Earn Continuing Education Units (CEU's) for webinars

Did you know that USDA Foods webinars are eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the new Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals? Visit the Professional Standards site to download the Training Tracking Tool or view the lists of Learning Topics and Learning Objectives.

Archived USDA Foods webinars are available in the Food Distribution playlist on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service YouTube channel. View a chronological list of all topics from our recipe resources and USDA Foods ordering series on the Food Distribution Media list on the FNS Media page.

The Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals Training Tracker tool is now available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/professional-standards. This downloadable tool can be used to record trainings for school nutrition staff.  A user guide, instructional webinar, and technical assistance via telephone and email are also available. In addition, the link above provides an updated two-page flyer that summarizes key points from the Professional Standards Final Rule, as well as many other materials related to Professional Standards. Check it out today!

School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Convention Recap

USDA Foods presence was prominent in USDA Lane at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Convention (SNA ANC) Salt Lake City Exhibit hall this year. Exhibit participants were able to sign up for the new USDA Foods e-letter for schools, review the Foods Available List and talk to subject matter experts from the Food and Nutrition Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service. There was also a USDA Foods survey on prospective new foods. In addition, Food Distribution staff presented in several sessions; What’s New with USDA Foods, Maximizing USDA Foods in Your Breakfast, Supper & Summer Meal Programs, Roundtable Session, and Getting the Biggest Bang for your USDA Foods Buck. Hope you will be able to join us in USDA Lane in San Antonio, TX at SNA ANC 2016!

FNS Staff Visit High School Cafeteria

Before the school year drew to a close, FNS staff ventured down the street to T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Cindy Hormel, Director of School Nutrition Services for Alexandria City Public Schools, led a tour of the cafeteria and kitchen facilities that produce 1,600 meals per day. Hormel, who began her tenure in fall 2014, explained her efforts to increase participation in the school lunch program and provide quality, nutritious meals. Incidentally, T.C. Williams is the home of the 1971 state championship football team featured in the 2000 film "Remember the Titans," and Titan mascot pride still adorns the cafeteria and campus halls.

FNS staff then had the opportunity to scout out the food options and assemble their own reimbursable meals. Each day, themed lunch lines include the Titan Grille, Manhattan Deli, International Marketplace, Café Del Sol, and Just Pizza. Popular USDA Foods products include chicken, ground beef, DoD Fresh produce, peanut butter, and pizza using the cheese rebate. The school district is 61% eligible for free and reduced lunch, and some campuses offer supper, breakfast in the classroom, or universal breakfast. In addition to expanding access to meals during the school year and the summer, Hormel's goal is to increase nutrition education in the cafeteria and classrooms. Hopefully, the Titans will remember to make half their lunch tray fruits and vegetables!

Dark Green and Delicious: The Story of USDA Foods Frozen Broccoli

When the meal pattern changes went into effect for school meals, many States and school districts contacted USDA Foods to request additional dark green vegetable options. USDA responded by surveying school districts to determine which options they would be the most interested in and then contacting growers and processors to determine the current domestic availability of these products. Broccoli was a high priority for schools and had multiple sources of domestic production, so USDA launched the process to add frozen broccoli to the Foods Available List for SY12-13. Since it was introduced, this product has been extremely popular and USDA has received positive feedback from many States and school districts about the quality and versatility of this item. 

As with any USDA Foods product, the work does not stop after the product is introduced. It is important for our Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) partners to maintain relationships with vendors and growers so that our recipients continue to receive a high quality product when they need it and growers can anticipate recipient needs and be prepared to support them.  As part of this continuous learning and communication process, staff from USDA recently visited two broccoli growers in Central California to talk about purchases for the National School Lunch Program. This was an opportunity to discuss the market conditions and future demand, as well as listen to suggestions about how to better synchronize purchases with the growing cycles. Staff was able to see broccoli production from the field to the package with a tour that ranged from viewing the fields of freshly planted broccoli to harvesting, hand-trimming, blanching, quick-freezing, and packaging. Staff even got a chance to taste some broccoli fresh from the field!                                                                     

This behind-the-scenes work helps USDA to ensure a more reliable and efficient USDA Foods supply chain and is just one example of the work we do daily to support schools in serving high quality, nutritious, American-grown foods. 

High-protein (Greek-style) Yogurt Available to All Interested States

Protein products are consistently among the most popular items available to schools through the USDA Foods program. After two years of pilot testing, USDA has expanded the availability of the high-protein (Greek-style) yogurt to all interested States in SY 2015-2016!  High-protein yogurt provides an additional meat/meat alternate (USDA Foods Fact Sheet) option for schools, while also being a great source of protein and calcium for students.

