https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NDDPI/bulletins/3da00bbUSDA Foods in Schools Update.

USDA Foods In Schools Program Updates

April 2025 

USDA Foods Food Purchases

SY 2025-2026

Thank you to everyone who completed their annual food surveys. The state has finalized the orders with USDA, and USDA will now proceed with the purchasing process. We hope for successful purchases to fulfill all our requests. Purchasing can be particularly challenging for our smaller state, as we often can't meet full truckload minimums. To address this, we share approximately 40% of our trucks with neighboring states, which may lead to change in delivery dates and case quantities to ensure a full truckload.

North Dakota received approximately $6.7 million to purchase USDA Foods, which was allocated as follows based on your request/demand:

• 47% Bulk Foods (example: chicken made into a chicken nugget)
• 42% Brown Box Foods (direct delivery)
• 11% USDA DoD Fresh Produce Program

Please refer to the food availability sheet to assist you when filling out your monthly surveys. Items marked in orange are not available for that month, but those marked in green are available. Keep in mind that the food availability sheet is subject to change. If an item from your school's survey wasn’t purchased, you may receive processed foods or any surplus items (foods ordered beyond the total demand). Schools will be expected to adhere to the amounts specified in their annual survey. A food availability sheet will be provided to all at the Back-to-School Workshops.

USDA DoD Fresh

All DoD Fresh funds must be utilized by the end of the current school year. Any remaining funds will be transferred back into the state account.

Please note that there has been an update to the contact information for the program. When reaching out regarding the DoD Fresh program, be sure to email all four contacts listed below.

Contacts:

If your school is new to the DoD Fresh Program for the 2025-2026 school year, I will reach out to you in August. New participants will need to create a Login.gov account in order to log into FFAVORS and place orders.

USDA Food Orders

April orders are closed. ❗Please review your food orders in ND Foods❗ If needed, refer to the "how to look up customer orders" document or contact me and I can assist you looking up your order.

When your delivery arrives, please conduct a product/case count. If there are any shortages, be sure to note them on the signature sheet. If you're unable to count the items while the driver is present, please do the count afterward and report any discrepancies to me within 24 hours.

Upcoming Food Surveys

August 2025: Available April 2- April 13, 2025

September 2025: Available April 21- May 4, 2025

When completing your surveys, please refer to your annual food survey and use the same quantities you planned for in that survey. If you have any questions about a specific food item, don't hesitate to contact me. If you need help accessing your 25-26 annual food survey, please let me know. I am happy to assist. 

Net Off Invoicing (NOI)

For schools participating in the Net Off Invoicing (NOI) program: The state will sweep any unused pounds at the sponsor level into the state account on May 30.

Sponsors should place orders at least one week prior to the sweep to ensure there is enough time for delivery and billing, helping to avoid incurring commercial prices.

USDA Foods Inventory

As the school year comes to a close, it's time to clean out your warehouse, pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. Check the expiration dates of all USDA foods to make sure any items carried over the summer won't expire before the new school year starts.

For items approaching their "best if used by" dates, please consider donating them to a local food pantry or nonprofit organization. If you make any donations, be sure to keep a record of the foods donated and the quantities.

Training Opportunities

Save the Dates

Initial 8-hour Food Safety and Sanitation certification: Tuesday, June 3, in the Pioneer Room of the State Capitol building in Bismarck. Deb Strand with Serv Safe will be offering the certification class this year. She has a fee of $175 for the book, the training, and the test that will earn you the certification. You can find the registration form HERE. For the free option, school nutrition professionals are always welcome to take the "Food Safety in Schools" course online at the Institute of Child Nutrition.

New Kitchen Manager ‘Boot camp’: Wednesday, June 4, - Thursday, June 5. Be ready for two days of immersion into the school nutrition program from menus and production records to professional development. The class will be held in the Pioneer Room of the State Capitol building in Bismarck. 

For All USDA Food Distribution inquires please contact:

Tara Koster tkoster@nd.gov

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov