Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Application Response Waiver 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently approved Minnesota’s request to waive the response requirements for SFSP applications through July 31, 2021. Under this waiver, MDE now has 45 days to approve or deny complete SFSP applications and is no longer required to respond to incomplete SFSP applications within 15 days. For more information, please review Minnesota’s SFSP Application Response Waiver. 

The SY 2021–22 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods spring store will be open Monday, March 1, through Friday, March 26. School Food Authorities (SFAs) may place orders using the FDP2 platform in the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System 2 (CLiCS2). To assist with your planning, the USDA Food Products section in CLiCS2 provides a list of items being offered. 

SY 2021–22 SFA entitlements have been completed. As stated at the Tuesdays @ 2 webinar, entitlement was estimated using meal counts from the 2018–19 program year. For entitlement adjustments or transfers, please contact our office at fns.fdp@state.mn.us. A detailed explanation of the ordering process, entitlement and other Food Distribution Program matters is available for review on our recent webinar Ready, Set, Shop 2021. (Note: Once you register, you will be taken directly to the webinar.)  

For assistance with your CLiCS2 login, email mde.fns@state.mn.us using the CLiCS User ID Request Form. SFAs planning to participate in the Department of Defense (DoD Fresh) Program for the first time must submit a DoD Request to Participate Form. If you have questions or require further assistance, send an email to fns.fdp@state.mn.us or call (651) 582-8526. 

Meal Bundling Considerations When Operating Multiple Learning Models 

As schools transition from full distance learning to a combination of learning models (in-person, hybrid, and distance), there are a few issues to consider when providing multiple-day meal boxes:  

• In order to ensure students do not receive more than one meal (such as breakfast) per day over the course of the week, schools may need to distribute different multi-day meal boxes depending on the student’s learning model. For example, consider a school that has begun serving meals at school and distributes the same seven-day meal box to both distance learners and hybrid learners. In that case, the hybrid learners would receive more than one meal/student/day over the course of the week because they would also receive meals when they are in-person learning. 
• All students should be offered equal access to meals, no matter the learning model they are utilizing. For example, if the school is offering a seven-day meal box to students opting to continue distance learning, then in-person learners should be offered a two-day meal box for the weekend, in addition to the meals they receive at school. 

Tuesdays @ 2 Webinars  

Join school nutrition staff for a training webinar every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Read session descriptions and register for Tuesdays @ 2 webinars. 

• Special Provision Options for Schools (March 2, 2021) 
• Meals in the Classroom – Best Practices (March 9, 2021) 
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Application Overview (March 16, 2021) 

Minnesota School Nutrition Association (MSNA) Webinar Series

Join MSNA in their 2021 Nutrition Series – a virtual training opportunity for members to earn Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits and learn from peers who are experts in the field of child nutrition. Topics include kitchen safety, cooking skills, menu building and much more! Weekly webinars will be offered until April 7. Learn more and register for the 2021 Nutrition Webinar Series. 

School Garden Grants Available through the Whole Kids Foundation 

Driven by the idea that kids who grow veggies are more likely to eat veggies, schools and non-profit organizations will be awarded grants of $3,000 to turn outdoor spaces into hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity about gardening and fresh food, and support classroom curriculum. The program supports both new and existing educational gardens. For more information, see the Whole Kids Foundation website.