Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Background

Program History

The FFVP began as the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, authorized by Congress under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171) in a limited number of states and schools. The purpose of the pilot was to identify best practices for increasing fresh fruit and vegetable consumption among students and to determine feasibility and student interest.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by adding Section 19, the FFVP. Section 19 authorized the program nationwide to 50 states (as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

Program Goals

The goal of the FFVP is to enhance school food environments by providing healthier food choices and to:

• Expand the fruits and vegetables children experience
  
• Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
  
• Make a difference in children’s diets to affect their present and future health

The program is seen as an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity and by helping children adopt healthy eating habits.

Program Funding

The FFVP funding is contingent upon the award amount provided from the USDA to the CDE. As a result, the CDE adjusts the award amount granted per student from the first to the second allocation for each school year.

Overview

How Does it Work?
Grant Eligibility
Grant Program Requirements
Grant Reimbursement
Grant Recipients

How Does It Work?

The USDA provides funds to the CDE NSD to administer the FFVP program according to federal requirements and the California FFVP Guidelines. As long as funds are available, the NSD provides reimbursement to awarded elementary schools for the cost of operating the FFVP and providing fresh fruits and vegetables to students, free of charge and during the school day.

As required by federal law, the selection criteria are based on a school’s percentage of free and reduced-price enrollment with priority given to schools with the highest percentages. To receive a grant, the school food authority (SFA) must apply on behalf of their elementary schools. The selected elementary schools then receive grant awards of $50–$75 per student for the school year. With these funds, schools purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables to serve free to students as a snack outside of normal meal service and provide complementary nutrition education.

Grant Eligibility

To be eligible for the FFVP, an agency must be an SFA. According to Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), Section 210.2, an SFA is defined as the governing body which is responsible for the administration of one or more elementary schools and has the legal authority to operate the program therein or be otherwise approved by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to operate the program.

The following are considered SFAs and are eligible to apply for an FFVP grant:

• School districts and county offices of education on behalf of their elementary school sites

• Direct-funded charter elementary schools

• Private elementary schools participating in the NSLP if 50 percent or more of their students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals

• Residential child care institutions operating an elementary school during the day and participating in the NSLP

To receive an FFVP grant, a school must meet the following minimum criteria:

• Be an elementary school
  
  

  An elementary school is defined as:

  • A school that contains one or more grades pre-kindergarten to fourth, and no grade higher than eighth
    or
  • A school that contains one or more grades fifth to sixth only
    
    An elementary school includes the following grade spans:
    Pre-K–K*, Pre-K–1, Pre-K–2, Pre-K–3, Pre-K–4, Pre-K–5, Pre-K–6, Pre-K–7, Pre-K–8
    1–1, 1–2, 1–3, 1–4, 1–5, 1–6, 1–7, 1–8
    2–2, 2–3, 2–4, 2–5, 2–6, 2–7, 2–8
    3–3, 3–4, 3–5, 3–6, 3–7, 3–8
    4–4, 4–5, 4–6, 4–7
    5–5, 5–6
    6–6
    
    *Note that Kindergarten (K) includes Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

• Operate the NSLP

• Have 50 percent or more of the student enrollment eligible for free and reduced-price meals—priority is given to SFAs with the highest percentage

• Provide an implementation plan describing the snack service time and frequency, nutrition education, and collaborative partnerships

• Have documented support of the school food service manager, principal, and district superintendent

• Submit a grant application package by the deadline

• Be in good standing with the operation of all other federal child nutrition programs (CNP)

Grant Program Requirements

Grantees have the flexibility to develop their own FFVP implementation plan and to choose the type of produce, number of days per week, and times during the day to provide the free fresh fruit or vegetable snacks to their students. Grantees are also encouraged to develop partnerships to help implement the program, such as with local universities, extension services, farmers markets, and local growers and grocers.

Upon award of the grant, grantees are required to have their Superintendent e-sign and submit a Grant Award Notification (GAN) and Supplemental Agreement for the first and second allocations for the FFVP. A complete set of grantee requirements are included in these documents. A few of the key requirements are highlighted below:

• Make free fresh fruits and vegetables available during the school day as a snack to all enrolled children outside of NSLP and SBP operation
  
  
• Offer the FFVP snack a minimum of three times per week
  
  
• Offer nutrition education at least one time per week as part of the FFVP
  
  
• Follow all food safety requirements and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point guidance
  
  
• Widely publicize the availability of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks within the school
  
  
• Implement the FFVP in accordance with the USDA guidelines, the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF), and the California FFVP Guidelines
  
  
• Grantees must remain in good standing status over the course of the FFVP grant period.
  
