Federal child nutrition programs support American agricultural producers by providing cash reimbursements for meals served in schools, but also by providing nutritious, USDA purchased food to the following nutrition programs:
- National School Lunch Program
- Child and Adult Care Food Program
- Summer Food Service Program
Section 6 of the National School Lunch Act, Section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, and Section 32 of Public Law 74-320 designate funds for such purchases. A contractual agreement made with each state provides for a distributing agency and for the implementation of USDA rules and regulations.
USDA food may also be processed, with the approval of the state, into other products desired by schools. Such products may include bread products, pizzas and salad dressings. The products are sold and distributed just as any other commercial product except that schools receive a discount equal to the value of USDA Foods involved, known as net off invoice.
If you have questions regarding the USDA Food Distribution Program, please contact a member of the Child Nutrition staff.
SY2023 Ordering USDA Foods - (15:00)
Ordering USDA Foods (pdf)
How to submit a new order
Enter in ID/password
Select: FDP
Program year
Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your sponsor name/district
Sponsor number
Takes you to Sponsor Summary page
Select: Orders tab
New order button-Underneath orders and invoicing tab
Location
Delivery Period
Next
Enter in how many cases of each item you want delivered the “following month” in the ‘order Qty’ box. You can only order up to the number of cases showing in the available ‘Qty column’. You don’t need to take them all each month, you can take less if you want. The remaining cases you don’t take each month will roll over to the following month. April is the very last monthly survey, the items that are showing on this survey, all those items will be shipped to you and May and may not be refused.
How to do surplus-formally known as extras:
Enter in ID/password
Select: FDP
Program year
Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your sponsor name/district
Sponsor number
Takes you to Sponsor Summary page
Select: Allocations tab
Add Surplus-Underneath orders and invoicing tab
Enter in how many cases of each surplus items you want.
Next page
Surplus items move over to the order tab. If you want these items to come in with your monthly survey each month, you must to go back to the orders tab and do the same exact steps as if you were placing your monthly order.
How to find out what districts ordered from their Annual Survey
Enter in ID/password
Select: FDP
Program year
Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your sponsor name/district
Sponsor number
Takes you to Sponsor Summary page
Select Survey tab-(other tabs listed here are-Applications, Entitlement, Survey, Allocations, Inventory, Orders, Invoicing)
View
NSLP SY23 Per Meal Estimated Effective Rate = .3960 cents
NSLP SY24 Per Meal Estimated Effective Rate = .3650 cents
- Net off Invoice (NOI) Program
-
Net-Off Invoice is a program available to school food administrators to order approved processed food from a distributor and then be billed at the net price. The net price is determined by reducing the agreed-upon full price by the value of USDA food in the item. Maine schools are allowed to use the NOI program as often as they like as long as they have allotment.
- FFVORS & Native Maine
-
Deliveries are being made by Native Maine out of Westbrook.
Orders must be placed at least 3 full days in advance. To utilize your PAL money, orders have to be placed in FFAVORS. Unless other arrangements have been made, there are no Monday or Friday deliveries to schools.
Native Maine Interactive Delivery Map - This map is updated every Friday and Monday at 5pm, for questions regarding the map, please contact Native Maine Customer Service at 207-856-1100 or Melissa Montejunas at melissam@nativeme.com or 207-749-4878.
To use the map:
Login using your Google account
The left column will show "Native Maine Schools Orders Placed" - this is for one week at a time
Under "Schools Orders Placed" you will see a list of dates, these are color coded and match the bubbles on the map
Find your location on the map and click on it, information that pops up will be:- Invoice date - this is your shipping date
- Deliver location information
If the map does not open automatically when you log in, click the three lines near "Native Maine Schools Orders Placed" in the red box, in the drop down you will see "Open Map", click that to see the map
https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-order-receipt-system-ffavors
- Once added to FFAVORS, an email notification is sent to the user with step by step instructions on how to create the eAuthentication account, without a user profile access will be denied.
- If you have problems accessing FFAVORS please contact the FFAVORS help desk.
IDs and Passwords
For access to FFAVORS, your Account Manager must establish a user profile for each new user within FFAVORS.
- PFG
-
School Year 2024 USDA Foods Delivery Schedule
Make sure you have someone available to receive your products and that your shipping information is correct.
The contract states: "RAs must accept deliveries from 7:00 A.M. until 3:30 P.M., Monday thru Friday with the exception being holidays and school vacations. SB will work with RAs to avoid deliveries at inappropriate or inconvenient times (such as, meal service time)."
Delivery Period - September - June SY 2023-2025 Delivery
Storage
Total
Per Case
Per Case
Per Case
Freezer $4.80
$3.75
$8.63
Produce/Cooler $4.90
$3.25
$8.15
Dry $4.90
$3.25
$8.15
Distributor Charges for Storage and Delivery
PFG North-Center is the distribution company for USDA Foods.
- USDA Resources
-
- Federal Regulations for Food Distribution link to USDA
- USDA Foods in Schools Product Information Sheets link to USDA
- USDA Current Food Recalls and Alerts link to USDA
- USDA Food Distribution link to USDA
- USDA Foods Forms -
- USDA Guidance and Handbooks. Link to USDA
- Food Service Committee
-
Representatives
Melanie Lagasse - Madawaska, RSU 33, MSAD 27
Andy Madura - RSU 61
Vacant - Hancock County
Jody Fournier - Augusta
Tina Fabian - RSU 3
Heather Whitten - RSU 68
Angela Wheaton - Lincolnville, Appleton, Hope
Chris Piercy - Auburn
Vanessa Richardson - RSU 57
Wendy Collins - Kittery, StatewideFood Service Committee Goals and Objectives:
- Committee will use the most cost-effective method to meet. This may be a conference call, web based conference, or other efficient method.
- Committee will be chaired by DOE.
- Members will supply information from their geographic area. Information should include likes and dislikes and general comments.
- Ensure the efficient use of USDA money, by suggesting and choosing the best products offered by USDA.
- Share information to increase the likelihood that districts within the state get quality products that they can use and that are accepted by students.
- Collaborate on developing/sharing creative regional recipes to utilize USDA foods.
- Engage districts throughout the state and share ideas on the use, preparation, storage and strategies and/or timelines to spend all their PAL Entitlement.
- Suggest a method to collect information on products that districts throughout the state prefer and don’t prefer.
- Suggest methods or some incentive for completing and returning the Annual Survey report.
The Committee meets twice a year. Members must participate in person, through telephone or web based conference in order to remain active.