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We appreciate all the hard work and dedication you put into ensuring our students have nutritious meals every day. Your commitment to providing healthy options and fostering a positive dining experience for our school community does not go unnoticed.
Your efforts play a vital role in supporting our students' well-being and academic success. From planning and preparing meals to serving with a smile, your tireless dedication creates a welcoming environment where students can thrive.
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Thank you for going above and beyond in your roles. Your passion for nourishing young minds is truly inspiring, and it makes a significant difference in the lives of our students every single day.
With sincere appreciation, The NDDPI Child Nutrition and Food Distribution Team
Continuing the Thanks...
We are happy for all those retiring ‘Lunch Lady and Lads.’ Thank you for your service to feed our children nutritious and delicious school meals during your careers. Many head cooks have told us ‘they should write a book’ of the heartwarming and funny things that kids have done or said while getting their meals. We would love to see the book if any of you write it!
While we are happy for those who are continuing on a new road in their life’s journey, we are also excited for the new person coming in to do the job. Remember that since July 2015, there have been hiring standards for the person who will wear the hat of Food Service Director. More info on the requirements of the Food Service Director can be found HERE. If your District has a new Kitchen Manager, please find the registration for our summer training below!
The goal of the FFVP is to create healthier school environments by:
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Providing healthier food choices
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Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience.
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Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.
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Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health.
This program is an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn healthier eating habits. The FFVP introduces school children to produce they otherwise might not have been able to sample.
Selected schools receive reimbursement for the cost of making free fresh fruits and vegetables available to students during the school day. These fresh fruits and vegetables must be provided at least twice a week, separately from the lunch or breakfast meal during the official school day.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Scott Egge at segge@nd.gov.
Providing outreach and awareness of summer meals sites is important and will help to ensure children can participate, getting the nutrition they need over the summer months when school is not in session. USDA works closely with states to gather summer meal site information to make available through the USDA Summer Meal Site Finder. The USDA Meal Site Finder will go live on May 3 and is updated weekly to include the most current meal site information.
All schools are required, under USDA regulation, to provide Summer Food Service Program site information to their enrolled families.
Schools must share the following information in letters home to parents, on the District webpage or on social media to help families find meals this summer.
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The hotline can be reached Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) (for English) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (for Spanish).
- Summer Food Service Program Outreach is required of all schools, not just those operating the summer program. Please make a Facebook post, add it to the website, or your newsletter to let your households know that summer meals are available all across the nation for children to access FREE! Reference the article above for Meal Site Finder Information.
- Afterschool Snack Program: The second ‘onsite monitoring’ must be done before the program ends for the year. Two copies of the monitoring form are in your red-covered Snack Production book. This is a handy way to store this program's yearly information.
- Calculate Excess Funds in the Non-profit School food service account. Remember that the ending balance of the school food service account must not be more than 3 months of operating expenses* normally. Please make this calculation and spend down any excess funds BEFORE reporting the end of the year balance to NDDPI-Fiscal. *The 23-24 SY 05 School Foodservice Fund can once again be 25% higher than normal because of the Supply Chain Assistance.
- A negative balance in the food service account is not permitted. Transfer non-federal funds to the school food service account to bring the balance to zero or positive.
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For more information on Excess Fund Calculations, along with an example, please download the information HERE
- Prepare all documentation for School Year 2023-2024 for storage. This includes all claim documentation, free/reduced-price meal applications, verification, menus, production records with CN labels or product formulation statements, onsite monitoring forms, and professional development logs with proof of civil rights training. Records are to be stored for 3 years plus the active year, so the records from 20-21 school year can be prepared for disposal on July 1 unless an audit is conducted with those records.
On Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, USDA released the long-awaited Final Rule for the new USDA Meal Guidelines. The good news is that all the new regulations will not need to be implemented until School Year 2025-26. Please stay tuned to our Newsletters, Trainings, and Webinars, as we plan to spend the school year 2024-25 training all the ND School Nutrition Professionals on how to implement the new guidelines.
Here are just a few highlights to note:
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Added Sugar – Beginning School Year 2025, product-based limits will be required for the following items:
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Cereals – no more than 6 grams per ounce
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Yogurt – no more than 12 grams per 6 oz (or 2 grams per ounce)
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Flavored Milk – no more than 10 grams per 8 ounces
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Beginning 2027-28, no more than 10% of total calories can come from added sugar.
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Whole Grains – No changes from current. 80% of all grains offered at breakfast and lunch must be whole grain rich.
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Milk – No changes. Schools can continue to offer flavored and unflavored skim and 1% milk.
