APPENDIX E- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions s1

APPENDIX E- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Grants 2013-2015(HB 2649) Contents: 1. General 2. Eligibility 3. Budget 4. Application Process 5. Review of Application and Award 6. Reimbursement Process/Purchasing 7. Miscellaneous 1. GENERAL Q: What is the legislative authority guiding this program? A: In 2011, the Oregon Legislature created a Farm to School and School Garden program, and provided $200,000 for a pilot program. In 2013, the Governor’s proposed budget includes another $200,000 allocation. The Legislature is considering increasing the available funds by up to $5,000,000 for the 2013-15 biennium (HB 2649. Final budget decisions will be made by the legislature no later than mid-July, 2013.) HB 2649 directs the Oregon Department of Education to award grants to school districts for reimbursement of costs incurred in purchasing Oregon food products that meet certain criteria and for funding food-based, agriculture-based and garden-based educational activities.

Q: What is the purpose of the Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Grant Program? A: The purpose of the grant program is to increase the amount of Oregon food products purchased by Oregon school districts and consumed by Oregon school children. Because purchasing Oregon produced and processed foods can be more expensive than the lowest-cost alternatives, this grant program was created to provide school districts with 15 additional cents per meal for purchasing Oregon agricultural products, and to support related educational activities.

Q: When will the webinar be? If I miss it, where can I access it? A: Please see the “Important Dates” (section III A) in the RFA. A recording of the webinar will be posted online within several days after it is completed at: www.ode.state.or.us/go/f2sgardens Q: What is the timeline of the Farm to School Grant Program? The timeline is listed on section VIII of the RFA.

Q: Who (which person specifically) can apply for the grant? A: Anyone can apply and fill out the application, including Nutrition Services Directors, teachers, or even groups of High School Students (real examples from the 2012 applications). However, the application must be approved and signed by the person at the School District who has the authority to enter into agreements and contracts, or by their authorized representative.

1 Q: What counts as food-based, agriculture-based, and garden-based education? A: Anything that directly connects youth and their families with agriculture and food. Includes activities such as (but are not limited to): School gardens, classroom-based gardening or cooking projects, tasting tables, field trips to farms, ranches, docks or food processors, chef’s visit/training, etc.

Q: Why is July 23 the last day to ask questions? A: In order to ensure that everyone’s questions get a timely response, we need to set a date to respond to everyone before the selection process begins. We will have to hold to this date in order to have a fair process to everyone, SO MAKE SURE you start the process early enough in case you have any questions.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Q: Are private schools eligible for farm to school funds? A: No.

Q: We are applying now to participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program but do not currently participate. Can we still apply for the grant program since we will be participating next year? A: No. Part of the application process involves reporting on Free/Reduced Price Meal participation for the previous school year. Without that data, you cannot apply.

Q: We have some agricultural and farming activities already in place at our school that we’d like to expand, but we do not call them Farm to School, nor have we received Farm to School funding before. Are we eligible? A: Yes. There is no requirement that you have established programs before applying, or that you call any existing programs “Farm to School.”

Q: As a school district, can I apply with other schools districts in my area? A: No. ODE will only accept applications from a single school district.

Q: Do we have to be approved for the 6 cents (federal reimbursement) to apply? A: Yes. The district just has to be currently participating in good standing in the NSLP.

3. BUDGET

Q: What can I include in my budget? A: The food procurement funding may only be used for purchasing of qualified foods. The funds for food, garden, and agricultural-education may include personnel, contractors, equipment and supplies, meeting expenses, travel, and trainings. See Appendix F regarding allowable and unallowable expenses.

2 Q: Is there a minimum or maximum grant amount we can apply for? A: There is no minimum amount. The maximum varies by district and can be calculated as follows: [daily lunches served] * [days lunch is served] * $0.15 + [education funds of 10-20% of total proposal*]. Remember to use the entire duration of the grant (two years) for number of days served. See section III of the RFA for an explanation of the recommended percentage allocation between food procurement and educational activities.

