DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Reminders

This management bulletin updates the policy for the U.S Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (DoD Fresh) entitlement request process, and also provides important reminders regarding DoD Fresh.

Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Entitlement Request Policy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a change to when entitlement allocations may be modified for the DoD Fresh, which is effective School Year 2022–23. There will be four opportunities to adjust allocations each school year after the initial ordering period in April has concluded.

The deadline for Recipient Agencies (RA) to submit DoD Fresh allocation changes to their Food Distribution Program (FDP) ordering coordinator is September 1 for mid‑September changes, December 1 for mid-December changes, March 1 for mid‑March changes and April 1 for mid-April changes. These deadline dates will ensure that the collection of all adjusted amounts for the State are submitted to the USDA on time.

The FDP encourages each RA to take this change into account when planning yearly DoD Fresh allocations, understanding that RAs will only be able to increase or decrease allocated funds four times during the school year.

Overview of Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

The USDA and DoD partner together to formalize the DoD Fresh, which allows each RA to use USDA Foods entitlement dollars to obtain domestically grown produce. The DoD contracts with local prime vendors to supply produce to RAs under year-long agreements with options to renew based on performance.

Each RA that participates in DoD Fresh will determine the amount of entitlement to use on DoD Fresh produce from July 1 through April 30 each year. This amount is deducted from the RA’s total beginning entitlement and does not carry over to the following school year.

RAs that receive DoD Fresh produce directly from a prime vendor use an online cataloging, ordering, and receipting system known as the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Ordering and Receipting System (FFAVORS). Each RA receives a user ID and password to access FFAVORS through a registration process administered by the DoD.

The FFAVORS catalog offers a wide variety of seasonal domestic items including fresh, precut, and organic produce. RAs must submit orders no later than three business days prior to the requested delivery date. Contractually, RAs may receive at least one delivery per week and delivery days will be assigned in accordance with the prime vendor’s preestablished routing schedule. Each time an order is submitted, the invoice amount is subtracted from the RA’s entitlement in FFAVORS.

Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Receipting Requirements

RAs that place DoD Fresh orders through FFAVORS are required to receipt orders in FFAVORS within seven calendar days after delivery. Receipting orders confirms items are received and ensures that entitlement funds are drawn down accurately. Delaying the receipting process delays payment to the vendor. Receipts are considered past due if they have not been entered in FFAVORS by the end of the seventh day and additional orders cannot be placed until previous orders are receipted. Receipting instructions can be found in the Help section of FFAVORS.

Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Complaints

To ensure the success of DoD Fresh, it is important that all issues be documented and immediately reported. Please inspect all produce when it arrives for condition and quality. Any issue with product must be reported within 24 hours from date of delivery. Communication and documentation, including photos, are key to quickly resolving any issues.

• RAs that receive DoD Fresh produce direct from the Prime Vendor should report any issues with produce quality, condition, availability, or delivery to the Prime Vendor. RAs should also notify the Food Administration Unit (FAU) by phone at 916-323-0865 or by email at FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov.
• RAs that receive DoD Fresh produce through the Pomona Distribution Center (PDC) should report any produce issues to the PDC by phone at 909-596-7777.
• RAs that receive DoD produce through the Sacramento Distribution Center (SDC) should report any produce issues to the SDC by phone at 916-324-0162.

Resources

For more information on the DoD Fresh program, including current DoD solicitations and contracts, and regional DoD customer service representatives, visit the USDA Food Distribution DoD Fresh web page at https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/usda-dod-fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-program.

Information and links to the FFAVORS website can be found on the FFAVORS web page at https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-order-receipt-system-ffavors.

For specific California Department of Education (CDE) information, including program fees and participation options, visit the CDE DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/fd/dod.asp.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the Food Distribution Program by email at FoodDistribution@cde.ca.gov.