National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) celebrates importance of a nutritious school breakfast in fueling students for success. Mark your calendar and plan to celebrate your school breakfast program during the week of March 6-10.
Some ideas to celebrate include:
- Decorating the cafeteria
- Plan a 'specialty' breakfast to promote participation
- Contact local 'celebrities' or 'leaders' to have breakfast with students or help serve breakfast
You can find more about the history, benefits of breakfast and ideas on how to celebrate here: About National School Breakfast Week - School Nutrition Association
The School Nutrition Association has put together Social Media Tips for NSBW23. They can be found HERE.
We would love to feature some of your celebrations in our April 2023 Newsletter, so please send us your NSBW celebrations by emailing dpicnfd@nd.gov.
Even though our North Dakota winter is still going strong, it’s never too early to start thinking about summer. Applications for the Summer Food Service Program will be open in NDFoods in April 2023. We are expecting a return to normal operations with a few flexibilities that have been set into regulation.
Our office has reviewed area eligibility for all school sites and 2023 SFSP Site Eligibility List will be published on our website by February 1. Sponsors may only operate at sites that have been determined eligible. We have also received the SFSP 2023 Meal Reimbursement Rates which have been published on the NDDPI website.
Starting this summer, USDA has established a permanent non-congregate meal option. The non-congregate meal service is limited to ‘rural areas with no congregate meal service’. Sites must still be determined eligible to operate SFSP according to the USDA regulations. Over a 10-day period, a child cannot be provided more meals that are allowed for the same period in the SFSP. Non-congregate meals must meet all applicable state and local health, safety, and sanitation standards, and SFSP meal pattern requirements. NDDPI will establish a process for identifying gaps and barriers to reaching needing children and will use the USDA SFSP Rural Designation Map to determine rural counties in ND that may be eligible for the non-congregate option under SFSP.
For more information about the Summer Food Service Program, contact our office or tune into the Kitchen Counter Conversations on February 21st.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Updates
On February 21st at 2 p.m., we will hear from Melissa Anderson, SFSP Manager, as she provides updates to the 2023 Summer Food Service Program. See the section above for more information!
We hope that you join us for this Kitchen Counter Conversations as we prepare for the upcoming 2023 SFSP program year. As always, we will record this session and post it to our website after the event.
Use this link to join us on Tuesday, February 21st at 2 p.m.
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This was the headline of an article written in 2003 after the 58th Legislative Assembly passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 4018 that ‘urges publicly supported entities (including school districts) that purchase food to support North Dakota producers and processors by purchasing food products grown or produced and processed in North Dakota. The full resolution is available here: Enrolled SCR 4018 - 2003 Regular Session (58th LA) (ndlegis.gov)
Our newsletter in November 2003 to school food service professionals included this resolution but cautioned staff not to disregard federal regulations forbidding geographic preferences. This meant that the school could ask for local product, but it had to be at least equal in price and quality as other offered items. The school was forced to accept the lowest price bid.
The regulations on geographic preferences were eased in 2011 allowing school districts to request more local food options from their distributors and seek local food from their communities. Adding geographic preference in contracts allows the school to pay higher prices for local products.
It requires a bit of a mindset change to accept a somewhat higher price for local products. School nutrition professionals must operate on a budget to make sure that the school foodservice is not taking money from the general fund. “Every penny counts” when fitting a purchase into the budget. But consider that a local processor may be willing to package their product to fit a school’s need such as a 5-pound chub of ground beef instead of all ten pounders. A producer may give your program even more benefits by allowing students to visit their business or may take time to come into the school on a ‘show and tell’ day.
Local food will usually be fresher food than something that had to ride the rails for days to get to North Dakota. Fresher can mean more nutritious as well as more flavorful. There may also be yield differences because of the distance that food traveled or time from farm to fork. Students usually can tell when local food is used. We hear anecdotally that ‘students say it tastes better’ which should lead to higher participation in the meal program.
Buying local has one other consideration – keeping your dollar in the community will likely come around to benefit the school. Economic research shows that a dollar spent in a rural community circulates seven times before it leaves town.
Price, packaging and pride – all great reasons to support your local food producers.
We hope you display the 'pulses' poster during February.
If you have not done so yet, below are a few handouts you could have available for students in the cafeteria.
Activity Book | Northern Pulse Growers Association
Activity Book #2 | Northern Pulse Growers Association
Pulses are something that you are likely already including to help meet your "Bean, Peas and Legume" Vegetable Subgroup. Pulses include dried peas, lentils and chickpeas.
We have seen schools incorporating chickpeas, hummus or roasted chickpeas on their menu or salad bar. Some have been roasting their own chickpeas. Then you have the ability to choose your spices/seasonings. They are a fun 'crunch' to a salad.
Send us pictures of how you feature PULSES in February!
We hope you are proudly displaying the poster featuring 'soybeans' as a top product of North Dakota during March.
Amy Nelson from DPI was able to take a Soybean Farm Tour this fall from the North Dakota Soybean Council.
The North Dakota Soybean Council has educational materials that can be found here: Educational Materials (ndsoybean.org)
You may hear from the ND Soybean Council as they enjoy bringing educational materials into schools to support this local ND product.
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To view our full listing of the 2022-2023 SY Harvest of the Month planning information, check it out HERE!
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We are already planning our Back To School Workshops (BTSW) for this summer. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend one of the Workshop Days:
- Tuesday, August 1st Fargo - Ramada Hotel
- Wednesday, August 2nd Grand Forks - Canad Inn
- Thursday, August 3rd Minot – Grand Hotel
- Wednesday and Thursday, August 9th and 10th Mandan - Baymont Hotel
*NOTE CHANGES IN LOCATIONS:
- We only have ONE day in Fargo, as we added ONE day in Grand Forks.
- Location in Bismarck Area has changed; it is in Mandan at the Baymont Hotel
Registration information to follow.
NDDPI was awarded a 2022 Team Nutrition Grant!
The Grant Kick-Off will occur at the 2023 NDSNA Conference (May 31-June 2) and run through June 2024. In-person and virtual training options will be available for professional development.
This is an incentivized training focused on all things Meal Pattern related to promote understanding and confidence in your roles. This grant will offer two tracks:
- 8-Hour Track: Meal Pattern Breakdown is open to all Food Service Frontline Staff
- Receive $100 bonus if completed within 6 months
- 40-Hour Track: A Managers View is open for Directors and Managers
- Receive $500 bonus if completed within 6 months
Sub-grants will also be available in two categories:
- Assist with staffing costs to attend grant related trainings
- Equipment purchases related to post grant training implementation
Watch for more details and registration COMING SOON!
* This training is optional but encouraged! *
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