We liken the current momentum of the Salad Bar movement (in its most basic form shown above) to Newton’s first law of motion: The acceleration of a body is parallel and directly proportional to the net force acting on it. In other words, the more momentum we add to the momentum that we’ve already established, the more we will keep this campaign moving forward and at a more rapid pace and thus, keeping salad bars available to schools, available to children across America and available…to you.

Let’s recap the momentum build, shall we?

Momentum has been building behind the Let’s Move! Salad Bars to Schools campaign for the last three years. Those that believe donating a salad bar is the right thing to do have donated. And those that embrace the notion that salad bars will turn the dial on fresh produce consumption are rightfully optimistic about the future. But, there’s still a chasm to be crossed and only continued momentum will get us there.

Now is the time, more than ever, for fresh produce companies (growers and their suppliers and their customers) to consider the salad bar initiative as a sustainable way to give back to our communities and directly increase demand for our products. Why? Because never has the demand been greater for salad bars. Consumers and educators have caught on to our message of health, nutrition and the importance of adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to our diets. In fact, we have more schools requesting salad bars than we have people wanting to give them.

We have united as an industry, for one cause, to do what is right for the whole of our nation. And what we’re finding is that, by helping others, we inevitably help ourselves. Donating a salad bar to a school not only helps the children and school involved, it helps produce companies, too. Just look at this case study where one district’s salad bars directly increased sales for fresh purchase orders.

And, never have we had a greater opportunity to leverage the momentum that pop culture is serving us on a silver platter. With our biggest advocate, Michelle Obama, engaged and at the helm of the Let’s Move! Salad Bars to Schools campaign for another four years, we have the muscle we need in Washington D.C. to continue our efforts with a voice. .

Try as you may, the facts are there. Whole Foods has been a major contributor to the momentum building for salad bars and their latest effort, Salad Bar Nation, will work to raise $5,000,000 to fund 2,000 salad bars for schools. Produce Marketing Association’s recent efforts to on board with salad bars is a key indicator that the early majority evolution is upon us. Are we correct in our assessment?

Invest in a salad bar in 2013. Then, keep investing in salad bars each year. This continuous effort will prove to be beneficial for the children of our nation and for our industry as we work to increase fresh produce consumption one salad bar at a time.