Timelines

Overview

Below are monthly and annual tasks and training opportunities to guide you through a successful year of ordering and monitoring USDA Foods.

Review expected orders Check inventory onsite or at your distributor. Plan to use USDA Foods on your menus.
Direct Delivery (Brown Box) and C Code Products - If you are expecting a delivery next month, login to the WI USDA Foods Ordering System, and review/print your Order.
For SFAs that use a Commercial Distributor - Submit orders that use USDA Foods.

USDA DoD Fresh Produce – Submit orders in FFAVORS. Monitor your balance. Confirm you have a plan to use balance by end of year (June 30).
Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate - If you order bulk pounds for further processing, login to K12 Foodservice and ProcessorLink and monitor your pounds usage. Confirm you have a plan to use pounds by end of year (June 30). Submit orders to your Commercial Distributor. Confirm you are receiving credit for the value of USDA Foods per your contract, as applicable.

July August

Review DPI USDA Foods Handling Fees.
For SFAs in Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate: Review DPI Inventory and Sweep Policy.

Read the DPI's USDA Foods Back to School Memo.
Payment due for any outstanding USDA Foods handling fees from previous school year. DPI will email any SFAs with outstanding fees.
SFAs review and update contact information in the WI USDA Foods Ordering System on the Application tab.

September October November

For SFAs interested in Direct Diversion program for next school year – Review the List of DPI Approved Direct Diversion Processors and program resources.
For SFAs interested in Cheese Rebate program for next school year – DPI posts the List of DPI Approved Cheese Processors and program resources.
For SFAs in Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate: DPI invoices Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate administrative fees.
For SFAs interested in Commercial Distribution (Delivery) for next school year – Review the Commercial Distribution webpage.

Start procurement planning for next school year. Procurement planning includes prime vendor/commercial distributor contracts and meal service agreements for both base year and renewals.

For SFAs interested in Direct Diversion program for next school year – Review the SNT Online Learning – Direct Diversion Program.
Continue procurement planning for next school year and release solicitations.

December January February

USDA releases USDA Foods Available Product List and Values. Review for planning next year’s USDA Foods Annual Order Survey.
For SFAs participating in Department of Defense Fresh Produce Program (DoD) – Review DoD entitlement dollar spending for the current school year. Plan for spending remaining dollars before end of school year.
For SFAs in Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate: Review bulk pounds used for the current school year in K12FoodService and ProcessorLink and other monitoring systems. Plan to use remaining pounds before end of school year.

For Direct Delivery products for next year - SFAs submit feedback to DPI using the “DPI USDA Foods Preference Survey (google form)”.
End of month – Attend the DPI Networking and Training Event: “DPI USDA Foods Preference Survey Results.”
Finalize procurement agreements and contracts for next school year. Use award information for planning entries in the Annual Order Survey.

1^st week – Review Annual Order Survey Materials for next school year.
Feb 4 – Attend the DPI Networking and Training Event: “Submitting the USDA Foods Annual Order Survey for Next School Year”.
Mid month – Login and submit the Wisconsin Annual USDA Foods Order Survey for next school year.
For SFAs participating in Commercial Distribution (Delivery) for next school year – agree to the Commercial Distribution agreement on the WI USDA Foods Ordering System contract form.
For SFAs participating in Direct Diversion for next school year – agree to the Direct Diversion agreement on the WI USDA Foods Ordering System contract form.

March April

For SFAs interested in ordering USDA Foods for Summer Food Service Program, update your Summer Food contract. Respond “Yes” to USDA Foods on the first page.
For SFAs participating in DoD Fresh Produce – Review your DoD entitlement dollar balance in your FFAVORS account. Plan on spending remaining dollars before the end of the school year (June 30). Unused dollars do not get carried over to the following school year.
For SFAs in Direct Diversion and Cheese Rebate: Review bulk pounds used for the current school year in K12FoodService and ProcessorLink and other monitoring systems. Plan to use remaining pounds before end of school year (June 30). Review the Inventory Sweep policy.
End-month – Deadline for SFAs to select their USDA Foods distribution option for next school year in the WI USDA Foods Ordering System on the Application tab.

DPI transfers unspent DoD entitlement dollars for the current school year to other SFAs who will spend the unused dollars.
Login and review the “Adjusted” Annual Order Survey amounts in the WI USDA Foods Ordering System on the Survey tab.
DPI posts Direct Diversion bulk pound commitments by processor for next year.

May June

DPI will send request to USDA to add new schools and/or delivery sites in the DoD FFAVORS ordering system for next school year.
Review current school year Commodity Allocation and Receipt Summary (CARS) report.
May 6 – Attend the DPI Networking and Training Event: “Viewing USDA Foods Annual Order Survey Adjustments and Conducting End-of-Year Reconciliation and CARS Report”
June – Consider attending the WI SNA Annual Conference – this conference includes a Direct Diversion Food Show.