Food Safety Month, CA Farm to School Grant & SUN Bucks Verification

Here’s what you need to know this week:

Food Safety Month

September marks National Food Safety Education Month, making it a great time to confirm that all Directors and at least one team member at each site holds a valid Food Safety Manager Certificate (e.g., ServSafe). Directors hired after Jul. 1, 2015 must have a valid certificate or complete at least 8 hours of food safety training every 5 years. Remember ~ we can now upload & track food safety certifications in PRO! 🤗

Check out the Food Safety playlist in the PRO Training Library to get those hours met! ICN’s September Mealtime Memo also offers a great 2-page handout on how to use and care for food thermometers.

CA Farm to School Grant Comments

CDFA is seeking public comment on the draft request for applications (RFA) for Cohort 4 of the CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. Review the draft RFA and submit comments by 5 pm this Friday (Sep. 11) to have your voice heard! And stay tuned for Oct. 1st when the official RFA is set to be released!

Turnip the Beet!

USDA’s 2026 Turnip the Beet award is still accepting nominations! This award recognizes outstanding summer program sponsors across the nation. For California folks: submit a completed nomination form to CDE (SFSP@cde.ca.gov) by this Friday, Sep. 11!

CA SUN Bucks Verification Report

The 2026 SUN Bucks UBA Processing and Verification Report is open for applicable LEAs to submit by Sep. 15, 2026. When completing the report, remember to only include info for UBAs processed and verified during the 2026 SUN Bucks eligibility period (Jul. 1, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026).

⭐️ Resources

• September Checklist
• SY 26-27 Adult Meal Pricing Tool
• Simplified Buy American Exceptions Tracker
• Training Library Course Catalog
• ICYMI! The Lunch Break Sep. 3 Recording

📆 Upcoming Events

• Sep. 10: Root for Local Food: Let's Cheer for Farm to CACFP - NCA
• Sep. 14: Why Won't They Eat? Feeding Across the Spectrum - ASPHN
• Sep. 15: Free Healthy School Meals for All Cong. Briefing - NHSMA Coalition
• Sep. 15: Reducing Food Waste for a Greener CACFP - ICN
• Sep. 15: Local Procurement 101: A Refresher for SY 26-27 - USDA FNA
• Sep. 16: Sourcing Locally with Shared Purchasing - Center for Ecoliteracy
• Sep. 17: What the Affordability Crisis Means for Families - No Kid Hungry
• ✨ Oct. 1: We're discussing Financial Management on The Lunch Break!
• ✨ Oct. 15: Join our first call for the New & Aspiring Directors Academy (NADA) by LunchAssist!

LunchAssist is an allowable use of the Cafeteria Fund, KIT Funds, and R&R Grant. 🥳 Schedule a demo to learn more.