The USDA Foods in Schools program supports domestic nutrition programs and American agricultural producers through the purchase of 100% American-grown and produced foods for use in schools and institutions participating in the National School Lunch Program.
In North Dakota, the program is administered and managed by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.
Schools receive entitlement funds to request USDA Foods selected and purchased through USDA. Each sponsor’s entitlement is calculated by multiplying the number of lunches claimed during the previous school year by the established USDA Foods assistance rate.
There are three primary ways sponsors may utilize USDA Foods entitlement:
- Direct Delivery (Brown Box) – USDA procures and ships finished USDA Foods products to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction’s state-contracted warehouse for distribution to sponsors across the state. North Dakota operates as a demand-driven state, with sponsors participating in annual and monthly surveys to determine product demand.
- Further Processing – USDA Foods Processing allows state distributing agencies to contract with commercial food processors to convert bulk USDA Foods into convenient, ready-to-use end products for schools.
- DoD Fresh – The USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows schools to receive fresh produce through a partnership between USDA, the Defense Logistics Agency, and participating state distributing agencies.