  
• Grantees are expected to spend 75–100 percent of their total award.
  
  
• Grantees are expected to begin implementing the FFVP at the start of their school year. If the SFA has any participating FFVP elementary schools that have not implemented the FFVP by October 16 of the grant year, the CDE will amend the second allocation award of the school to zero dollars and remove the school from the FFVP.

In addition, the SFA must remain in good standing in the operation of all other federal CNPs. Good standing means an SFA cannot be documented as having an open serious deficiency in its operation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program or the Summer Food Service Program and cannot have an active reimbursement hold in the School Nutrition Program related to nonsubmission of, or unacceptable corrective action documentation (7 CFR, sections 226.6[c][3][iii], 225.11[c], and 210.24 respectively).

Grant Reimbursement

The FFVP is a reimbursement grant; therefore, grantees must expend their own funds and then submit a claim for reimbursement to the CDE. SFAs participating in the FFVP submit monthly reimbursement claim forms to the NSD for review and approval. The NSD reimburses the SFA for the fresh fruit and vegetable, operational, and administrative costs to implement the program. Upon receipt of a claim, the NSD and the State Controller’s Office (SCO) will process the claim within 45 calendar days.

Please note: once the SCO has mailed a reimbursement check, the time frame for a school to receive the payment will vary due to the practices within a specific county.

Grant Recipients

You can access the current and previous year FFVP grant recipients and funding allocations on the CDE Funding Results web page. After selecting the link, search by fiscal year and type in "FFVP" under key words, then search. This will bring up the FFVP Funding Results links for current and previous years. You can also access the FFVP Funding Results links from the CDE Rates, Eligibility Scales, and Funding web page, under the Grants section.

FFVP Guidelines

The CDE NSD has developed further guidelines with input from the USDA Western Regional Office to supplement the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF). These guidelines were created to help school food authorities (SFAs) and participating elementary schools implement the FFVP in an effective manner.

The guidelines address 11 main topic areas:

1. Snack Frequency and Serving Times
2. Allowable Fruits and Vegetables
3. Nutrition Education
4. FFVP Reimbursement Claim Process
5. FFVP Claim Due Dates
6. One-time Exception
7. Personnel Activity Reporting
8. FFVP Administrative Review Process
9. Good Standing Status
10. Grant Appeal Procedures
11. Reporting

1. Snack Frequency and Serving Times

The purpose of the FFVP is to offer a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to all students in the participating elementary school.

• Frequency: Grantees are expected to serve the FFVP snack a minimum of three times per week in a participating school during the school year.
  
  
• Serving Times:
  
  
  • Grantees are only allowed to serve the FFVP snack during the school day between the regular hours of school operation (e.g., during mid-morning break, before recess, afternoon nutrition breaks, etc.).
    
    
  • Grantees may not operate the FFVP before or after school, or during lunch or breakfast periods.
    
    
• On-campus Farmers' Market: On-campus Farmers' Market set up is allowed once a year as the FFVP snack service and must be eaten during the school day, outside of other meal times. All fruits and vegetables served during this event must follow the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles, such as washing foods prior to consumption.

2. Allowable Fruits and Vegetables

The following lists include the types of fruits and vegetables that can and cannot be purchased with FFVP grant funds. Most of the items listed are also addressed in the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF). However, bolded items have been added for clarification for California grantees.

