UNSPSC 50401601: Connover's colossal asparagus

The variety of asparagus known as connover's colossal asparagus

UNSPSC 50401601 Connover's colossal asparagus is a Commodity code under which state and local governments buy fresh produce and prepared food items for institutional food service, primarily through their correctional, healthcare, and educational facilities. Recent solicitations show a dominant pattern of fresh fruits, vegetables, and food supplies procured for prison food warehouses, state-supported living centers, school nutrition programs, and senior services, alongside ancillary food service consumables such as containers, napkins, and serviceware. The issuing bodies span state departments of corrections and health services, county school districts, city departments of human services, and state-supported institutional facilities. Texas dominates recent activity, with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and multiple Georgia school districts conducting concurrent procurements. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, acting on behalf of TDCJ, issued IFB 304T-26-300CF in May 2026 for approximately 382 line items of cafeteria food products across five geographic warehouse areas, with responses due May 4, 2026; the Texas HHS Commission posted multiple IFBs for consumable foods at state supported living centers, including HHS0018082 for Lufkin (due October 23, 2026) and HHS0017799 for Mexia (due August 25, 2026), each covering food products and serviceware with estimated annual values in the $150,000 to $160,000 range.

Geographic concentration centers on Texas and Georgia, with recent opportunities from Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, and Alabama. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice issued four separate solicitations in September and October 2026 for fresh fruits and vegetables to regional food warehouses (Snyder, Wynne, Palestine) with responses due October 14 and October 19, 2026. Georgia school districts—Bryan County, Bartow County, Dougherty County, and Early County—posted produce solicitations between May and June 2026 with emphasis on local sourcing within 400 miles, unit-price bidding structures, and contract terms typically running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Illinois Department of Corrections sought fresh produce for Joliet Treatment Center (IFB 27426DOCJOLIEB53849, due September 3, 2026) under a small business set-aside with bi-weekly delivery requirements and prevailing wage compliance. Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin issued RFB 4163 (due July 29, 2026) for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks with 400-mile sourcing restrictions and a five percent preference for Wisconsin-certified diverse-owned vendors. Collier County, Florida, issued an ITN for food services at North Collier Regional Park (due March 6, 2025) with a 10-point local-vendor preference and three-year initial term. Pricing structures vary—most incorporate F.O.B. Destination with freight prepaid by vendor, firm fixed pricing for 30 to 240 days, and compliance with food safety regulations, E-Verify, and liability insurance minimums of $500,000 to $1 million.