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Sodium. No changes until 2027-28. Schools must continue to adhere to the Target 1A level sodium guidelines for the 2024-25 through 2026-27 school year. Beginning 2027-28, there will be a required 15% reduction in sodium at lunch and a 10% reduction at breakfast.
There are many other changes that we will be sharing during future trainings! If you would like to read all of the updated guidelines, they are linked here:
The Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application and the accompanying Household letter for the school year 2024-2025 will be on the Child Nutrition and Food Distribution website in May 2024. Most schools are anxious to get the printing process started for materials used in Back-to-School information.
However, remember that applications cannot be accepted in your district until July 1, 2024. Also, once an application is accepted, districts have 10 days to qualify the application and notify the parent.
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Spring has SPRUNG! I am sure all of you are so excited about the end of the school year. And I want to say from the bottom of my heart the sincerest thank you to all of you for your hard work this past school year. I visited with several of you and ate the best lunches. I shared my favorites and highlights from this past year and can’t wait to see what next year brings in Farm to School.
Harvest of the Month
So, let’s talk about how you can finish strong this May with Beef! Hopefully, you signed up for the ND Beef Commission Food Service kits (the deadline was April 22). I look forward to seeing pictures of your celebrations with beef this May. I am headed to Bowbells to participate in their Beef Farm to School Day on May 10 and have some dates on the calendar open. If you’re willing to have me as a guest, I would love to see how you prepare beef to celebrate Harvest of the Month. In addition, I have included some recipes for you to try at home, too. Thank you, North Dakota Beef Commission, for supporting our schools with fun things! We can’t wait to see what they do next year.
Recipes (ndbeef.org)
Classroom Resources (ndbeef.org)
Coloring Sheets and placemats (scroll to the middle of the page) Indiana Beef Council
Farm to School
If you are looking for ways to revamp, start, or continue Farm to School in your district, please get in touch with me. In addition, you can check out the webinar series I hosted in February and March that will explain many things about Farm to School.
UPDATES | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (nd.gov) (Click + sign under the title Farm to School 2024 Series in the Webinars section at the top of the page).
Farm to Child Nutrition | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (nd.gov)
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Above: Tower Garden with a variety of greens in New Rockford
Below: The greenhouse at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck
Above: Legendary Greens 'Microgreens (peas & broccoli varieties)
Below: Microgreens (from above) are served on top of a salad at Jamestown Public School, alongside of made from scratch Tator Tot Hotdish. Yum!
Above: Michelle Wagner (Bismarck Public Schools) and two representatives from USDA Farm to School Division. Michelle was showing them the Farm to School initiatives from her District.
Wing School District hosted a Family Fun Night. Pictured below are Katie with Burleigh Public Health, Amanda our own Farm to School Specialist and Katrina with the ND Dept of Agriculture. They held hands on activities to engage kids and families, including sensory bins with dry beans and a variety of vegetables.
The NDDPI Child Nutrition Office will host “Office Hours” every Tuesday from 2:00-2:30 from April 30-May 28th. This will be an open, collaborative work time intended to serve as an opportunity to help you complete some of the requirements for your School Nutrition Programs. There will be no prepared presentation and no recording, but we will help with ending the school year or beginning the 2024-25 school year. Some topics we can cover are: non-program revenue tool, meal prices for next year, professional development requirements, or any other questions you may have!
Please join us at the Teams Link Below:
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Breakfast Program Expansion
Tune in to learn about the School Breakfast Program, and how you can start or expand your program! Hear about the benefits that breakfast provides as well as a variety of different distribution options you have for School Breakfast! This is the best time to start planning for next school year!
This is a Microsoft Teams meeting, please use the link below to join the meeting.
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
As always, this webinar will be recorded and posted to our website (UPDATES | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (nd.gov)) if you are unable to attend live.
A recent article in ‘Foodservice Director’ message service reports that ProCare Therapy, a school staffing service ranked North Dakota in the top five states for healthiest school lunches. This “State of School Lunch Report” found here: The State of School Lunch Report: An Analysis of America’s School Lunches | ProCare Therapy ranked all 50 states based on the farm-to-school participation rate, the number of National School Lunch Program meals served per 10,000 students, fruit and vegetable consumption by students and finally the number of sugary drinks consumed by students. They gleaned the information from USDA, the Farm to School census data and the National Survey of Children’s Health report from the Health Resources and Service Administration office.
North Dakota ranked 4th out of the 50 states, with only Massachusetts (#1), Maine (#2), and Hawaii (#3) topping you. Neighboring states Minnesota (#11), South Dakota (#23), and Montana (#45) could learn a few tips and strategies for healthier meals from you! Great Job, North Dakota.