Allowable Items:

• Whole or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables
  
  
• Condiments: lemons, limes, or chili powder can be used as a condiment to be served with vegetables
  
  
• Vegetable dips are allowed if they are low-fat, yogurt-based, or other low-fat or fat-free (nonfat) dips
  
  
  • Dip serving sizes cannot exceed 2 tablespoons (2 ounces)
    
    
  • Please note that low-fat or non-fat hummus, peanut butter, and sun butter may only be served with vegetables once a month due to the high fat content
    
    
• Fresh vegetables that are cooked must be limited to once per week and served only as part of a nutrition education lesson

Unallowable Items:

• Processed or preserved fruits and vegetables (i.e., canned, frozen, vacuum-packed, or dried)
  
  
• Fruit leather or jellied fruit
  
  
• Dips for fruit or cottage cheese
  
  
• Fruit or vegetable juice
  
  
• Smoothies
  
  
• Trail mixes or nuts
  
  
• Fruit/vegetable pizza
  
  
• Fruit that has been injected with flavorings
  
  
• Carbonated fruit
  
  
• Most nonfood items, except those allowed under supplies and administrative operational costs
  

If you have any questions about which fruits and vegetables are allowed to be served in the FFVP, please contact CDE staff at FFVP@cde.ca.gov for assistance before making any purchases.

3. Nutrition Education

Grantees are expected to provide nutrition education to all students, a minimum of once per week.

The nutrition education provided can vary in length and content. For example, nutrition education can be as easy as teaching students where the featured fruit or vegetable is grown, and its nutrition/health benefits, etc. In addition, nutrition education may be part of a core curriculum, such as health or science classes. The goal is for nutrition education to be incorporated into the elementary school’s curriculum. Please note that FFVP funds cannot be used to purchase nutrition education materials or promotional items.

4. FFVP Reimbursement Claim Process

The California FFVP reimbursement claim is available in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS). The SFA must submit monthly claims electronically in CNIPS to receive reimbursement. The CDE will not accept paper claim forms. Please refer to the FFVP User Manual for Claiming in CNIPS for more detailed information on the reimbursement claim process and how to enter a claim for payment; this can be found in the Resources tab of CDE's FFVP web page.

Claim Requirements

FFVP claims should be submitted within 30 days of the end of the previous month (e.g., the November FFVP reimbursement claim submitted by December 30). Similar to the NSLP, FFVP claims will not be paid if they are submitted 60 days or more after the end of the month for which you are claiming reimbursement. Refer to the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF), December 2010, Page 25; and 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 210.8 (b)(1). An SFA can request a one-time exception, once every 36 months, to receive payment for a claim submitted after the 60-day deadline. Additional details provided in "One-time Exception" section below.

Grantees must maintain financial records (copies of invoices or purchase orders) for at least three years beyond the grant period for auditing purposes.

Allowable Reimbursement Categories

Allowable reimbursement expenses for the FFVP grant fall into three categories: (1) fresh fruits and vegetables, (2) operating costs, and (3) administrative costs. It is important to note that the allowable costs under these categories may be different from those in the NSLP.

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables: California guidelines require the SFA to spend a minimum of 70 percent of the total award on the direct purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. Participating elementary schools must document fruit and vegetable expenses that are directly related to the FFVP.
   
   
2. Operating costs: Participating elementary schools must maintain documentation related to operating expenses for acquiring, delivering, preparing, and serving fruits and vegetables through the FFVP if these expenses are billed to the FFVP grant. Operating costs may include:
   
   
   • Small supplies (napkins, paper plates, serving bowls, trash bags, etc.)
     
     
   • Produce delivery charges
     
     
   • Direct labor charges (salaries and fringe benefits for employees who prepare, serve, or deliver the FFVP fresh fruits and vegetables)

3. Administrative costs: The USDA has established a maximum that SFAs can spend on administrative costs—up to 10 percent of the grant award. Participating elementary schools must document administrative costs including equipment purchases, leasing, and labor costs that are not directly related to the preparing and serving of fresh fruits and vegetables, but are necessary to administer the program. Participating elementary schools must prorate expenses as needed to ensure that only the FFVP portion of the administrative expense is charged to the FFVP. To help estimate administrative costs, participating elementary schools may use the lesser of their approved indirect cost rate or the statewide average indirect cost rate when submitting an FFVP claim. Note however that no indirect costs should be charged to the FFVP through the SFA’s fiscal department.

Equipment purchases: According to the CA FFVP guidelines, grantees are required to obtain prior approval from the NSD before purchasing equipment with a per unit cost of $300 or more. An SFA must complete an Equipment Justification Form and submit it to the NSD. This form (Form ID SNP 66 FFVP) can be downloaded from CNIPS in the Download Forms section. If the equipment is being shared with another program, equipment purchases must be prorated proportionate to use.

