Volume 4, Issue 9, May 1, 2018

Western Region States Launch Farm to Summer Week

Summer is fast approaching and that means the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is gearing up. This summer, several States in the western region are taking Farm to Summer one step further with Farm to Summer Week. Farm to Summer Week is one week during the summer months where all sponsors are encouraged to serve local foods and incorporate agricultural enrichment activities into summer feeding programs. Farm to Summer Week is a great opportunity to promote local foods, encourage high quality meals, and provide educational enrichment activities. States participating in Farm to Summer Week are listed below. Check with your State agency for state-specific Farm to Summer Week activities.

• Alaska: July 23 – July 27
• Arizona: June 11 – June 15
• California: July 9 – July 13
• Washington: July 29 – August 4

Summer is the perfect time to source local food for your summer meals program. Check out these resources and learn more:

• Farm to Summer: How Regional Offices and State Agencies Support Farm to Summer Webinar - This webinar provides an overview of farm to summer activities, resources, and a snapshot of how Regional offices and State agencies have encouraged sponsors to adopt farm to summer principles.
• Farm to Summer Fact Sheet - Use this fact sheet for summer meal program tips on incorporating local foods and agriculture-based activities.
• Local Foods and Related Activities in Summer Meal Programs (SP-07_SFSP07-2016) - This policy memo provides guidance on the incorporation of local foods and nutrition and agriculture-based activities into Summer Meal Programs.
• Summer Meals and FoodCorps: An Introduction for State Agencies - Check out this two-pager to learn how FoodCorps can support summer meals.
• Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs - This resource covers procurement basics, defining local, where to find local products, and the variety of ways child nutrition program operators can purchase locally in accordance with regulations.
• USDA Farm to School Grant Program – Planning and Implementation grants can support the integration of local foods and complementary activities into school-based SFSP. 
• USDA Farm to School Census - Locate schools that include local foods in their SFSP.
• SFSP Toolkit - Find local foods guidance for state agencies, sponsors, and partner organizations, along with tips for starting a summer meals site at farmers markets.
• SFSP Handbook - Sponsors can find guidance on procurement and tips on targeting local foods.
• SFSP Webinar Series - Listen to presenters discuss incorporating local foods in summer meals, building awareness about summer programs, engaging in partnerships that help boost participation and increase access, and more.

Turnip the Beet! The Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding SFSP sponsors across the nation who offer high-quality meals to children during the summer months. All summer meal sponsors, including SFSP and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors, who are in compliance with program requirements are eligible for a Turnip the Beet award. There are three award levels available: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Sponsors may nominate themselves or be nominated by another party. Check out the 2017 Turnip the Beet winners!

Advancing School Meals with New Technology

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has released technology-based resources to help Child Nutrition Program Operators effectively manage their programs. Enhance your summer meal program by using these helpful tools!

• The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) helps program operators purchase the right amount of food and determine how foods meet meal pattern requirements.
• The Interactive Food Buying Guide allows for easy search and navigation and gives users the ability to create a favorite foods list. The FBG was released as a mobile app and is available on iOS and Android platforms.
• The Verification Toolkit helps schools verify the accuracy of school meal applications. The toolkit promotes integrity by equipping schools with effective strategies and best practices to ensure meals are provided to those in need.
• The Database of Professional Standards Trainings houses more than 500 free or low-cost trainings on specific job skills related to nutrition, operations, administration and communications, and marketing.
• The Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool 2.0 helps school food authorities keep track of trainings for individuals or an entire staff.
• The Child Nutrition (CN) Label Verification Reporting System assists State agency reviewers, program operators, and the food industry in verifying the status of a CN Label to ensure information about how a food counts toward school meal pattern requirements is accurate.

Learn more at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool or contact us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.

Not yet subscribed to The Dirt? Join us by clicking here.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).