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 automatically calculates totals from the list of materials and added features to support small districts, including a truckload column to allow districts to combine partial orders.

TDA asked districts to return an annual processing statement attesting to procurement procedures. The department summarized the attestation items that districts must confirm: that the solicitation identified evaluation factors and produced a documented award, that renewals were only used when allowed by original bid language and conditions, and that requested bulk pounds were calculated from menu plans and "will utilize the bulk pounds no later than 09/30/2026." Trimbo also said TDA will not move pounds from one processor to another unless the original processor fails to deliver or otherwise breaches its bid obligations.

On processing and approved vendors, Trimbo explained that an "approved NPA processor" is a commercial processor under contract with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service that converts USDA Foods into approved end products. Processors must submit end-product data schedules for USDA approval and bill districts for labor and packaging costs associated with converting USDA commodities into finished items.

Trimbo reviewed practical worksheet changes: contact fields, locked cells except for four editable lines, added total lines for direct and processed orders, and automatic calculations tied to the USDA materials list. She instructed districts to place their entitlement dollars in the upper-right cell, add direct-shipment case amounts from menu planners, enter processor pounds after bids are awarded, and include DOD Fresh produce program dollars in the designated cell. "The balance should never go negative," she said.

The session also covered the DOD Fresh program, the Defense Logistics Agency partnership with USDA that supports weekly or biweekly fresh produce deliveries to schools. Trimbo said districts that want to participate must contact TDA representatives (Grant Puls, Jean Trimbo, or Shontay Russell) to sign up.

During the question-and-answer period, several districts raised concerns about missing deliveries and poor vendor notifications. When a participant asked, "How do we know when our product is at the warehouse?" Trimbo replied, "They are supposed to be notifying you," and said she would follow up with warehouse staff (Tammy) about timely notifications and spreadsheets. District staff reported instances where items appeared to be ordered by other districts; Trimbo relayed guidance from a US Foods contact, Melissa, that US Foods would either replace missing items or recompense districts for lost product and that commercial purchases should be charged to the district that took the goods. Trimbo urged districts to track missing items and keep documentation so TDA can pursue remedies with vendors.

Trimbo and Grant Puls noted that some vendor systems can be delayed by a week or two and acknowledged that US Foods has had early struggles with ordering systems this year. "We want to hear what's going on. If you're having troubles with the processors, if you're having trouble with the warehouses, any concerns, any suggestions that you might have for us, we'd love to hear about them," Trimbo said.

The department said it will follow up with the webinar recording and slides and asked participants to complete an evaluation posted in the chat. TDA staff repeated that they will post the worksheet and supporting documents on the listserv as soon as the USDA Foods Available List and the new price list are released.

Provenance: this account is based on the TDA webinar presentation beginning at 00:46 (presentation start) and running through the closing remarks at about 30:45; transcript excerpts supporting key claims are available in the provenance section below.