Unallowable Costs

FFVP funds cannot be used to:

• purchase nutrition education materials
  
  
• purchase marketing or promotional items
  
  
• fund marketing or promotional activities
  
  
• purchase and distribute fruit baskets to families
  
  
• purchase and distribute the FFVP snacks to school personnel
  
  
• purchase and distribute the FFVP snacks to students to take home during breaks
  
  
• retroactively claim costs for previous School Years/Fiscal Years whose grant periods are already closed
  
  
• retroactively claim costs in one lump sum for prior claim months or an entire grant year
  
  
• claim costs for prior claim months that have already passed the 60-day submission deadline (unless an FFVP one-time exception is used)

If your SFA has questions about allowable costs, please contact the CDE FFVP Team by email at FFVP@cde.ca.gov prior to incurring the costs.

Disallowed Costs

Disallowed Costs: Items within a claim may be disallowed, and subsequently not paid, for reasons including, but not limited to:

• Significant concerns about purchases
  
  
• Incomplete claims
  
  
• Claim errors
  
  
• Claim total to date exceeds total allocation amount
  
  
• Total year-to-date administrative expense claim amount exceeds 10 percent of the participating elementary school’s total grant award.

5. FFVP Claim Due Dates

The FFVP claim submission due dates are based on the School Nutrition Program (SNP) deadlines to submit claims in CNIPS for reimbursement. All FFVP claims should be submitted within 30 days after the end of the claim month and must be no later than the SNP claim submission deadlines. The SNP claim due dates are posted annually and are available on the CDE SNP Claim Submission Deadlines web page.

Due Dates for Each Grant Period

6. One-time Exception

The USDA allows the CDE to grant a one-time exception to an agency once every 36 months for each program type, including the FFVP. The one-time exception is used when an agency submits a claim or modifies a claim after the 60-day submission deadline.

Per Management Bulletin CNP-01-2022, Reimbursement Claim One-time Only Exception Submission Deadline Policy Clarification, the CDE limits the use of the one-time exception to the federal fiscal year in which the claim was late and requires the exception request be submitted to the CDE by December 6 following the applicable federal fiscal year (October 1–September 30). For example, ABC agency does not submit its January claim for reimbursement by April 1 (claim submission deadline). The agency has not submitted a one-time exception request in the past 36 months. If ABC Agency decides to use its one-time exception, it must submit the request to the NSD by December 6. If you need to request a one-time exception, please contact the FFVP team by email at FFVP@cde.ca.gov, for the necessary one-time exception Corrective Action Form.

7. Personnel Activity Reporting

Please note that any personnel expenses charged to the FFVP grant require payroll documentation and personnel activity reporting (PAR). State guidance, the California School Accounting Manual (CSAM, 2019 Edition) (PDF) and Management Bulletin SNP-06-2014, Documenting Employee Time and Effort in Federal School Nutrition Programs, and federal regulations, Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR) Part 200.430 (x) (4) , govern payroll documentation. Whether the employee working on the FFVP also works on other federally funded programs will determine the type of time distribution records needed.

The CSAM, 2019 Edition (PDF), Procedure 905, “Documenting Salaries and Wages,” provides sample Semiannual Certification and PAR forms as guidance to grantees. Please remember that the CDE does not dictate the use of any particular form, but it is important to know the level of detail that is required by the state and federal regulations.

Employees Who Work on a Single Cost Objective

Employees who work on a single cost objective (such as the FFVP only) must maintain a semiannual certification that is:

• Certifying the employee works solely on that program/cost object
  
  
• Prepared at least semiannually
  
  
• Signed by the employee or supervisor

Employees Who Work on Multiple Cost Objectives

Employees who work on multiple cost objectives (such as the FFVP and the NSLP), if not using a substitute system, must maintain PARs that:

• Reflect an after-the-fact distribution of the actual activity of each employee
  
  
• Account for the total activity each employee is compensated
  
  
• Are prepared at least monthly and coincide with one or more pay periods
  
  
• Are signed by the employee

The nonprofit school food service account (cafeteria fund) cannot, as a common practice, support FFVP personnel expenses. Any personnel activity related to the FFVP may be charged as direct labor or indirect labor expenses to the FFVP grant or another funding source outside of the cafeteria fund. For information about the cafeteria fund, please visit Management Bulletin SNP-05-2020 Cafeteria Funds—Allowable Uses and the CDE Cafeteria Fund web page. You may also contact the CDE Cafeteria Fund Team by email at SNPCAFEFUNDQUESTIONS@cde.ca.gov.

