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DoD Fresh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: If I participate in the DoD Program using entitlement dollars, will I receive an invoice for products ordered through DoD?
A: No. The invoices are sent to DoD and ultimately paid by USDA.
- Q: Do we have to order products weekly and are there specific products that have to be ordered?
A: No. SFA’s participating in this program should handle DoD the same as any other potential fresh fruit and vegetable vendor.
- Q: Will the produce be delivered along with the current monthly USDA food delivery?
A: No. The delivery of produce ordered through the DoD program is completely separate from the monthly delivery of USDA Foods products and will not be handled through the current state contracted warehouses. Nor will any produce ordered show up on the monthly USDA Foods “Order” sheet accessible in the USDA Food Ordering System.
- Q: Are there any restrictions on what types of fresh fruits and vegetables can be ordered through the DoD Program?
A: Yes. Under USDA regulations, foreign products cannot be purchased with entitlement dollars.
- Q: Is there a minimum order requirement?
A: Yes. There is a $150 minimum order (drop) requirement per order. The DoD-contracted vendor will not deliver any order not meeting the minimum order requirement.
- Q: Is participation in the DoD Program mandatory?
A: No. The DoD Program is an additional option for spending allotted entitlement dollars. Each agency has the option of committing some, all or none of their allotted entitlement dollars. However, any entitlement dollars that are committed to this program will result in less money available to spend on other USDA food products that are offered through the DPI USDA Food Program.
- Q: Who is the DoD-contracted produce vendor for Wisconsin?
A: The produce company is AJ Wholesale Produce, Sheboygan, WI.
- Q: Who do I contact about the program?
A:Please view the complete list of contacts here.
- Q: When can I add a new school delivery address in the DoD FFAVORS system?
A: Send the following information: School name, Delivery address, Contact full name, Phone number, Email address to Dino Ante, antonio.ante@dpi.wi.gov, 608.267.4599.
- Q: How can I update the contact information in the DoD FFAVORS system?
A: Please send the following information: School name, Contact full name, Phone number, Email address to Dino Ante, antonio.ante@dpi.wi.gov, 608.267.4599.
- Q: What do I do if my order was shorted?
A: Please make sure that all products listed on the delivery receipt are accounted for. In the event of a shortage, please inform the driver immediately to confirm the issue on the delivery notice. Contact the vendor (AJ Produce) within 48 hours to confirm that the driver has reported the issue. Once confirmed, edit your receipt in FFAVORS within 7 days after delivery. In the event of a dispute over delivery, please contact Dino Ante, antonio.ante@dpi.wi.gov, 608.267.4599.
- Q: What do I do if my order has quality issues?
A: Please inspect the products upon delivery. In the event of quality issues, schools have the option to reject the product and inform the driver immediately and have him/her confirm the issue on the delivery notice for confirmation. Contact the vendor (AJ Produce) within 48 hours to confirm that the driver has reported the issue. Once confirmed, edit your receipt in FFAVORS within 5 days after delivery. In the event of a dispute over quality issues, please contact Dino Ante, antonio.ante@dpi.wi.gov, 608.267.4599.
- Q: When do I place my order and when should I expect it to arrive?
A: AJ Produce will designate a delivery date for each SFA - see delivery schedule. When placing your order, you must allow three-business days for the vendor to process your order. For example: If your designated delivery date is Monday, you must place your order no-later-than Tuesday of the previous week, to follow the three- business day rule. Or, if your delivery date is Wednesday, you must place an order by Thursday of the previous week.
- Q: Why is it that while trying to place my order the "Receipts" link indicate that there are receipts to be edited and not allow me to place an order?
A: Customers are required to process receipts within 5 days of delivery date. A receipt that is not processed (edited) by the 5th day after delivery date is considered past due. A customer will be unable to place new order if they have past due receipts. NOTE: The DoD-contracted vendor does not get paid for the delivery of produce until the receipts are processed by the customer. Therefore, it's important that customers process their receipts although they have placed their last order for the the school year and have expended their funding.
- Q: What happens to my DoD entitlement if I do not use it?
A: The commitment of entitlement dollars to this program is a school-year commitment. Any unused entitlement dollars will be lost at the end of the school-year since USDA does not roll-over unused entitlement into the next school-year. DPI will monitor each SFA’s entitlement spending. For SFAs that have significant balances, little activity and/or non-activity, DPI will re-allocate unused entitlement commitment dollars to other agencies in April 2022. DPI will notify affected agencies regarding the re-allocation and will re-distribute accumulated funds to interested SFAs on a fair-share basis.
