North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

USDA Foods in Schools - December 2025

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 12/15/2025 09:09 AM CST

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USDA Foods in Schools Program Updates

December 2025

🥗Food Updates

📦January Orders

The January orders are now closed. Schools may log in to ND Foods to view their orders.

🚚Delivery Shortages and Product Updates

Ground Beef

USDA has successfully completed the ground beef purchase. A total of 3,000 cases of ground beef were purchased and will be delivered the first half of February to the warehouse.

Ground beef will be available on the March and April food surveys.
Ground beef will not be available for February orders and will be removed from those orders.
Ground beef was allocated for January. Schools should review their January orders when planning for March and April.

All schools, including those that did not request ground beef on their annual food survey, are eligible to request ground beef on the March and April surveys.

Apple Slices

Apple slices will be available on the March and April food surveys. All schools, including those that did not request apple slices on their annual food survey, are eligible to receive apple slices on March and April orders.

Land O’Lakes & Cavendish

To meet shipping demand requirements for Land O’Lakes and Cavendish products, NDDPI will post a separate survey in advance.

Schools will see:

A March survey, and
A separate April survey for Land O’Lakes and Cavendish products.

These surveys will be combined with the regular March and April food surveys. This approach allows NDDPI to collect demand for both months in advance to meet minimum shipping requirements.

Schools will be required to accept the quantities requested for March and April.

Tyson (AdvancePierre) Beef

A total of 72 cases of 2.29 oz. flame-broiled beef patties were shorted on January orders.

Tyson Chicken

When ordering all-white-meat and all-dark-meat chicken products, schools should order equal quantities of each. For example, if three cases of an all-dark-meat item are ordered, three cases of an all-white-meat item should also be ordered.

📃Pre-Annual Food Survey

As planning begins for USDA Foods for the 2026–2027 school year, the pre-annual food survey is now available. The State will use survey results to identify the most popular items—typically the top 50 percent in each category—to be included in the annual food survey.

Please note that only brown box items are included. Processed items are not part of the pre-annual survey. This survey is intended to gather input on the most commonly requested brown box foods.

Complete the pre-annual food survey by Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 11:45 p.m. Central Time.

⏰SCH Renewals

The annual SCH renewal process will begin in early January.

The SCH renewal allows schools to review and update key USDA Foods information, including:

Sponsor and contact details
USDA Foods representative and invoice contacts
Site information,
- Server-only sites: Sites that prepare and serve meals but do not receive USDA Foods deliveries.
- Server-and-delivery sites: Sites that both receive USDA Foods deliveries and serve meals.
Opting into the USDA DoD Fresh Program, if applicable. Participation in the DoD Fresh program may only be elected during the SCH renewal.

Schools are encouraged to review this information internally in advance to ensure all details are accurate and current when the renewal opens.

Additional information and instructions will be provided once the SCH renewal is released.

📅Upcoming Food Survey Dates

➡️ March 2026 survey: open Jan. 2 through Jan. 11

➡️ April 2026 survey: open Jan. 21 through Feb. 2

➡️ SY 2026-2027 Annual food survey: open Feb. 16 through Feb. 27

All surveys close at 11 a.m. Central Time on the closing date.

School Year 2026–2027 Annual Food Survey

The Annual Food Survey is a critical planning tool used to determine which USDA Foods will be available to schools for the 2026–2027 school year. Survey results guide USDA Foods purchasing. Accurate completion of the annual food survey is essential.

Schools are encouraged to begin planning now. Reviewing cycle menus, historical usage, will support more accurate forecasting and help ensure requested products align with actual needs.

Important changes are coming to ND Foods. These changes will limit the ability to deviate from selections made on the annual food survey. Schools will be expected to order and utilize USDA Foods based on what is submitted in the annual survey. Careful planning at this stage will be more important than ever.

To support schools in this process, NDDPI will offer training on best practices for completing the annual food survey, including:

Forecasting USDA Foods needs
Using historical data
Planning for menu alignment and entitlement utilization

Additional details regarding the annual food survey training opportunities will be shared soon.

As the year comes to a close, we extend our sincere appreciation to all of our schools for your continued partnership and dedication to serving students across North Dakota.

During this holiday season, we wish you time to enjoy family and friends, reflect on the past year, and celebrate the many moments that bring joy and meaning. We are grateful for the commitment and care you show every day to the students and communities.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe, restful, holiday.

For all USDA Food Distribution inquiries, please contact:

Tara Koster tkoster@nd.gov

CONTACT OUR OFFICE:

NDDPI Child Nutrition and Food Distribution
Main Office:
600 E. Boulevard Ave, Dept 201
Bismarck, ND 58505
PHONE: 701-328-2294 or 888-338-3663
FAX: 701-328-9566
Email: dpicnfd@nd.gov

Mayville Office:
14 Main St E, Mayville, ND 58257
PHONE: 701-788-8901 or 888-788-8901
Website: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools/child-nutrition-and-food-distribution

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Non Discrimination Statement

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/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.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:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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600 East Boulevard Ave Dept 201, Bismarck, ND 58505-0440
(701) 328-2260
www.nd.gov/dpi

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