Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) Calculation
MPLH is an important metric when determining the productivity of your food service operations. MPLH can help determine how many employees or how many scheduled hours per employee are needed daily, supporting budgeting for labor needs. View IDOE's MPLH Resource for more information.
Team Nutrition Incentivized Training
As a part of the 2022 Team Nutrition grant, IDOE is offering 40 hours of free virtual training for directors and managers, and eight hours of free training for frontline staff. Training topics include meal pattern, components and dietary specifications, menu planning, food preparation, procurement, and more. The training for frontline staff is available in English, Spanish, and Hakha Chin. All training is housed in Moodle, so it is easy and free to access.
The first 250 frontline staff who complete eight hours of training by May will be awarded $100. The first 250 directors and 250 managers who complete 40 hours of training by May will be awarded $500. Additionally, participants will be eligible for school nutrition promotion packages and directors who complete the training will be eligible for subgrants for their programs.
All training hours for frontline staff are available now. Employees can begin at any time and each employee must do the training individually to be eligible. Several modules of the 40 hour training are available for directors and managers to begin taking now. Please review the instructions for accessing and completing the training and read through the FAQ .
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USDA Farm to School Census Due Sunday, December 31
USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has contracted with Decision Information Resources (DIR) and Mathematica to conduct the 2023 Farm to School Census with all sponsors that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) nationwide. An email was sent on Monday, October 2, from Farm2SchoolCensus@dir-online.com with a link to the census and instructions. When completing the census, provide information about your school food authority (SFA) for school year 2022-2023. The census will be open through Sunday, December 31, 2023. It is important that all SFAs participate, regardless of their participation in farm to school activities. Please email the project team or call toll-free at 866-986-2230 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET with any questions.
FDP 2.0 Update
Due to unforeseen circumstances, IDOE is postponing the FDP 2.0 rollout until further notice. Schools should continue to complete food distribution program transactions such as placing USDA Foods orders, annual pre-order surveys, and inventory management in CNPweb. IDOE will notify schools via this newsletter, and the CNPweb update and message screen when FDP 2.0 goes live.
Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program
It’s time to submit your school’s DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program allocation request for school year (SY) 2024-2025. Schools must complete the form that applies to the appropriate School Food Authority. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m. ET. DoD allocations are deducted from your school’s USDA Foods entitlement before the annual pre-order survey opens.
Click here if your school is on the DoD program for SY 2023-2024.
Click here if your school is not on the DoD program for SY 2023-2024.
For more information on the DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, please visit the IDOE DoD Fresh Website, view IDOE’s three-part DoD series in Moodle, and/or review the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and DoD Fresh comparison chart. Contact Cheryl Moore with questions.
Holidays and E-Learning Day USDA Foods Orders
Please remember that it is mandatory to have school staff available to inspect, verify and accept all USDA Foods orders that are placed. This is especially important for orders placed during e-learning days, school breaks and holidays. State-assigned warehouses Dilgard Frozen Foods, McFarling Foods, Stanz Foodservice and Wabash Foods are contracted to deliver Direct Delivered (Brown Box) USDA Foods to schools between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. local school time.
Verification Summary Report (VSR)
Join IDOE for a VSR training session that will walk participants step by step through the report on Thursday, December 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. Register here.
Claims Payment Delay
Because October is a new fiscal year for federal programs, October claims payments are delayed. IDOE is working quickly to process claims payments in a timely manner. Please contact the School and Community Nutrition finance team with questions. Your patience is appreciated.
Farm to School Map
We are building a Farm to School Map! Do your schools have a school garden, hydroponic tower, agriculture education program, or procure local food? We want to know about it! Please email Sophie Lindley for information on how to add your school to the list.
Indiana Food Day Survey
Did your school participate in this year’s Indiana Food Day, focusing on local proteins? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please complete this brief survey on Food Day 2023. Contact the Farm to School team with questions.
Milk Shortage Guidance
IDOE has been made aware of a milk shortage related to Prairie Farms; however, shortages can happen with any vendor at any time. Please save the following information for future use and reach out to your assigned field specialist with additional questions.
Under current program regulations found at 7 CFR 210.10(d)(2), 220.8(d), 225.16(f)(6), and 226.20(e)(1), state agencies may allow program operators experiencing milk supply shortages to serve meals during an emergency period with an alternate form of fluid milk or without fluid milk. Although program operators are expected to meet the fluid milk requirements to the greatest extent possible, supply chain disruptions, including disruptions that limit milk variety or affect serving size, would be considered a temporary emergency condition for purposes of this flexibility. Because juice is not a nutritionally valid substitution for milk, consider alternative sources of milk or serve water as a substitute, if necessary. Documentation of meals served without offering milk is required to be maintained on production records to provide USDA with valid data, if requested. School food service directors should reach out to their field specialist with questions.
Nutrition Education Resources from American Dairy Association Indiana (ADAI)
Looking for nutrition education resources? The National Dairy Council Fuel Up Learning Plan includes free downloadable resources aligned with National Health Education Standards. Each of the 4 units includes a lesson plan, activities and assignments, handouts, and vocabulary. Topics such as environmentally sustainable agriculture practices, how foods relate to gut health, and the connection between wellness and the practice of healthy eating are highlighted. There is something for everyone! Click here to learn more.
Upcoming Dates |
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Thursday, December 7, 2 to 3 p.m. ET
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VSR Training
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Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m. ET
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SY 2024-2025 DoD Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program allocation request due
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Sunday, December 31
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USDA Farm to School Census due
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Tuesday, January 2
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October 2023 claim deadline
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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