Vegetable Program School Year 19-20 Webinar July 29 th , 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

School Year 19-20 Webinar July 29th, 2019

Agenda

• Background Information
• Implementation
• Building a Successful Program
• Nutrition Guidelines
• Financial Guidance

Background Information

Program History

• First operated in Alabama in 2008-2009 school year
• Participation has increased dramatically over the years:
• SY 08-09 --- 25 Schools Participating
• SY 09-10 --- 39 School Participating
• SY 10-11 --- 62 Schools Participating
• SY 11-12 --- 92 Schools Participating
• SY 12-13 --- 106 Schools Participating
• SY 13-14 --- 111 Schools Participating
• SY 14-15 --- 118 Schools Participating
• SY 15-16 --- 120 Schools Participating
• SY16-17 --- 124 Schools Participating
• SY17-18 --- 104 Schools Participating
• SY18-19 --- 121 Schools Participating
• SY 19-20 --- 138 Schools Participating

Program Funding

• Alabama Awarded:
• $448,633.16—School Year 08-09
• $3,656,756.76—School Year 19-20
• USDA Standards:
• Annual per student allocation between $50 and $75

Selection Criteria

• Elementary Schools
• Represent the highest

percentage of F/RP benefits

• NSLP Participation
• Annual FFVP Application

Program Guidance

• USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (A Handbook for

Schools)

Implementation

Program Goals

• Expand Variety
• Increase Consumption
• Develop Long-Term Healthy Habits

Program Recipients

• Children that are enrolled in the school
• Including:
• Split Session Kindergarten
• Head Start
• Child Care Center in the School
• Roster is not required

FFVP Should Not be Used

• For anyone other than the normally attending

students, such as:

• Visiting community residents
• Visiting parents or other adults
• In teacher or administrator fruit baskets
• As gifts or rewards
• For disciplining children

Program Operations

• Develop Monthly Budget
• File Monthly Claim by Deadline—20th of following month
• Maintain Supporting Documentation
• Follow FFVP Handbook Guidance
• Follow USDA Bid Regulations
• Follow HACCP Plan (HHFKA 2010)

How to Build a Successful Program

Teachers’ Role

• Teacher Participation is Invaluable
• Teacher Participation Includes:
• Role Modeling
• Aiding with Distribution
• Delivering Nutrition Education

Link Between FFVP and Classroom

• Encourage teachers to be creative
• FFVP can fit into many lessons, including:
• Reading—books about fruit and veggies
• Science—Acidity of citrus fruit
• Math—Using grapes to add and subtract
• Health/P.E.—The benefits of eating fruits and

vegetables

• Geography—Where certain fruits and veggies
• riginated

Nutrition Education

• Nutrition education is encouraged
• Mandatory for cooked vegetables
• Grant funds cannot be used to purchase education materials
• Links to Free education materials:

Purchasing

• Proper procurement procedures must be followed
• Schools may use their current vendors or try other vendors

such as:

• DoD-Fresh
• Farm to School Initiative
• Contact Andrea Carter, Alabama Farm to School Program

(andrea.carter@agi.alabama.gov, 334-240-7258)

• Local Producers

Serving Times

• Outside of meal service periods
• During the School Day
• Not limited to one time per day

Serving Location

• Determined at the Local Level
• Things to Consider:
• Timing—not immediately before or

after meal periods

• Amount of time for students to eat
• Time needed to prepare and serve

students

• Clean-up
• Availability of staff
• Administrative support

Think Outside the Ordinary

• Increasing Variety is a Major Objective of the Program
• But this is often overlooked!
• ALSDE is making efforts to encourage variety in our Fresh

Fruit and Vegetable Programs by:

• Requiring that all schools offer FFVP at least 2 days/week during a

full school week

• Requiring that a vegetable is served at least twice per month*
• Limiting expensive roasting events to one per school per school year
• Requiring that SFAs serve at least 1 focus fruit and 1 focus vegetable

each month

Focus Fruit/Vegetable

Fruit examples

• Hidden Rose apple vs. Red

Delicious

• Blood orange vs. Valencia orange
• Lady finger banana vs. common

variety

• Cotton candy grape vs. red or

green grape

Vegetable examples

• Rainbow carrot vs. common

variety

• Broccolini vs. broccoli
• Kale vs. Iceberg/Romaine

lettuce

• Required to introduce one different fruit and vegetable each

month.