School districts without an established Farm to School program are encouraged to apply for lesser amounts, in recognition of the time it takes to establish new qualifying vendors, products, and menus.

Q: Are matching funds (cash match or in-kind match) required? A: Formal matching funds are not required. However, Staff time is often necessary to establish new vendor relationships and to implement Farm to School programs, and funding for that staff time is not provided by this grant, so there is an implicit requirement for an in-kind match.

Q: What should I include in the budget narrative? A: You should include a description for every line item cost in your budget, and show how it supports the project goals. In addition to the food purchasing plan, the narrative should describe the types of equipment and supplies to be purchased, the destinations for field trips, the identities (or types) of classroom guests, and any other direct expenses for the educational components of the program. Staff time is an allowable expense for the educational portion of this program; if your request includes staff time you should state the percentage of their time to be spent on their project.

Q: Is it beneficial to have a total project budget for which these payments are just a portion? A: Strong farm to school programs are well-rounded programs with funding from multiple sources. However there is no requirement or recommendation that your total project budget be larger than your grant request. Please include in your budget only the project costs which you are requesting.

4. APPLICATION PROCESS

FREE/REDUCED PRICE CALCULATIONS AND POINTS Q: How will high free and reduced‐price schools be scored? A: This will be scored based on a weighted average of Free and Reduced Percentage for those schools that will benefit from the grant funds. See “Appendix A” in the RFA for point values given based on free and reduced price lunch percentages.

Q: We’re just working with select schools in our district. Do we submit the district average or the average for the schools we’re working with? A: The application asks for your district average and the rates for the schools in your proposed project. A total percentage of free and reduced students for all participating schools will be

3 used.

Q: Our school has a free reduced rate of 27%. Should we even bother applying? A: Yes. You are encouraged to apply regardless of your free/reduced rate. There are 100 points available and a myriad of ways to earn them. A high free/reduced district could get points for that but score low in the overall proposal, while another district could score high in the overall proposal and not get any free/reduced points. Additionally, factors beyond the score may affect the award decisions, see section V.

Q: Can I just do one component? (Either reimbursement for purchasing local food, or just reimbursement for educational activities) A: No. Grants will only be awarded to districts that are doing both local food procurement and relevant educational programming. However, in the event that you have other resources for one program component or the other, you may apply for these grant funds for only the needed program component. In that case, your application must clearly demonstrate how both program components will be accomplished. (E.G. “we have external support for school garden programs from __ Foundation through 2014,” or “we have already established a strong Farm to School purchasing program and are buying 35% local foods but need funding for related educational activities.”) Q: Can a larger district choose to focus only on one or two schools within their district? A: Yes.

Q: Can the food be used at all schools if the education is only at some? A: Yes

Q: Can someone help us fill out the forms and guide us about what we can and can’t do? A: We cannot help you fill out the forms. However, if you have any questions that are not answered in these materials, contact [email protected] before the last day to ask questions (refer to “Important Dates” on the RFA, Section IIIA).

Q: Will the Oregon Departments of Education (ODE) or Agriculture (ODA) Farm to School programs review or edit my application/project narrative before I submit my (official) application? A: No. Neither ODE nor ODA will review any portion of the grant application prior to the due date, or provide comments about the application during the review and selection processes.

Q: Can I mail in my application? A: No, only applications submitted by email attachment will be accepted. Email to [email protected]

Q: What do I need to include in my grant application? A: The grant application, the budget and the budget narrative. All items are on our website: www.ode.state.or.us/go/f2sgardens See also the Application Checklist in the RFA, (Appendix D).

4 Q: If I have problems with submitting, will ODE staff help me submit or accept my application package after the deadline? A: No. ODE can answer general questions, but will not submit the application for the school district or accept anything after the deadline. Please make sure to work on your application well in advance of the deadline, so there will be time to identify and solve any technical problems before the deadline.

