t have access to healthy foods. We can all work together to solve this challenge.