8. FFVP Administrative Review Process

As a condition of receiving FFVP funds from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, the CDE is federally required to perform reviews of the grantees' FFVP operations. Refer to the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF), December 2010, page 26.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, requires state agencies to adhere to an accountability system that conducts administrative reviews (AR) to evaluate program requirements of the NSLP and SBP, as well as other federal child nutrition programs (CNP), on a three-year cycle.

The FFVP is included in the AR. Therefore, SFAs that are scheduled for an AR will also have a review of the FFVP at one or more participating elementary school sites.

The AR for the FFVP will include: (1) claim validation and (2) an on-site review. The NSD field services staff conducts the on-site review, are responsible for comprehensive AR monitoring, and conducts the off-site claim validation.

The components of the FFVP review are described below.

Claim Validation (off-site):

• The NSD reviewer will validate one claim for reimbursement for each FFVP elementary school selected for review.
  
  
• The SFA will provide supporting cost documentation for the one month claim. The NSD reviewers will compare the total cost claimed for reimbursement against the total cost established by the supporting cost documentation. The NSD reviewer will determine if the elementary school:
  
  
  • Uses the majority of funds to purchase fresh produce
    
    
  • Reviews and prorates equipment purchase
    
    
  • Ensures that labor costs and all other nonfood costs are minimal
    
    
  • Plans to charge no more than 10 percent of the total grant to administrative costs
    
    
• The SFA will be in compliance if claimed items are allowable and claim costs can be validated with supporting cost documentation.

On-Site Review:

• The NSD field reviewer will observe the FFVP operation in each of the selected elementary schools. The reviewer will observe whether the:
  
  
  • FFVP is available to all enrolled children
    
    
  • FFVP is free of charge
    
    
  • School offers the FFVP within the school day, but outside the meal service times of the NSLP and SBP
    
    
  • School widely publicizes the FFVP
    
    
  • School does not serve products that are unallowable according to the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF)  or the California FFVP Guidelines.
    
    
  • School provides dip for vegetables only and that the dip is either low-fat or fat-free (nonfat) and the serving is no larger than 2 tablespoons
    
    
  • School does not provide fresh fruits and vegetables to adults except for teachers who are in the classroom with students during the FFVP food service
    
    
  • The school offers a cooked vegetable no more than one per week and only when included as part of a nutrition education lesson
    
    
  • FFVP food service follows the HACCP principles and applicable sanitation and health standards
    
    
  • The school offers nutrition education weekly
    
    
• The SFA will be in compliance if each of the FFVP schools selected for review complies with the guidance listed above.

For more information, please visit the Compliance tab.

9. Good Standing Status

To be eligible to receive an FFVP grant, SFAs currently participating in any of the federal CNPs, must be in good standing in the operation of those programs. They must also be in compliance with all related regulations during the application process and anytime during the course of the grant period.

This means that an SFA cannot be documented as having an open serious deficiency in its operation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and cannot have an active reimbursement hold in the SNP related to nonsubmission of or unacceptable corrective action documentation (7 CFR, sections 226.6[c][3][iii], 225.11[c], and 210.24 respectively).

If an SFA knowingly submits false information on its grant application or invoices, the CDE may deny or collect the agency’s grant funding.

Please reference the CDE NSD Good Standing Status for SNP Grants for a link to the criteria considered when determining good standing.

State Monitoring

A grantee will be notified if there is concern about their good standing status during the course of the grant year. As a result, the CDE reserves the right to remove grantees from the FFVP and disallow them from receiving future FFVP grants if the CDE has documented concerns with the grantee’s good standing status or their ability to implement the FFVP (i.e., grantee is not implementing the FFVP in accordance with the USDA FFVP: Handbook for Schools (PDF) or the California FFVP Guidelines.

Over the course of the FFVP grant period, grantees are expected to spend 75–100 percent of their total award. Therefore, the CDE will monitor a grantee’s spending pattern throughout the grant period. If there are documented concerns that grantees are under spending, this may detract from a grantee’s good standing status, and may result in an SFA being disallowed from receiving a future FFVP grant.