• Menu planners discretion, but avoid planning different varieties
• f the same fruit/vegetable as focus produce

Fruits # Schools Served

(121 participating schools)

Fruits # Schools Served Fruits # Schools Served

Kiwi 86 Watermelon 25 Blackberry 8 Pineapple 81 Honeydew Melon 24 Raspberry 7 Blueberry 72 Papaya 22 Nectarine 6 Muscadine/Scuppernong 58 Persimmon 21 Ugli Fruit 6 Strawberry 55 Plum 20 Cherry 6 Cantaloupe 51 Kumquat 19 Banana 5 Grapefruit 47 Grapes (red, green, black) 18 Fuyu Persimmon 5 Pear (Red, Asian, Comice, Seckel) 29 Pomelo 15 Tangelo 5 Apple (granny smith, Arkansas black, Jonigold) 38 Orange (common, cara cara) 10 Pomegranate 4 Guava 32 Star Fruit 10 Pluot 2 Peach 29 Blood Orange 10 Clementine 2 Tangerine 28 Mango 10 Passion Fruit 2

Cranberry 26 Lemon 9 Satsuma 1

Focus Fruits (SY18-19)

Focus Vegetables (SY18-19)

Vegetables # Schools Served Vegetables # Schools Served Vegetables # Schools Served

Zucchini 70 Spinach 26 Romanesco Broccoli 7 Cauliflower (white, purple, green, yellow) 69 Rutabaga 26 Green Bean 7 Celery 59 Daikon 25 Bok Choy 6 Snap Pea 45 Beet 22 Tomato 5 Jicama 44 Corn 21 Butternut Squash 4 Sweet Potato (red,

• range, and purple)

42 Rainbow Carrot 18 Turnip Green 4 Broccoli 39 Edamame 18 Leek 3 Squash 39 Kale 16 Avocado 3 Radish 39 Grape tomato 16 Cabbage 3 Asparagus 38 Brussel Sprout 15 Arugula 2 Bell Pepper 38 Snow Pea 14 Red leaf Lettuce 2 Cucumber 36 Watermelon Radish 10 Sea Beans 2 Carrot 35 Purple Potato 10 Acorn Squash 1 Turnip 29 French Bean 9 Eggplant 1 Pumpkin 27 Mushroom 8 Swiss Chard 1

Nutrition Guidelines

Not Allowed

• Processed or preserved fruits and

vegetables (i.e., canned, frozen, or dried)

• Dip for fruit
• Fruit or vegetable juice
• Snack type fruit products (i.e., fruit

strips, fruit drops, and fruit leather)

• Jellied fruit
• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Cottage cheese
• Fruit or vegetable pizza
• Smoothies
• Fruit that has added flavorings

including fruit that has been injected with flavorings (i.e., grapples)

• Carbonated fruit

Program Limits

• Cooked Vegetables
• Fresh (not canned, frozen, dried otherwise processed)
• Limited to one time per week
• Must always include a nutrition education lesson related to

the prepared item

• Dips for Vegetables
• 1-2 tablespoons
• Low-fat
• Non-fat

Financial Guidance

*IMPORTANT*

In order to be eligible to participate in FFVP for SY 20-21, you must expend your FFVP

• funds. Non-compliance may result in a one

year suspension.

