SP 01-2026: Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 – Implementation Requirements for the National School Lunch Program. 

• The law immediately expands the types of milk schools may offer through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) only to include 2% and whole fat, flavored and unflavored fluid milk.

SP 02-2026: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 – Eat Real Food 

• This memorandum and its attachments provide information and guidance on the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The NSLP/SBP meal patterns must be based on the current DGA.  USDA hopes to have preliminary guidance for adoption of the DGAs into school meals at the end of this school year. Stay tuned! 

SP 03- 2026: Incorporating Local Beef into Child Nutrition Program Meals 

• Helpful resources and strategies for School Nutrition Program operators and ranchers to incorporate local beef into school meals. Resource topics cover procurement, funding resources, food safety, crediting, and other technical assistance to support this Farm to School initiative.  

Additional memorandums that pertain to operators of North Dakota School Nutrition Programs are available on our website.

Bring on summer! Applications for the Summer Food Service Program will be open in NDFoods on April 1–30. If your school participated last year and is interested in applying for the program again, please log into NDFoods and use the “SFSP renewal” link in the work queue to start the process, once it is available. If your school did not participate last year, but wants to participate this summer, please contact our office for assistance. To find out if your school is eligible and current meal reimbursement rates, check out the 2026 Site Eligibility List and the 2026 Meal Reimbursement Rates which are both published on the NDDPI website. Training links and program forms will be updated on the website in April. Outreach and program materials like posters, yard signs, “And Justice for All” posters and SFSP program handbooks will be made available to those sponsors once applications are approved.  

If your school is interested in participating in SFSP this summer, please reach out to mdanderson@nd.gov with any questions or guidance on how to apply.  

We are happy to provide, upon request, certificates for 10 years of service and for every 5-year interval after that. We also provide awards upon retirement at the request of the school district. 

These are quality certificates of appreciation signed by our director, Lynelle Johnson, and North Dakota State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier. 

With the operational period of the Summer EBT program quickly approaching, the CNFD office has been busy preparing for this year’s issuance of benefits. This month, our focus is data, data, and more data!  

In March, schools should be going into STARS and reviewing their SEBT information list. This list includes all kids who have been determined eligible for free or reduced meals during the school year based on eligibility through income applications, Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF. Schools should review the lists for accuracy including correct birth dates, mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.  

To learn more about the Summer EBT program and how your school can help us ensure that eligible students receive the benefit, please join us for S-EBT office hours in March.  

Office hours will be held every Thursday in March, at 11 a.m. 

Our monthly Across the Desk session—highlighting the Administration of School Meal Programs—taking place on the second Tuesday of each month. 

🕒 Time: 2 p.m. CDT

March's Theme: CEP & Provision 

Fueling Success Through Nutrition Policy & Celebration

Join us for our annual Summer Programs webinar on March 26, where the CNFD office will share information about the Summer EBT and Summer Food Service Program (SUN Meals). The webinar will highlight general information about the programs and how schools can participate to ensure the kids are fed over the summer months when school is not in session.  

Webinar: March 26, 2026 at 1 p.m. CDT  

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027 (PDF), found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
    
2. fax: 202-690-7442; or
    
3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.