FNS Documents & Resources

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot in 4 states and 1 Indian Tribal Organization (Zuni, New Mexico). The purpose of the pilot was to determine the best practices for increasing fruit (both fresh and dried) and fresh vegetable consumption in schools.

To ensure program integrity, school districts must sample household applications certified for free or reduced-price meals, contact the households, and verify eligibility. This process (known as household verification) can be burdensome for both school officials and households. Direct verification uses information from certain other means-tested programs to verify eligibility without contacting applicants. Potential benefits include: less burden for households, less work for school officials, and fewer students with school meal benefits terminated because of nonresponse to verification requests.