Q: I submitted an application before the deadline, but need to change something on it. A: We will accept corrected applications until the grant deadline. Please submit a complete revised application package to the address above and state clearly that it should replace an earlier application. Specify the date and email address from which the earlier submission was sent.

Q: How will I know ODE received my application? A: The first question in the application process asks for contact information of the person who is submitting the application. An email confirmation will be sent to that person when it is submitted. ODE recommends that you print this confirmation email for your records as proof of timely receipt.

Q: What happens if I forget to include one of the documents in my application? A: See above for submitting a corrected application before the grant deadline. Corrections will not be accepted after the grant deadline and only complete applications will be considered.

Q: Why do you need the names, titles and bios of personnel, and contact information at each school? A: To ensure that the project personnel are qualified to carry out the objectives of the project, and to ensure we have a way to get in touch with the proper person once we have issues/questions after the grant has been awarded.

Q: Is there an application checklist? A: Yes, please see ”Appendix D” of the RFA

Q: When will the funding decisions be made, and when can expect to get the grant money? A: The award date is Wednesday, August 14, 2013; all applicants will be notified about the status of their application on that date. Grant recipients will sign contracts with ODE shortly afterward, and will be able to start making purchases for reimbursement once the people in question #3 in the application have been confirmed in EGMS, our grant management system.

Q: By what date do we have to spend the grant money? A: Funds must be spent by Friday, May 29, 2015.

Q: What are the scoring criteria? A: The scoring criteria are listed in detail on ”Appendix A” of the RFA.

5 Q: Can you please elaborate on jobs creation referenced in the RFA and selection criteria? A: The “potential for creating jobs” criteria is broad. It can mean jobs created at your site or potential for jobs created at the community/farm level. It is up to you how you define and defend this in your application process.

Q: Are school districts eligible to apply every year? Would a school district be able to receive grant funding more than once? A: Schools that received a HB 2800 grant for the spring of 2013 are eligible to reapply and to receive funding again. So are schools that applied but did not receive funding. This RFA is for the period of 2013-15 (two full school years). We do not currently plan a separate round of grants in 2014, so this is the only chance to apply for these funds through May of 2015.

Q: Are costs incurred by the school district for creating promotional materials allowable in the agriculture, food and garden-based education budget? A: Yes. However, ODE provides many promotional materials (for fruits and vegetables) for free with the Oregon Harvest for Schools. They are located at www.ode.state.or.us/go/h4s. If you propose to develop new materials, please ensure that they do not duplicate existing resources.

Q: Can funds also be used for farm tours for food services staff? A: Yes, as long as everything is included in the budget and well justified in the budget narrative.

5. REVIEW OF APPLICATION AND AWARD

Q: How will my application be reviewed? A: After initial screening, ODE will convene an evaluation panel to consider the merit of each grant application. Each application that passes initial screening will be given to the panel to be evaluated. The panel will assign each application a score using the evaluation criteria and weights for each evaluation component. Please see Section IV of the RFA for details.

Q: Will my application be funded at the amount requested? A: That will depend on the number, quality, and budgets of the proposals received, and on whether all costs in your proposed budget are reasonable, allowable and applicable. ODE reserves the right to fund applications out of rank order to achieve priorities identified earlier, at lesser amounts if ODE determines that the project can be implemented with less funding, or at lesser amounts if funding is not sufficient to fully fund all applications that merit awards. This is subject to availability of funds.

Q: Who is on the scoring committee? A: The committee and the results of the scoring process are kept confidential.

6. REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS/PURCHASING Q: Can this grant be used for Summer Lunch?

6 A: This grant covers a two year cycle; however Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meals will not be reimbursed. However, NSLP Seamless Summer Lunch meals would be reimbursed. (Technically, the Seamless Summer Lunch meals are an extension of the regular NSLP program, whereas the SFSP is not.)

Q: Can we use these funds for Childcare snacks, breakfast, FFVP or other programs? A: No. The funds are to be used for LUNCH meals only for the National School Lunch Program.

Q: What documentation will be required to prove the reimbursement? A: ODE will need a record of local purchases that were purchased during the award period if/when the school district is selected for an administrative review. School Districts need to retain good records and be able to show receipts of purchases of reimbursed items. These receipts need to include documentation that the products were grown or processed in Oregon. Specifically, copies of invoices with highlighted items that list “local” items are preferred, if your distributor is willing or able to do so. If the distributor is unable to list the local item, the District would still need to highlight the item and save the copy of the invoice. In these cases where the Distributor has been unable to list the items on the invoice, they have been able to provide a list of local item that could be matched up to the invoice. It is up to the District to ensure they communicate with their supplier(s) when they order their products to be able to document local purchases.

Q: If a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) is at the district that gets awarded the grant, would the FSMC be reimbursed or the School District? A: The school district would be reimbursed. The FSMC would then need to generate an invoice to be reimbursed by the school district, since the FSMC purchases the food with the FSMC’s funds. The reimbursement is going to happen through EGMS (Electronic Grant Management System). The district will need to keep track of all invoices, which need to be highlighted or marked with items that are local.

Q: How is “local” defined for the Farm to School Grant Program? A: For the purposes of the grant program, it means food produced (i.e. grown, raised or caught) or processed (i.e. milled, frozen, dried, or canned) in Oregon. That can include products grown, raised or caught outside of Oregon but processed in Oregon. However, Federal procurement regulations apply to these grant funds. For example, canned processed items from Oregon purchased through a formal bid process are subject to the USDA’s local preference criteria and therefore would not be eligible for reimbursement under this grant program.

Q: My school district is close to good growing regions of Washington, Idaho, or California. Can we buy “local” food from those areas? A: Not with these funds. The Oregon Legislature created this program in order to support children, farmers, and processors in Oregon. Therefore, funds can only be used for Oregon products, even if that is not your closest option.

7 REMBURSEMENT: Q: Please explain how the reimbursement works! A: ODE will reimburse up to 15 cents per meal for a given item featured on your menu for the day. A copy of the excel worksheet used to calculate this can be found on our website, in the “HB 2649 Resources” section. It will become clear when you look on the examples on the worksheet, however here’s a simplified clarification: Note that ODE will reimburse UP TO the 15 cents per lunch Pounds Purchased x Number of Edible Portions per Pound (per the Food Buying Guide) = Total Portions Purchased Total portions purchased x 15 cents = Reimbursement for that item (up to the awarded amount). For Example: Red Potatoes: 304 lbs. purchased* x 4.934 Portions per lb. = 1500 total portions 1500 portions x 15 cents = $225.00

*Would need to see at least 304 lbs of Oregon potatoes on an invoice for backup. Please refer to the budget example worksheet on the resources section of the HB 2649 area of our website: www.ode.state.or.us/go/f2sgardens for examples of this.

Q: We only get 15 cents per lunch, but sometimes we have multiple local items on the line all month long. A: The intent of the grant and the way the law is written is to reimburse 15 cents per lunch for purchasing local food. We understand that sometimes items will be purchased for the salad bar and offered multiple times. ODE will make every attempt to reimburse these items as long as the system is not being abused. ODE will have to look at each reimbursement on a case by case basis to ensure that the intent is being followed. The same goes for items that will be served in both lunch and breakfast, as the intent is to reimburse only items for lunch.

Q: Can the grant be used to pay for items we get regularly that are local or do they need to be new Items only? A: The intent of the grant is to support new items, so that children are increasing their exposure to Oregon foods, and that Oregon producers and processors are expanding their markets. Any Oregon grown or processed products can qualify for reimbursement, whether it is the first time you have purchased them or not, but programs showing a high level of NEW local purchasing will score higher.

