Food Distribution Program

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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.

USDA foods should be used in the current school year, within six months from delivery, using the First In, First Out (FIFO) Method. Prioritizing when USDA foods are used, ensures that nothing expires. Store recently delivered items behind those currently in your refrigerators, freezers, and storage areas so the ones you've had longer are readily accessible and used first. 

 

If you have questions regarding the USDA Food Distribution Program, please contact a member of the Child Nutrition staff. 

How to Submit a New Order


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 Order Extras/Surplus

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 Place Your Final SY25 USDA Order

In CNPweb - FDP

  • Program Year - 2025
  • Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your Sponsor name/district
  • Sponsor number

On the Sponsor Summer page

  • Orders tab
  • New order button (Under Orders and Invoicing tab)
    • Location
    • Delivery Period
    • Next

This next step is CRUCIAL

Sponsor Order form - The Order Qty box MUST have the same exact number entered in each box that is showing in the Available Qty column.

  • Next page
  • Submit
How to Order Bonus Items

In CNPweb - FDP

  • Program year - 2025
  • Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your Sponsor name/district
  • Sponsor Number

On the Sponsor Summary Page

  • Allocation tab
  • Add Surplus (Under Orders and Invoicing tab)
  • Next Page
  • Submit

Sponsor Order Form - The Order Qtz box MUST have the same exact number entered in each box that is showing in the Available Qtz column. 

  • Next page
  • Submit

CRUCIAL - These bonus items will roll over to the Orders tab, you MUST go back to the Orders tab.

Orders tab

New Order button (Under Orders and Invoicing tab)

  • Location
  • Delivery Period
  • Next

Sponsor Order Form - The Order Qty box MUST have the same exact number entered in each box that is showing in the Available Qty column.

  • Next page
  • Submit
How to Place Your Annual Order

Completing Your SY2026 Annual Order
Important things to keep in mind when placing your SY2026 Annual Order
 

Make sure there will be room in your storage areas when your first delivery arrives in either September or November

In CNPweb - FDP

  • Select Program Year
  • Select the first letter of your Sponsor/District name, or select "All". The Sponsor(s) that you relate to will appear.
  • Click on the hyperlinked number next to the name of Sponsor/District, this takes you to the Sponsor Summary page. 

Tabs - Applications, Entitlement, Surveys, Allocations, Inventory, Orders, Invoicing

  • Select Surveys tab
  • SY2026 USDA Food Annual Survey
  • Edit

Select End Products in each product category (items purchased in cases/brown box) in the blank box or boxes showing the months, enter the total cases you want for the entire year. The months that are listed are the months that the trucks are supposed to be delivered to the warehouse and not the months you will receive your items. These months can be changed if splitting with other states. Select Raw Products in each product category (items purchases in raw pounds) Net Off Invoice (NOI). If you decide to participate in this program, you will need to use your distributors SY2026 NOI catalogs. This will tell you how many total pounds you will need to enter each of the blank boxes for each individual manufacturers you are requesting for the entire year. This program is optional and has a default month being used. Remember those who participated in SY2025, if you have any remaining pounds, those pounds will be swiped at the end of the school year and not rolled over to the following school year.

DoD/FFAVORS, this will be listed under the "fruit" category, End products. Dollars Diverted to DOD FFAVORS.

If you decide to participate in the DOD/FFAVOR program. In the blank box, enter the total dollar amount you want to spend for the entire year. This program is optional and has a default month being used. You must enter 150 or more to participate in this program, as there is a minimum delivery of $150 per order and per school, so you must enter $150 or more in the box. Do not use a period or comma when entering the dollar amount. Your Sponsor dollar amounts that were requested from the Annual Survey will be entered into the FFAVORs database.

How to See What Your District Ordered in the 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

How to Place Your Summer Order

In CNPweb - FDP

  • Program year
  • Locate Sponsor name by clicking on the 1st letter of your Sponsor name
  • Sponsor number that begins with SFSP
  • Takes you to Sponsor Summary page

Applications Tab

  • Complete everything on the Sponsor Application Sheets, select Add from the action column
  • Once the Sponsor Application has been filled out, you will see that Add is now available on the Delivery Location Information Sheets under the Action column
  • This step is crucial.  Complete everything on the Delivery Location Information Sheets, this is where your food will be delivered. Delivery addresses MUST be physical addresses must be entered. PFG, the distribution company making the deliveries, will not deliver if you include your PO Box instead of physical address. 
  • Storage Capabilities, be sure that the boxes for Dry, Refrigerated, and Frozen are checked off. 

Ordering USDA Commodities (May 1st-15th)

Sponsor Summary Page

  • Allocations tab
  • Add Surplus - Under Order and Invoicing tabs - Entitlement available to you will be listed here
  • Enter how many cases of each item you want in the Request Qty box
  • Next Page
  • Submit

Sponsor Summary Page

  • Orders tab
  • New Order button - Under Order and Invoicing tabs
  • Location
  • Delivery Period
  • This step is crucial - Sponsor Order Form - The Order Qty box MUST have the same exact number entered in each box that is showing in the Available Qty column. 
  • Next Page
  • Submit
  • The Sponsor Summary - Orders Complete Successfully

Sponsor Summary Page

  • Orders tab
  • May Orders
  • View - These are the items that will be delivered in June

 

USDA Foods Price Per Case SY 2025
USDA Foods Price Per Case SY 2026
NSLP SY25 Per Meal Estimated Effective Rate = .45 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

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Order Receipt System (FFAVORS)

FFAVORS Web Ordering Manual

FFAVORS Login

  • 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 2025 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 2024-2025          
 

 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
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, Statewide

Food 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.
 

 
For more information or questions about Maine's USDA Foods Program please contact a Child Nutrition staff member.

 

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