Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Program
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Grants 2014-2015
Below is the list of 219 schools in 20 school food authorities (SFAs) that were selected to receive the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Grants for the 2014-2015 school year.
FY 2014 Equipment Grant Award Recipients
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) would like to feature recipients of the FY 2014 Food Service Equipment Grant on their blog!
A School Food Authority (SFA) within each region across the U.S. will be featured on the blog highlighting how the equipment grant was used.
This is a wonderful opportunity to publicize the success of your SFA and share the benefits of the equipment grant.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) in Schools Reauthorization 2004
Section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-265) amended section 9(h) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by requiring school food authorities (SFAs) to implement a food safety program. The Reauthorization Act requires that, during the preparation and service of meals, the SFA comply with a HACCP system established by the Secretary of Agriculture. The law requires compliance with this requirement by July 1, 2005.
Teacher Modeling in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
In response to several inquiries, this memorandum provides guidance on the allowable consumption of FFVP fruits and vegetables by teachers.
USDA realizes that teachers can play a valuable role in modeling fruit and vegetable consumption. Therefore, they are allowing schools to allow teachers to consume fruits and vegetables as part of the FFVP under the following conditions:
Procurement Geographic Preference Q&As
USDA recently created the attached Questions and Answers (Q&As) to further explain the geographic preference option. This information will provide guidance and technical assistance to schools that are trying to connect with local or regional farmers in order to incorporate more fresh, local foods into their school meal programs.
Using Vending Machines to Provide Reimbursable Meals in the School Meal Programs
There is a growing interest among school food authorities (SFAs) on the use of vending machines to provide reimbursable meals in the school meal programs. USDA has provided the following guidance for SFAs that are considering whether a meal vending machine could be successfully incorporated into their National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP).
Record-Keeping for Procurement Transactions
School food authorities (SFAs) must maintain appropriate records for procurement transactions occurring in connection with the Child Nutrition Programs.
Farm to School Cafeteria Initiatives
The recently enacted Fiscal Year 2008 Agriculture Appropriations Act directed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work with School Meal Program administrators and local food advocates to identify opportunities for growth in local procurement, and provide Congress a report on these efforts. In response to this request and their ongoing Farm to School efforts, USDA recently held a “Farm to School” session at the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center and America’s Second Harvest. The session, which was held on March
School Food Authorities and Federal Procurement Regulations/Record-Keeping Requirements
Federal regulation 7 CFR Part 3016.36(b) prohibits the awarding of contracts to any entity that develops or drafts specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids, requests for proposals, contract terms and conditions or other procurement documents. This reminder is being re-issued since USDA continues to receive complaints that a number of school food authorities (SFAs) are not drafting their own specifications and procurement documents, but instead directly incorporating a list of features written by a prospective bidder.
Geographic Preference Option for the Procurement of Unprocessed Agricultural Products in Child Nutrition Programs
The 2008 Farm Bill amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct that the Secretary of Agriculture encourage institutions operating Child Nutrition Programs to purchase unprocessed locally grown and locally raised agricultural products.
Provisions of the law effective October 1, 2008 were initially implemented through policy memoranda and explanatory question and answer communications. A proposed rule was published April 19, 2010; USDA received 77 comments which were reviewed before they issued their final rule on this subject on April 22, 2011.