USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) manage
the USDA Foods program. Together, they have launched the USDA Foods Business Management
Improvement project, a broad effort to review and re-engineer USDA's
food procurement practices to improve the program for customers and
stakeholders.
A contract for BMI/BPR support was awarded in September
2015. The contractor will facilitate review of existing processes supporting
USDA Foods ordering, procurement and distribution and development of new
processes to improve efficiency and performance for the nutrition assistance programs.
A project kickoff meeting, held on October 22nd in Washington, DC, included
representatives from AMS, FNS, other federal agencies, and the American
Commodity Distribution Association. The meeting topics included an overview of
the process and methodology of the BMI and a high level schedule for the
project. Planning and project scope sessions will be conducted through the fall
of 2015, with process review and design sessions planned to start in early
2016. USDA is interested in participation from all State, Recipient, Industry
and Federal stakeholder groups. FNS will work with stakeholders to identify
participants who will represent their stakeholder groups effectively, can
commit the time required, and actively participate in the project.
New Faces and New (Virtual) Places at AMS!
Some exciting changes happened this summer at USDA’s
Agricultural Marketing Service!
First, AMS officially became home to all of USDA’s domestic
commodity procurement activities on July 26, when the Farm Service Agency’s
(FSA) Domestic Procurement Division joined the AMS team. Commodity Procurement
(CP) Program employees were delighted to welcome the 20 former-FSA
professionals to the new AMS “Kansas City Contracting Branch.”
Consolidating all of USDA’s domestic food procurement functions
into a single agency will improve efficiency and streamline operations.
Combined, the newly consolidated staff will purchase about $2 billion
of USDA Foods annually, everything from cheese and chicken to pasta and
peaches!
Only days after welcoming the new staff to the agency, AMS
launched a new and improved website at www.ams.udsa.gov. The new site features an
entire section called Selling Food to USDA where the public can find
information about AMS commodity purchasing, including USDA Foods product
specifications, requirements for federal contracting, and information on
current opportunities to sell to USDA. Take a look around the new site to find
out about other services AMS provides to support the marketing of American
agricultural products, including local food research and development, the
National Organic Program, farmers market promotion grants, and more.
Sign up for AMS Communications via GovDelivery!
At this time, procurement communications regarding domestic
dairy, grain, and oilseed products are being communicated through AMS
GovDelivery. To receive procurement emails for these products, please
subscribe at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFSA/subscriber/new.
Domestic meat, poultry, fruit and vegetable product activities
are still being communicated via AMSCPNews. To receive procurement emails for
these products, please subscribe at: http://info.ams.usda.gov/CPD/). AMS plans to
migrate AMSCPNews subscriptions to AMS GovDelivery in the future and have a
single listserv to all stakeholders. At that time, updated information for
receiving the emails will be provided.
The Commodity Procurement Program welcomes its new employees from the Farm Service Agency’s Domestic Procurement Division, which recently merged with AMS: (First row) Trevor Wilson, Christine Gouger, Helen Rivera, Cheryl Davis, Jeff Jackson, Martha Johnson (Second row) David Jackson, Steve Bishop, Patty Wagner, Carol Givens-Verser, Bill Lang, Steve Mochel (Back row) Mary Mahoney, Shirley Clayton, Rachel Hight, Clyde King
Registration is now available for the Institute of Child Nutrition’s webinar, titled "Manufacturer’s Product Formulation (PFS): Is It Acceptable?," scheduled on November 10, 2015 at 11:30 am EST. During this webinar, USDA FNS Headquarters Child Nutrition staff will provide a step by step review of the Manufacturer’s PFS and hands-on activities to determine if the documents are acceptable. The target audience for this webinar is Regional Office Staff, State Agency Staff, and Industry.
A Manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement (PFS) is provided for processed products that do not have a CN Label. A PFS communicates how a product may contribute to the meal pattern requirements of the USDA’s, Child Nutrition (CN) Programs. During this webinar, HQ CND staff will provide a step by step review of the Manufacturer’s PFS and hands-on activities to determine if the document is acceptable.
To participate, please click on the link below to register:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/290381391041208577
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you are unable to attend the LIVE webinar, there will be a recording of the webinar available on the ICN website 24-48 hours after the live webinar. The recording will be located on the ICN website at www.theicn.org.
USDA's Commitment to Quality Foods
Across the country, schools are back in session. Here at the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), our inspectors and procurement specialists work
hard to make sure that quality, domestically-produced foods are delivered to
students and other recipients for our federal food purchasing programs. As
students are getting used to their new schedules, we would like to highlight how
our own little field trip shed some light on a typical day for some of our
employees.
A team of AMS employees recently traveled to Knouse Foods, a grower-owned
cooperative that supplies apple and cranberry products for federal food
purchasing programs. The employees saw first-hand how USDA inspectors help
Knouse and other companies verify the quality of their products. As the apple
sauce traveled through the facility, USDA inspectors pulled random samples to
make sure that they met product quality and condition requirements. All USDA
Foods are required to be inspected, and in this case, inspectors pulled samples
of apple sauce to evaluate traits like its color, flavor, and consistency. As an
independent third-party, the inspections help suppliers meet USDA Foods
requirements but they also can help them meet requirements from other
buyers. Read more
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“We create opportunities for American ag businesses,” said Casey Wong-Buehler, AMS Commodity Procurement Program Specialist. “Trips like this help us ensure that our procurement requirements provide a realistic framework for our vendors to successfully supply quality food.”