USDA initially selected four States to take part in the yogurt pilot during SY 2013-2014. Additional states were added to the pilot in SY 2014-2015, for a total of twelve States during the second year. Participating states included Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.

During the spring of 2015, USDA surveyed school districts that participated in the pilot. Districts consistently received positive responses about the overall acceptability of the high-protein yogurt options available through USDA Foods. USDA also reviewed State feedback to ensure that States could effectively distribute high-protein yogurt using a variety of distribution models and geographic distances. Because high-protein yogurt is a refrigerated product with a relatively, short shelf-life, States need to use different ordering and distribution practices than they may use for other USDA Foods options.

States and school districts can choose among 4 ounce cups, available in vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry flavors, and 32 ounce tubs, available in plain and vanilla. All available options are reflected on the USDA Foods Available List for Schools. Product information is available on the USDA Foods Available List.  

USDA has made ordering and delivery schedules for SY2015-2016 available to States. School districts who are interested in USDA Foods high protein yogurt options should contact the appropriate State Distributing Agency.

The Importance of Destination Information

USDA contracts with vendors to deliver the foods offered through WBSCM. Purchase orders placed online constitute part of the contractual agreement with these vendors.  After a purchase order is awarded, unanticipated changes to the destination address or contact information initiate a process of contract modification, which consumes considerable time and administrative resources for everyone involved.

Understandably, some changes cannot be foreseen or executed before a contract is awarded. To allow sufficient time to make and communicate modifications, the following are recommended best practices for States (SDAs) and Recipient Agencies (RAs), if applicable:

1. Review orders in process to ensure the correct destination is identified.
2. Communicate destination changes at least 45 days prior to the start of the delivery period.  For example, destinations changes for the September 16 – 30 delivery window should be received by August 1. 

In the event a SDA needs to add a new destination or modify the existing contact information, FNS has set up a central e-mail address for updates to Ship-to information: WBSCM-Ship-To@fns.usda.gov.  Please note this address is for management of the master list of destinations and not for changes to destinations on orders.

For more information about USDA’s contract award dates for each school year, States and RAs are invited to review documentation published on the AMS Commodity Purchasing website:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/commoditypurchasing.  Solicitations are generally issued 30 days in advance of the anticipated award date or about 90 days prior to the start of the delivery period.

Connecticut’s Direct Delivery Pilot

Challenges of the short shelf life associated with the USDA Foods high protein yogurt pilot, compelled  Connecticut's Food Distribution Director to consider alternate delivery options outside of the State’s traditional State contracted warehouse.  Once-per-month deliveries through the State contracted warehouse would not allow school districts to receive and utilize the yogurt before its best-if-used-by date.  Because the school districts could order as little as 2 pallets of yogurt, they were able to accommodate direct deliveries. School districts that couldn’t accommodate direct deliveries had their yogurt delivered to their chosen distributors weekly. The success of this pilot convinced CT to consider this delivery method for other USDA Foods. 

The State implemented a direct delivery pilot with the 7 original school districts that participated in the yogurt pilot. These districts will receive their USDA Food deliveries either directly to their school facilities or to their chosen distributor. With the assistance of the State, school districts order according to number of cases/pallet sizes. The State’s experience with typical USDA Foods vendors helps them to calculate pallet sizes and number of cases.

This pilot will allow school districts to avoid case fees associated with the State contracted warehouse, receive weekly or direct deliveries, and avoid the 30-45 day delay associated with deliveries made from the State- contracted warehouse. 

Although the State will forego the per case administrative fee, the State will also spend fewer resources inspecting and conducting physical inventories at the State contracted warehouse, reducing their overall program costs.

What two reasons does the 1946 National Lunch Act preamble cite as the reasons for establishing the National School Lunch Program?

The National School Lunch Program was established as a matter of national security, to:

1- Safeguard the health and wellbeing of the nation’s children and

2- Expand the market with nutritious (domestic) agricultural commodities.

On August 13, 2015, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will host a webinar on USDA's Pilot Project for the Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables to provide details on how to become a vendor. During this webinar you will learn:

• Vendor Eligibility Requirements, the Application Submission process, and how contracts and payments to vendors are made.
• How the Pilot Project leverages participating school’s established relationships with growers, produce wholesalers, and distributors while encouraging new partnerships.
• The roles of Federal, State, and local agencies and various distribution scenarios.

The Pilot helps schools in eight states (California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin Connecticut, New York and Virginia) promote “local” purchases and farm-to-school initiatives. Click here to register today!