In addition, the CDE expects all grantees to implement the FFVP when their school begins. If the SFA has any participating FFVP elementary schools that have not implemented the FFVP by October 16 of the grant year, the CDE will amend the second allocation award of the school to zero dollars and remove the school from the FFVP.

For more information, please visit the Compliance tab.

10. Grant Appeal Procedures

Applicants that wish to appeal a grant award decision must submit a letter of appeal to the NSD. Appeals are limited to the grounds that the NSD failed to correctly apply the criteria for reviewing the application as specified in the request for applications.

Once applicants are notified that the grant awards are posted, agencies will have 10 calendar days to contact the NSD to request information regarding the reason for the grant denial. The NSD will have 10 calendar days to provide a written response (through e-mail, fax, or certified mail).

If, after receiving the NSD’s written response your agency wishes to file an appeal, your agency must complete the Grant Appeal Request Form (PDF) and send to:

Kim Frinzell, Director
Nutrition Services Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814

For further information and instructions, please reference the Grant Appeal Request Form (PDF) for the Grant Appeal Procedures and Appeal Request.

Please Note: The NSD’s initial decision of denying grant funding shall remain in effect during the appeal process.

11. Reporting

The CDE requires all FFVP grantees to complete a mid-year and a final report. These reports are essential for the CDE to understand how the program is being operated statewide. The reports may include questions about FFVP implementation strategies, nutrition education provided, program barriers, and partnerships or collaborations that assisted with the implementation of the FFVP.

The CDE will provide grantees with a mid-year assessment survey in approximately January of each grant period. Grantees must return the mid-year assessment survey to the CDE by the deadline described. The CDE will also provide grantees a final report template in April of each grant period. Grantees must return the final report to the CDE no later than 30 days after the end of the grant period (July 30).

Failure to complete and submit the required reporting by the deadlines may result in not receiving future FFVP funding.

How to Apply for the FFVP Grant

Request for Application

The CDE FFVP Grant Request for Applications (RFA) is an online application. The grant period is July 1 through June 30 of each school year.

The CDE releases the FFVP Grant RFA on the CDE Available Funding web page in the January of each school year, if funding is available.

All eligible school food authorities (SFA) must submit a separate online application for each elementary school interested in applying for the FFVP grant. This includes both current FFVP grantees and new applicants.

Grant Application

Download the grant application package and instructions from the Search CDE Funding web page. After selecting the link, type “FFVP” in the keywords field and then click the Search CDE Funding button. This will bring up the FFVP RFA links for current and previous years.

Grant Eligibility

All eligible SFAs may receive an FFVP grant on behalf of the awarded elementary school sites. Examples of eligible SFAs include school districts, County Offices of Education, charter schools, private schools, or residential child care institutions operating the NSLP.

More information about FFVP grant eligibility and program requirements is available in the Grant Overview tab on the CDE's FFVP web page. Applicants that do not meet the FFVP grant eligibility and program requirements will not be awarded and should not apply.

Submission

The FFVP grant applications must be completed and submitted online. The CDE will not consider email or hard copy applications as a complete submission.

Once the application is submitted, the CDE will provide a confirmation email to all of the contacts included in the School Support Team Form, with the exception of the Superintendent.

Policy Guidance

FFVP grantees are required to follow both federal and state policy outlined below.

Resources

The following resources can assist potential grantees in understanding more about the FFVP and can assist current grantees in successfully implementing and operating the FFVP.

Nutrition Education Resources

To successfully implement the requirements of the FFVP, nutrition education is expected to be delivered to all students a minimum of one time per week. It is encouraged to connect the nutrition education lesson with the fruit or vegetable being offered as a best practice. To access free nutrition education resources, please visit the CDE Resource Library web page.