Using State Administrative
Expense (SAE) Funds for Food Distribution Expenses
SAE funds are allocated by FNS
to State agencies, in accordance with 7 CFR part 235.4, for administrative
costs incurred in the Child Nutrition Programs, including the Food Distribution
Program which provides USDA Foods to applicable programs. State agencies
are encouraged to use SAE funds, to the maximum extent allowable and
practicable, to minimize the charges imposed on school food authorities for the
storage and distribution of USDA Foods, and related administrative costs.
State agencies administering Child Nutrition Programs in the same State (e.g.,
the State administering agency and State distributing agency) should
communicate with one another regarding unmet funding needs. A State
agency may transfer any amount of SAE funds that are not needed to implement
its approved SAE plan to another State agency within the same State that is
eligible to receive SAE funds under 7 CFR part 235. State agencies should
work together to effectuate such transfers, in accordance with applicable
program policy and regulations, before returning unexpended funds to FNS.
For more details, including limitations on carryover of SAE from one year to
the next, see Policy
Memorandum FD-131.
Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians Administering FDPIR Starting in FY 2016
Welcome to our newest Indian
Tribal Organization (ITO), Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians! On October
1, 2015, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NC DOA) handed over
administration of FDPIR to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). EBCI
and NC DOA have been working together on the transition plan throughout the
prior fiscal year. USDA FNS Southeast Regional Office staff visited with EBCI
on September 15-17, to provide support and additional technical training to
EBCI staff. EBCI is excited to administer the Program in FY 2016.
This ITO has future plans to convert to a much larger warehouse using a
grocery store concept for FDPIR. In addition, plans are being made to
offer additional tailgate and home delivery opportunities to
clients.
EBCI Distribution Center
Receipting in FFAVORS
In July, a new receipting requirement in the Fresh Fruits
and Vegetables Order Receipt System (FFAVORS) was implemented. Previously, all items on an order were
automatically receipted after seven days unless a manual receipt was
entered. Automatic receipting could lead to inaccurate
drawdown of entitlement funds and/or improper vendor payments. All orders must now be manually receipted
within seven calendar days of the Requested Delivery Date (RDD).
Receipting is the process for confirming what was received
vs. what was ordered. The steps for
receipting are outlined in the FFAVORS WEB Ordering Manual, which can be found
via the “Help” link in the FFAVORS application. Receipting involves (1) updating the quantity received (if applicable),
(2) selecting a reason code for quantity update (if applicable), and (3) processing
the receipt.
The latest statistics show that approximately 92% of all FFAVORS orders are being receipted on time. Thanks to all recipient agencies that are manually
receipting. If deliveries are not receipted, the recipient agency will not be
able to place a subsequent order.
Questions about receipting should be directed to
the assigned Defense Logistics Agency point of contact or to the
FFAVORS Help Desk at: FFAVORS@fns.usda.gov.
FNS Staff Visits Apple Packing Facility
On September 29, 2015, Food
Distribution Division staff visited Bowman Fruit Sales a family owned operation
located in Timberville, Virginia. They grow, pack, and ship 13 different
varieties of apples. The apples are grown in family-owned orchards in
Shenandoah and Rockingham counties. Most of Virginia’s apples are grown
in the Shenandoah Valley due to the warm days, cool nights and consistent
rainfall that provides an ideal climate for growing many apple varieties. Apples are harvested from July through October. Apple production in
Virginia is approximately 400 million pounds a year. The apples are moved
into cold storage within hours of being picked which helps the fruit to
maintain peak quality. Bowman Fruit Sale's packing and storage facility, which includes
both cold storage and controlled atmosphere permits Virginia grown apples to be
packed 11 months of the year. The company sells apples at two local fruit markets,
distributes to several major retailers in the greater Washington, DC area and exports to
countries around the world. Bowman Fruit Sales offers local schools an
educational outreach program, “tree to table” to help educate children about
how apples are grown and move from the orchard to the table.
USDA FNS Headquarters Food Distribution Division staff attend the Bowman’s apple packing facility
Foods Costs from 1994-2014
Although food prices have increased over the years and the
program has added additional nutrition standards for the food products
available, USDA continues to purchase about the same quantity of food products
to continue to provide needed support for schools and Child Nutrition Programs. Looking at the total pounds purchased from 1994 to 2014, the total volume
of food purchased for Child Nutrition Programs stayed relatively stable at 1.04
billion pounds in 1994 and 1.08 billion pounds in 2014.
Food Distribution staff will be participating
in these upcoming national meetings in 2015. We look forward to these
opportunities to meet you and hope to see you there!
NERO/MARO CSFP Meeting - December 2-4, 2015 in Alexandria, Virginia
FDPIR Food Package Work Group Meeting - December 8-9, 2015 in Alexandria, Virginia
Here's how to sign up for these updates via GovDelivery:
1. Go to the FNS website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/food-distribution-programs
2. Click on the red envelope on the row of social media icons on the top right of the page.
3. Enter your email address and click "Submit."
4. Check the boxes to select your topics of interest. For these e-letters, scroll down to the Food Distribution category and click the plus sign to the left of the check box to expand the list and view all the sub-categories. Check these sub-categories to receive the corresponding e-letters:
*USDA Foods --> receive all "USDA Foods from Farm to Plate" general + program-specific e-letters
*Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) --> receive "Household Highlights" e-letter
*The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) --> receive "Household Highlights" e-letter
*Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) --> receive "FDPIR Connection" e-letter
*Schools/Child Nutrition Commodity Programs --> receive "Spotlight on Schools" e-letter
5. Update your subscription preferences any time by following the above steps or clicking on the Subscriber Preferences Page link at the bottom of any of the e-letter email messages you receive from GovDelivery. Questions? Contact us at USDAFoods@fns.usda.gov
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