Food and Nutrition Programs

USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Application: 2016-2017

To:	School Nutrition Directors
From:	Robert Leshin, Acting Director, Office for Food and Nutrition Programs
Date:	May 10, 2016

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 authorized funds for a program that offers free fruits and vegetables to students during the school day. Approved programs must plan to start the distribution of fruits and vegetables at the start of the school year and make them available until the end of the school year. The purpose of the program is to increase and expand fruit and vegetable consumption to students in elementary schools above and beyond the reimbursable meal program including the breakfast, lunch and after school snack programs. Participation is offered to individual elementary schools where 50% or more of the student enrollment is eligible for free or reduced meals. The program application package, which includes the FFVP school application and budget form, are available on-line. Please refer to the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: A Handbook for Schools for the most recent guidance. As noted in this handbook, all schools should structure the program so that maximum benefits go directly to children.

Funds are to be used primarily to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to be made available at no charge to students.
A small percentage of funds may be used for operating and administrative costs incurred for costs such as value added purchases, preparation and distribution of fruits and vegetables.

Selected schools must make fresh fruits and vegetables available at no charge to students at times other than at meal service periods through the school food authority. The US Department of Agriculture is conducting an evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. As required by USDA, we will need one report prepared in conjunction with any partners the school may enlist. Selected sites may be asked to provide additional information to an outside evaluator in the form of a survey, conference call and/or a focus group with student participants and implementers. Approved schools will be asked to provide information about participation, purchases, costs, a la carte and vending machine sales to the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs of the Department. This type of information must be available. As stated in the FFVP handbook, all participating SFAs must retain proper cost documentation for all administrative and operational costs submitted for reimbursement. These costs include all labor, supplies and fruit and vegetable invoices. As part of annual program monitoring a minimum of one month of cost documentation, as selected by the state, will be required to be submitted for review. Further action may be necessary at the discretion of the state agency. The selection of schools to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program by the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs of the Department is based on guidance in this memorandum and oversight by USDA. The law identified the following criteria for elementary schools to participate in this program:

50% or more of enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced price meals
Allocation per student of between $50 and $75 for the year
Development of partnerships with one or more entities that provide non-federal resources (including entities representing the fruit and vegetable industry) for the acquisition, handling, promotion, or distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables
Integration of the program with other efforts that promote sound health and nutrition, reduce overweight and obesity, or promote physical activity
Certification of support signed by the school nutrition manager, the school principal and the district superintendent or equivalent positions as determined by the school.

The FFVP application is designed to capture essential information that is readily available, and may be completed by a school or by the SFA on behalf of their schools. The information should reflect operation beginning at the start of the school year 2016-17 and ending at the close of school year 2016-2017.

On the FFVP Application, in section III (a) and (d) of the Proposal Narrative, describe types of costs (not dollar amounts) for items, other than food purchases, that you plan to incur as you implement this program. We suggest you use the FFVP Proposal Narrative Checklist to help you complete this description.
On the FFVP Budget Form, please estimate as best you can,

Administration including projected dollar amounts for:

Administrative personnel such as coordinator or bookkeeper, equipment, and printing
- Please note that this year, for those districts charging an Indirect Charge, USDA has issued policy to clarify that this be based on all expenses except food and equipment. Therefore, the FFVP Budget Form has been designed to calculate this amount based upon the value of the entry on Line 19 of the form.
(Note: The total of this section can be no more than 10% overall costs.)

Operations including projected dollar amounts for:
- Food items and frequency you described in the narrative
- Non-food costs such as paper supplies, dips and preparation and serving utensils
- Support personnel

Please refer to the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: A Handbook for Schools for additional information about differentiating and describing these costs. Completed applications must be submitted by the close of business on Friday, June 3, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact Sally Teixeira at (781) 338-6304 or by email at steixeira@doe.mass.edu. We hope that you will consider taking part in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program as another way to help your students develop lifelong healthful eating habits.

Attachments:

USDA FFVP School Application 2016-2017

USDA FFVP Budget Form 2016-2017

USDA FFVP Proposal Narrative Checklist 2016-2017

USDA FFVP Massachusetts District Contact Sheet 2016-17

Last Updated: May 9, 2016