Since North Dakota is recognized for serving some of the healthiest school meals...you might as well apply to be recognized at the individual school level! As part of the USDA Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids is recognizing and celebrating SFA's who have made operational changes to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals. If awarded, you will receive local and national recognition, and a complimentary trip to an exclusive national Healthy Meals Summit! For more information, check out the website here: Recognition Awards - Action for Healthy Kids (healthymealsincentives.org)
Early Bird Registration is open! Check out the NDSNA website for more information:
Conference (northdakotasna.com)
The conference agenda is now posted. Take note the pre-conference options are the initial (8-hour) Sanitation Training OR the Sanitation Update (3-hour).
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The CNFD Office hosts the Food Safety in Schools – 8-hour Initial Sanitation Course from ICN each summer, for new Lead Food Service Workers to assist them in fulfilling their 'Initial Sanitation Training' requirement. The requirement includes that within 30 calendar days of employment, they complete an 8 hour Sanitation Course.
- The New School Kitchen Manager training will be held from July 24 through July 25 this year, as a two-day event. This is in response to feedback and in order to provide a better understanding of USDA Child Nutrition & National School Lunch Program regulations.
We hope you join us for our 2024 Back to School Workshops! We are hosting the same information each day. An agenda is attached to the registration webpage.
If you have any questions please reach out to our office at dpicnfd@nd.gov.
Location & Date
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Registration Link
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July 30 - Fargo
DoubleTree by Hilton West Fargo Sanford Medical Center Area
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2024 Fargo BTSW July 30th (0162) Tickets, Tue, 30 Jul 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
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July 31 - Fargo
DoubleTree by Hilton West Fargo Sanford Medical Center Area
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2024 Fargo BTSW July 31st (0162) Tickets, Wed, 31 Jul 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
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August 6 - Bismarck
Ramada by Wyndham Bismarck
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2024 Bismarck BTSW August 6th (0163) Tickets, Tue, 6 Aug 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
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August 7 - Bismarck
Ramada by Wyndham Bismarck
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2024 Bismarck BTSW August 7th (0163) Tickets, Wed, 7 Aug 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
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August 8 - Minot
Grand Hotel
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2024 Minot BTSW August 8th (0164) Tickets, Thu, 8 Aug 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
Have a great summer!
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is always there for you to log another hour or two of professional development. If a day this summer comes up rainy, cold and windy, why not spend the afternoon getting ahead on professional development for the coming year. From honing knife skills and efficiently prepping produce to food allergies and financial monitoring, these courses will increase your program management skills and will most likely lead to increased job satisfaction. Find recorded learning opportunities here: ICN iLearn (docebosaas.com)
ICN is hosting summer STAR sessions featuring Program managers doing great things in their district. These live webinars will share strategies and good practices adopted in various school districts nationwide to sustain and improve their school meal programs.
Topics coming up on the last Thursday of each month from 2-3 p.m. include:
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June 27: Tips for a Healthier School Nutrition Approach: Less Salt, More Flavor
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July 25: Tips for Incorporating Plant-based Options in Schools
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August 29: Strategies for Improving Lunch Line Efficiency
Seconds, continued from the April 2024 Newsletter
The production records must show how many students and adult meals are planned daily. If the planned number of students is 100 – 9-12 grade and 5 adults and corn dogs are being served, then approximately 115 corn dogs should be prepped for service. A seasoned kitchen manager knows that there will always be a child or two that drops their plate and has to come back for a new one so the number planned should account for a little bit of waste. A rule of thumb in catering is to plan an extra 10% for guests who show up unannounced, so that might also be a good rule of thumb for school food service.
A case of corn dogs is usually sold in 72 pieces per case. If we review a production record that shows 3 cases of corn dogs were prepared for 105 servings plus 10% extra (115), we will need to know where the money came from to cover those extra corn dogs, or technical assistance will be provided!
Production records are your ‘invoice’ to the federal government for meals claimed. They must show that you served a reimbursable meal and that there was enough food for all the reimbursable meals claimed.
Production records, however, are also a tool for menu planning, ordering food, and communicating preparation and service to other staff. In the case of the corn dog example above, if you served all 115 corn dogs as reimbursable meals, this would indicate that production should be increased the next time they are served since the 10% cushion was used.
Conversely, if there are 25 corn dogs left over from the 115 prepped and there were no apparent reasons, such as bad weather preventing some kids from getting to school or possibly a field trip happening on that day, then a small decrease in production is warranted. Our federal regulations at 7 CFR 210.10(c)(4): Adjustments to the school menus describe this. Schools must adjust future menu cycles to reflect production and how often the food items are offered. Schools may need to change the foods offerings given students' selections and may need to modify recipes and other specifications to make sure that meal requirements are met.
Please contact the CNFD office if you have any questions about serving seconds in any of the school meal programs.
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