Compliance

Administrative Review

The CDE monitors the FFVP compliance during the Administrative Review (AR). The CDE provides technical assistance when the standards are not met. There will be an off-site assessment and an on-site review. Please see the following AR guidance:

• AR off-site assessment tool (OAT) Guidance:
  School Food Authorities (SFA)s are required to fill out the OAT prior to the AR on-site review. To download the OAT guidance in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS), select School Nutrition Programs (SNP), applications, downloadable forms, and Form ID SNP 58 AR. For FFVP, search Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

• AR Guidance Chart:  
  Once the OAT is completed, the AR reviewer conducts an on-site review to validate the information submitted in the OAT and to observe the operation of programs at the school food authority and in selected schools. Prior to the on-site AR, the state reviewer sends SFAs the Administrative Review Guidance Chart, so SFAs can prepare all required documents for the on-site AR. To download the guidance chart in CNIPS, select SNP, applications, downloadable forms, and Form ID SNP 42. For FFVP, search Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

• USDA AR Manual 2018–19:  
  USDA Food and Nutrition Service provides general guidance to state agencies on the areas of review. For complete transparency and to download the AR Manual in CNIPS, select SNP, applications, downloadable forms, and Form ID MANUAL AR. For FFVP, search Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

For a link to the online training on the FFVP AR process, select the trainings tab.

Additional information on the FFVP AR is also located in the FFVP Guidelines tab, FFVP Administrative Review. For more detailed information regarding ARs, you can visit the CDE SNP AR web page.

Observational Review

The CDE also conducts observational reviews for the purposes of technical assistance. These reviews are more programmatic in nature and are meant to demonstrate how the FFVP is being implemented at a specified site. As a part of the Supplemental Agreement in the Grant Award Notification, FFVP grantees, if selected, agree to host an observational review. Selected sites will receive advanced information regarding the scheduling and content of the observational review.

Online Trainings

Online Trainings
Additional Online Trainings Databases

Online Trainings

Additional Online Training Databases

To find additional online trainings, please visit the CDE Course Catalog web page to assist with professional standards requirements, professional development, and compliance needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Try Agriculture Samples with Tastes and Education (TASTE) Incentive

Overview

One-time separate and additional federal funding in the approximate amount of $1.8 million is available for SY 2025–26 FFVP awardees. This funding is called the FFVP Try Agriculture Samples with Tastes and Education (TASTE) Incentive grant. While the amount of each FFVP TASTE Incentive award will vary based on student enrollment, it is estimated to be an additional ten percent of an agency’s total FFVP award. Applicants will have the opportunity to accept or refuse a grant award once they are notified of the FFVP TASTE Incentive grant funding amount. The option to participate in the FFVP TASTE Incentive grant funding is incorporated into the SY 2025–26 FFVP grant application.

TASTE Incentive grant participants must agree to:

• Offer students at FFVP-awarded school sites at least three additional taste-tests of local (<150 miles) and certified organic and/or sustainably grown fruits and vegetables.
  
  
• Establish at least two new purchasing connections, per school food authority (SFA), with local, small to medium-sized farms, food hubs, cooperatives, or school farms within 150 miles that are certified organic and/or that use sustainable farming practices.
  
  
  • To cultivate equity, where possible, give preference to supporting small and medium sized producers and those representing historically disadvantaged populations which include Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, and veterans.
    
    
    • Note that accommodations may be made for purchases greater than 150 miles, with prior approval from the CDE.
      

TASTE Incentive grant funds may also be used to:

• Purchase nutrition and/or agricultural-based education materials for use in awarded sites
  • These materials may be used to support nutrition education activities required as a part of the FFVP

For more information on the FFVP TASTE Incentive funding requirements, review the FFVP TASTE Incentive Participant Handbook (DOCX).

Background

On September 30, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the CDE the Farm to School State Agency Formula Grant. The purpose of this grant is to support Farm to School activity among Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) by increasing CNPs capacity to procure and use local foods and to provide agricultural education to children. As a part of this grant, the CDE will make approximately $1.8 million available to School Year (SY) 2025–26 FFVP grantees as separate, additional, and optional one-time funding to enhance the FFVP program through procurement of local (<150 miles) and certified organic and/or sustainably grown fruits and vegetables and the purchase of nutrition and/or agriculture-based education materials.

Contact

For general questions and program issues, contact the CDE FFVP Team by email at FFVP@cde.ca.gov.

For questions about submitting monthly claims or equipment justification forms, contact the CDE FFVP claims representatives by email at FFVPClaim@cde.ca.gov.

For questions about the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) or technical difficulties, contact the CNIPS help desk by email at CNIPS@cde.ca.gov.

For questions about the Try Agriculture Samples with Tastes and Education (TASTE) Incentive, contact the Nutrition Services Division (NSD) Farm to School team by email at Farm2School@cde.ca.gov.