FNS Documents & Resources

Recently, we have received several questions about the use of funds from the nonprofit school food service account to cover expenditures related to farm to school activities and school gardens. The questions and answers below address specific scenarios that school food authorities may be dealing with when considering the allowability of such costs.

This brochure provides ideas to use healthy choices for fundraising that sell only nonfood items or foods that meet the Smart Snacks nutrition standards.

Use these fun stickers as part of your taste-testing events. 

Use these colorful 2" stickers as part of your school breakfast promotion events. 

During this webinar, Maggie Gosselin from USDA's Farm to School Program will discuss the different ways schools may choose to use a forward contract when purchasing local foods. We'll also hear from Megan Kemple, a practitioner in Oregon, who has successfully used forward contracts to buy local products.

During the last webinar in the twelve-part series, recorded on June 26, 2014, the USDA Farm to School Program offers a speedy recap of the variety of ways districts can purchase local foods, and talks through an example of how one district is tying it all together with a comprehensive local purchasing program. Deborah Kane, the National Director of USDA's Farm to School Program, wraps up the webinar by showing us how local procurement fits into the larger farm to school picture and shares several resources that are available to help you meet your local purchasing goals.

The recipes in the cookbook feature foods both children and adults should consume more of: dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, and whole grains. All of these healthy recipes are low in total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium. With fun names like Porcupine Sliders, Smokin' Powerhouse Chili, and Squish Squash Lasagna, these kid-tested, kid-approved recipes are sure to please children and be an instant hit!

In this webinar, the first of the series, Christina Conell and Maggie Gosselin from USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, covered basic procurement fundamentals relevant to the federal child nutrition programs. Topics include informal and formal procurement methods and maintaining competition.