Tennessee Agriculture lays out commodity-planning timeline, urges districts to document missing USDA Foods

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture told school food-service directors on a department webinar that the commodity planning worksheet will be posted no later than mid-January and that completed worksheets are due by March 1, with bids expected to be chosen in February and ordering scheduled through the first three weeks of April.

Jean Trimbo, a TDA commodity distribution official, said the calendar and accompanying materials including entitlement estimates, the USDA Foods Available List, a list of materials with estimated prices, the processing statement, and the approved NPA processor list will be distributed through the department listserv. "Their total TMAC reported lunches times 45¢ equals the total entitlement dollars," Trimbo said, describing how next years entitlement will be calculated from districtsreported meals.

Why it matters: the schedule and the worksheet determine how districts plan direct deliveries, processing orders, and use entitlement dollars. Trimbo emphasized procurement as a cause of past disruptions: "Procurement is the core issue that lies in focusing on the steps without understanding the why, which makes it difficult to problem solve or adapt effectively." TDA staff said they will post a worksheet that…