Q: Does all of the food have to be served by May 30, 2015? A: You need to physically RECEIVE the products within the grant period. You cannot use the funds for forward contracting beyond the grant period. The intention is that the items are served for lunch during the grant period, but if you have left over product at the end of May 2015, you can use it on the NSLP Summer Seamless Program or store and use it the following year.

8 Q: Are there HCAAP/GAP/Food Safety Certification requirements for vendors? A: It is up to you to make sure you are purchasing from safe and reputable sources. There are no requirements from this grant or ODE that you have to have the above certifications.

Q: Can the educational component of the grant be used for start-up costs to build a school garden? A: Yes, provided that the garden will then be used with students as part of the educational activities in the grant.

Q: Do Oregon trees, plants or seeds that will produce food qualify for reimbursement? A: Not in the food procurement category of your budget. However, food-bearing plants and seeds qualify for the educational-portion of your budget, PROVIDED that they are tied to educational activities.

Q: I’m purchasing cantaloupe out of Arizona, that’s cut in a distributor/facility in Portland. Does this count as being locally processed? A: Yes. For the purposes of this grant, any food that is PROCESSED in Oregon is eligible. However, food from outside of the US (i.e. Mexico) would not be eligible for reimbursement, even if it was processed in Oregon, due to requirements of the NSLP.

Q: Can a school use the funds to pay for food for the meal program from its own gardens, farm or FFA program? A: Yes. Buying food from your school garden is REALLY local. However, most school gardens are too small to produce a significant amount of food. If you propose to purchase food produced on site, make realistic goals and explain clearly how you will achieve them.

7. MISCELLANEOUS

Q: Can districts contract with partner organizations in order to administer educational activities? (For example, a community non-profit that leads garden lessons) A: Yes. If you are requesting funds to contract with a partner organization, that expense should be included in the educational portion of the budget.

Q: Would Posters and signage at some sites and more intense education at other schools be ok? Does it have to be the same educational program at all schools? A: Yes. You may allocate the local foods and the relevant educational programming however you want among schools in your district. It does not need to be equal at all schools. The only requirement is to be clear in your application about which schools will benefit in what ways.

Q: We would like to start a school garden plot in the community garden near a school. Is this ok or does the garden have to be on school property?

9 A: -Yes, that is ok. There are no restrictions about having the garden on school property. We encourage creative partnerships with other governmental or non-governmental agencies, including but not limited to parks departments, churches, and non-profit organizations.

Q: Can we use grant funds to pay for membership in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, if the CSA is food is served as part of the NSLP? . A: Sort of. Calculating reimbursement per meal for a CSA could be quite complicated but is not forbidden. You can only be reimbursed for the amount which covers the cost of the food during the grant period and is used for the NSLP, and your reimbursement must be calculated based on a maximum of 15 cents per meal.

Q: What if a school district is awarded a grant and opts out? Will there be more funds available to the other school districts that are awarded the grant? A: If a school district opts out before the end of the grant period, funds will be divided between the remaining participating school districts based on the same scoring criteria and funding formula used to determine the original allocation amount.

Q: How do I plan my menu for these local items? Do I have to change my whole menu plan? A: You will need to plan ahead to utilize local items in the “menuing” process. It may be easiest to start with items you already purchase that could be purchased from a local source. Districts new to Farm to School” are encouraged to set modest and achievable goals, such as including local items in one or two lunches per week. Many recipe suggestions, for using local foods, are available through the Oregon Harvest for Schools materials, available at: www.ode.state.or.us/go/h4s.

Q: Where can I get more help if I still have questions about the Farm to School program or application? A: We request that you read the Request for Applications and all appendices before placing a call. If you still have questions after reading the Request for Applications and all appendices, you can forward your question to the following before July 23, 2013:

Rick Sherman Child Nutrition Specialist Farm to School / School Garden Coordinator Oregon Department of Education Phone: (503) 947-5863 Email: [email protected]

For more information on ODE’s Farm to School activities, or to access resources associated with Farm to School, please visit www.ode.state.or.us/go/f2sgardens

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