Agreement

• Agreements must be received

before first FFVP claim is submitted

• Agreement must be mailed,

have original signatures, and be approved by the State Office

• Twice Per Year
• July—September
• October—June
• Keep these dates in mind when planning your budget

Allocation of Funds

July- September Allocation: Budget

*IMPORTANT* It is NOT required that FFVP starts immediately when school begins

• 1. Take the allocation for your school and decide how many

weeks you can operate serving 2x a week

• 2. Start FFVP at this point
• 3. Vegetables still must be served twice a month

GOAL: SPEND EVERY PENNY

October- June Allocation: Budget Basics

Formula: (October through June Allocation)/(Number of Operating Months)= Rough monthly budget Example: $50,000/8 operating months= $6,250 per month Tips

• Be sure expenses are allowable before making purchases
• Adjust for holidays and end-of-the-year
• To increase spending, increase the number of serving days
• Make October the “trial” month

Claims for Reimbursement

• Claims filed monthly
• Submit claims to
• Check for Accuracy:
• Purchase order dates
• Received dates*
• Dressings are listed as “low” or “non/fat-free”
• Items are allowable
• Focus fruit/vegetable have not been repeated
• Due by the 20th day of the following month
• Late claims are subject to a One Time Exception (same as NSLP)

Claim Form

Operating Costs

• Include:
• Food Items (i.e., fruit, vegetables)
• Non Food Items (i.e., napkins, paper plates, garbage liners, etc.)
• Delivery Charges
• Staff Salaries (preparing, serving, and cleaning)
• **No Small Supplies claims should be submitted

after April claim**

Administrative Costs

• Include:
• Larger Equipment (i.e., refrigerators, coolers, portable kiosks, carts,

portable food bars, baskets, etc.)—must prorate as appropriate

• Salaries and fringe benefits for employees who compile and maintain

claims and other financial reports, plan menus, order produce, track inventory, and coordinate nutrition promotion activities.

• Admin costs must be claimed in the month they occur
• Limited to 10% of total grant award
• Should not be exhausted during 1st quarter

Equipment Purchases

• **No administrative claims for equipment allowed

after Jan claim**

• Equipment Purchase must be approved by SA prior to

purchase for:

• Larger Equipment (i.e., refrigerators, coolers, portable kiosks,

portable food bars, etc.)

• Email dwilliamson@alsde.edu with:
• An explanation of the need for additional equipment
• Why the current equipment is not sufficient for FFVP operations
• Number of times the FFVP program will be offered each week
• Number of deliveries received each week

Labor Claims (NEW)*

• If labor is claimed using FFVP funds, you must turn

in a monthly time sheet with your claim. Estimations and calculations are NOT acceptable.

• Memo dated 4/16/19 “Claiming Labor for Fresh Fruit

and Vegetable Grant/Program”:

• Labor costs must be minimal
• Pay must be based on staff’s actual contracted hourly rate
• Overtime pay is allowable for FFVP-related tasks if staff are

required to work outside of their normal contracted work hours and exceed 40 hours per week

Unspent Funds

• Each school must spend their total grant allocation
• Any school with an excess of unspent funds may be declined

for participation in FFVP in the future

• Unspent funds will be reallocated to desiring schools at the

end of the school year

• Funds that remain unspent by the state must be returned to

USDA

CNP Funds Must Be Used For

• Items that are not allowable under FFVP
• Any amount spent over allocation
• Late claims (unless covered by an OTE)

State Monitoring (Review)

• Included in Administrative Reviews
• Review Claims for:
• Majority of funds used to purchase fresh produce
• Equipment purchases are carefully reviewed and justified
• Labor costs and all other non-food costs are minimal
• All operating and administrative cost guidance is followed
• Minimum serving days/week are being met
• Focus fruit/vegetable is being offered
• **FFVP is “widely publicized” within each school**
• USDA and State guidance followed
• The FFVP Onsite Review Forms are required to be completed for each FFVP

site within a district by February 1st annually

“Widely Publicized”

• Bulletins
• Announcements
• Maintain log to validate

FFVP was announced

• School website/sign
• Social media
• Etc…

USDA NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 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 Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, 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 Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Questions?

FFVP Contact: Devin Williamson dwilliamson@alsde.edu (334)-694-4839