Michigan Vendor Webinar on 2/24 - USDA Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits & Vegetables

Attention Michigan farmers and food vendors,

 

Please see information below about an upcoming webinar that may be of interest to Michigan suppliers of minimally processed fruits and vegetables.

 

In December 2014, the USDA announced eight states selected to participate in a new Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables –and Michigan was one of them! According to the initial press release from the USDA, “this pilot is designed to support the schools’ pre-existing relationships with vendors, growers, produce wholesalers, and distributors, and increase the use of locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables in school meal programs. While the pilot does not require sourcing locally grown foods, the project will enable schools to increase their use of locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables from AMS authorized vendors. Unprocessed fruits and vegetables include products that are minimally processed such as sliced apples, baby carrots, and shredded lettuce.” Visit the project website for more information and learn more about vendor qualifications in this information sheet.

 

The USDA is now reaching out to potential food vendors of minimally-processed fruits and vegetables for this program in each participating state.

They will host a webinar for interested Michigan-based food vendors on Tuesday, February 24^th from 2 – 3 pm.

 

Register here to participate in the webinar.

 

Then, at the appointed time, please use this link to view the webinar: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usda/join?id=2MG7WJ&role=attend&pw=H%3C5%25%3F.Dsc; Meeting ID: 2MG7WJ; Entry Code: H<5%?.Dsc

To hear the webinar, please dial: 888-324-6921, Passcode: 2987579

 

The webinar agenda follows:

·     Introduction – Pilot Objectives and Key Players

·     Pilot Process

·     Vendor Eligibility Requirements

·     Application Submission

·     Transaction/Distribution Scenarios

·     Invoice Submission and Payment

·     Reporting

·     Q&A

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu