LOOKING AHEAD
Is there a Future for NAE in Schools?
WHY NOW? WHY CHICKEN? Transformational Procurement in Action
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY Building a Strong Foundation
The Boost the Roost Pilot was a nearly four-year project with layers of research, planning, challenges, and successes - we’re excited to share the journey with you!
4
Who is the Urban School Food Alliance?
5
Terms & Voices Get to know the project and the voices behind this initiative
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Why Now? Why Chicken?
Learn more about transformational procurement in action
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Building a strong foundation: an investment in time, dollars, and sense Research & Discovery Get a birds eye view of the project timeline Four Years in the Making
10 14
Product Launch
Ready, Set, Launch! Challenge accepted: action required
20 18 22 24
Reflecting on what the Boost the Roost Pilot taught us Results & Successes
Looking Ahead
What does the future look like for NAE and The Urban School Food Alliance and its members
Resource List
NAE Suppliers & Further Processors Resources List for your next procurement project
We’re Stronger Together
An interview with our strategic partner, Life Time Foundation, and appreciation for all our project partners
PAGE 2 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
Welcome to the online recap of The Urban School Food Alliances’ Boost the Roost Chicken Pilot. In this interactive guide you will find everything you need to get a complete picture of the initiative from start to finish including articles, videos, downloadable content, and more. This effort, while not without its challenges, accomplished what a pilot should. Through innovation, collaboration, and determination we proved that a new approach to procurement was possible.
You can find all the details in the next few pages - everything from the research and development of our own clean-label chicken recipe to the final distribution of nearly 1 million pounds of product. The Urban School Food Alliance is proud to have championed this effort alongside our member districts, leadership, funders, and partners. We hope you find these materials beneficial as YOU set out to be a part of transformational procurement in YOUR districts and communities.
Together, we can continue to bring positive change to our students.
Thank you for your support!
Through innovation, collaboration, and
determination we proved that a new approach to procurement was possible.
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 3
WHO IS THE URBAN SCHOOL FOOD ALLIANCE?
The Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) is a data- driven nonprofit founded in 2012 by school nutrition professionals in large public school districts with a mission to change the landscape of child nutrition. For more than a decade, its members have worked to improve food quality, access, and sustainability in school food. Their achievements include helping school districts adopt an antibiotic-free standard for poultry, even before many of the nation’s leading restaurants, and removing 225 million polystyrene trays from landfills every year by implementing compostable plates. USFA leverages this expertise and experience to share evidence-informed practices, make high-quality ingredients available and affordable, and advocate for policies that support programs and students. The Urban School Food Alliance operates under the leadership of an executive director and board of directors and is supported by a dedicated team of employees.
MEMBER
18
DISTRICTS
SCHOOL
6,480
SITES
STUDENTS
4.2 M
ENROLLED
MEALS SERVED ANNUALLY
724 M
SPENT ON FOOD & FOOD SUPPLIES
$926 M
If you would like to help us in this work, please consider donating now.
To Learn More, Visit: www.UrbanSchoolFoodAlliance.org
2024 Board of Directors
PAGE 4 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
Commonly used terms inside these pages:
The process of sourcing, purchasing, receiving, and inspecting all of the goods and services your business needs to operate.
A cut of chicken where the Standard of Identity is whole muscle primal cuts of poultry or pieces of whole muscle including boneless breast filets and tenderloins.
Poultry that has not been given antibiotics for any reason during its life cycle.
Leveraging purchasing power to drive food quality UP and costs DOWN while incorporating sound environmental practices.
A science-based tool that helps school nutrition professionals identify ingredients to avoid in food products.
KEY VOICES
Get to know a few of the key voices for this initiative
Neil Kinney
Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS
Anneliese Tanner
President Rich Chicks
USFA Executive Director
Executive Director, Food and Nutrition Services Boston Public Schools
Valeria La Rosa Program Director Life Time Foundation
Jill Kidd, MS, RD, SNS USFA Director of Procurement and Business Innovation Initiatives
Manish P. Singh
Director Food Services Division Los Angeles Unified School District
Dr. Jason Newland Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s
Rick Garcia
Florence Simpson Deputy Director of Food Services Los Angeles Unified School District
Co-Founder and Managing Partner Frontier Food Group
Division Chief of Infectious Diseases and an Associate Investigator in the Center for Child Healthy Equity and Outcomes Research
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 5
WHY NOW?
breathe in the information. We, as an industry, have done plenty of “talking” about procurement over the decades – but what progress has been made? Very little. Every year we still gather in groups to “talk” about procurement! This talking has mostly led to creating toolkits which generally results in more talking, to create yet another toolkit… All this “talking” is detrimental to two very important groups. On one hand, we have vendors that are frustrated with antiquated and incomplete bid documents, paying high costs for a constant demand
in samples that don’t result in sales, and districts not buying what was originally on the bid. On the other hand, we see school nutrition directors frustrated with product shortages, substitutions, and incomplete or inaccurate product formula sheets. A LITTLE LESS TALKING AND A LOT MORE ACTION The solution is… Transformational Procurement in school nutrition. But guess what – chain restaurants have been doing it for years! The Urban School Food Alliance decided it was time to jump
Behind the Boost the Roost Initiative through the Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) is a much-needed thought shift in how we talk about and handle procurement. The leadership team and members of the Alliance have coined the phrase, “Transformational Procurement.” And before we talk any-further about the clean-label chicken initiative, we must talk about Transformational Procurement. No, it is not another “toolkit” to adorn your shelf with hopes that you can miraculously
PAGE 6 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
into a brave new way of doing business. We don’t have a toolkit to offer – we only have our knowledge of the program and the courage it takes to make a bold move. As an Alliance, we decided to stop “just talking” about procurement and move into action. This change in process means that we are no longer going to be subject to the marketplace, we will drive the marketplace. It is our mission to leverage purchasing power to drive food quality UP and costs DOWN while incorporating sound environmental practices. There are four goals of Transformational Procurement through the Alliance: 1. To proactively craft bids and policies that focus on elevating school meals for the health and wellness of students 2. We will champion quality food, environmentally friendly supplies, local sourcing, and lower overall prices 3. Our Alliance will be a disrupter in the marketplace 4. We will push against the industry norms and test new and innovative procurement models HOW DO YOU RESET AN OUTDATED PROCUREMENT MODEL? The Urban School Food Alliance members determined that we would focus on four specific steps to achieve this must- needed procurement reset: 1. Unification 2. Volume 3. Purchasing Power 4. Quality
Now that we had determined the need, set goals, and created a step-by-step plan, the next step was to begin moving the procurement needle toward transformation. And we did it with chicken. And so, the Boost the Roost Initiative was born. We set out as a UNIFIED procurement group, to achieve significant product VOLUME to strengthen our PURCHASING POWER which would ultimately drive the prices down of QUALITY products. This change in process means that we are no longer going to be subject to the marketplace, we will drive the marketplace.
two chicken products we were able to: • Meet all the standards and specifications of our members choosing • Eliminate unwanted ingredients listed in the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing • Ensure that each product meets No Antibiotic Ever (NAE) classification The biggest key was commitment. No turning back – once the product order was committed, it was committed. This was an all-in, all-hands-on- deck, no-looking-back project. And we did it. HOW, YOU ASK? With bold and courageous steps, we: • Did research, counted the costs, developed budgets, and set forth a plan • Hired a firm to help us develop the chicken product recipes • Partnered with a large purchasing CO-OP for proposal management • Conducted student taste tests to ensure satisfaction • Successfully purchased 955,550 pounds of clean- label chicken product • Served the high-quality chicken products in over 16 districts across the United States while maintaining its affordability to districts. Beyond the successful completion of the task at hand were the invaluable lessons that were learned during this project. There is still a long way to go in the journey to Transformational Procurement in the K12 marketplace, but the Urban School Food Alliance will continue to lead the way.
WHY CHICKEN?
Chicken is the highest volume protein item consumed throughout the 18 USFA member districts across the United States. Having such a large quantity of product to work with allowed the greatest opportunity for improvement while also reducing production and purchasing costs. But the perfect chicken product didn’t exist – so we moved into action to create our OWN recipe.
By creating our own recipe for
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 7
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
READY, SET, LAUNCH
8/2022
Phase one sample review
7/12/2022
10/28/2022
Bid release
10/31/2022
Submission of final samples for blind taste tests
4-7/2022
Blind taste test conducted at Dallas ISD
RFP development & recruitment period
3/2022
Partnership with Texas Region 10 Multi-Region Purchasing Cooperative (MRPC)
11/1-14/2022 MRPC conducted bid tabulation and review
9/2021 - 2/2022
4/2023
Joint procurement research & USFA member discussions on forming a joint purchasing group
Product begins arriving in schools
11/14/ 2022
8/2021
Test products developed and student tasting conducted
MRPC releases best and final bid opportunity
4/2021
Frontier Food Group was hired to work with USFA to develop three products
1/2023
11/16/2022 Final bid awarded to Rich Chicks USFA Members begin purchase order process with Rich Chicks
Product Order of 955,550 pounds of chicken is placed!
MARCH 2021
Project Begins!
Boost the Roost, “Chicken Pilot” planning begins
PAGE 8 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
RESULTS & SUCCESSES
LOOKING AHEAD
On-Going
USFA leadership leads the way in sourcing more procurement options for it’s members and districts across the country
8/2023
Project assessment began by an outside source
10/2023
Annually
Results from project assessment returned
Committee reviews the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing and No Antibiotic Ever commitments
12/2023
Assessment results shared and discussed with members
6/2024
1/2024
Re-commitment to the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing as an Alliance
USFA leadership discusses next steps
8/ 2024
5/2024
Assessment of which unwanted items in the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing would be the focus of the Alliance
7/2024
All specifications made public on the USFA website as a free resource
Revisions to the Alliance’s NAE Chicken and CRAU Turkey Standards
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 9
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
Since 2014 the Urban School Food Alliance has been committed to purchasing No Antibiotic Ever (NAE) Chicken and this project put our promise into action. As we set out to develop the products for the Boost the Roost Chicken Pilot we focused on two specific sets of standards: NAE and The unwanted ingredients listed in the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing. Throughout the project, we adhered to these guidelines to produce two products with specifications that met all our requirements as an organization. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPECIFICATIONS The final chicken products developed were NAE antibiotic free, used whole muscle raw material, compliant with the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing, and met student taste-test approval. These specifications, as defined below, are the core standards for this project: NAE Antibiotic Free: This certification is only given to poultry that have never been given antibiotics from birth to harvest. NAE poultry producers must provide documentation to the USDA to be awarded this classification.
for our food, we are asking for more antibiotic resistance. Using antibiotics only where they are needed, and not where they are not needed is important for everyone. Especially in our most vulnerable, like our children.” Raw Material - Whole Muscle: A cut of chicken where the Standard of Identity is whole muscle primal cuts of poultry or pieces of whole muscle including boneless breast filets and tenderloins. In regard to whole muscle, Neil Kinney, President of Rich Chicks, had this to share: “Whole muscle chicken is what the students are eating in the commercial marketplace as served by many of the large regional and national poultry chains. A whole muscle product definitely provides superior nutrition without fillers and a better quality dining experience.” Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing: This is a science-based tool that helps school nutrition professionals identify ingredients to avoid in food products. Examples of the ingredients in this list include sulfites, MSG, annatto, and FD&C yellow 5 (Tartrazine). Student Approval: Taste testing was conducted in three
In our research, we spoke with Dr. Jason Newland, Division Chief of Infectious Diseases and an Associate Investigator in the Center for Child Healthy Equity and Outcomes Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. We asked him for more insight on the usage of antibiotics in our food supply: “The more we use antibiotics, especially where it is not needed, like in raising animals The more we use antibiotics, especially where it is not needed, like in raising animals for our food, we are asking for more antibiotic resistance. ~ Dr. Jason Newland ~ Nationwide Children’s
PAGE 10 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
different geographical locations throughout the United States including, Boston (MA), Dallas (TX), and Orange County (FL). In all locations, the product was approved, and in many cases preferred, by students. The taste tests showed that our product met both the quality and taste requirements of our project. Our team was now ready for the next phase… purchasing and distribution. TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCUREMENT While food quality and student satisfaction was a primary concern, the pilot project also tested the industry- standard purchasing model. Alongside the development of the products, research and discovery were focused on challenging and redefining school nutrition purchasing. TIME, DOLLARS, AND SENSE It’s no surprise that an undertaking of this size would
require an investment in time, money, and professional knowledge. All of which the Alliance leadership, board, and membership were prepared to confront through fundraising and strategic partnerships. Time: The project spanned three years, from March of 2021 to June of 2024 with a commitment to annually review the Alliance’s commitment to NAE and IGBSFP and as a leader in Transformational Procurement in the industry. Dollars: The project began as a self-funded initiative through existing grants from long- time USFA supporters. Mid- project the need for additional funding was recognized and a partner, with similar goals in the industry, was ready to back our cause. The Life Time Foundation joined the initiative as a strategic partner in 2022. Sense: We relied on several resources in this project to help bring their expertise to
the table. Although not an exhaustive list, below are the key players and their roles in the project: • USFA Leadership: Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS-Executive Director; Jill Kidd, MS, RD, SNS-Director of Procurement and Business Innovation Initiatives; Jeremy West, MS, SNS-Chief of Finance and Operations • USFA Board of Directors and Members: The initiative had the full support and investment of the USFA Board of Directors and Membership of 18 of the largest school districts throughout USA. • Members: The Alliance worked with three member districts (Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX; and Orange County, FL) on product development standards and to conduct student testing.
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 11
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
• Frontier Food Group (FFG): FFG is an entity that typically works with chain restaurants to create and build specifications for custom food products. With FFG, the Alliance worked to create our own chicken products that meet detailed specifications. In a conversation with Frontier Food Group’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Rick Garcia, summarized his thoughts on the overall success of the project: “Trying to get an organization, as big as the membership of the Alliance, is a major upheaval and major challenge. The fact that we were able to get to a pilot, to go to testing, to get eight districts to agree to the project was phenomenal, quite frankly.” He continued, “although there were some hiccups here and there, which you are always going to have - that’s why it’s a pilot - I think that for the most part it was successful.” FINAL THOUGHTS & LESSONS LEARNED We learned several things from the Boost the Roost Initiative that greatly expanded our knowledge and understanding of a franchise approach to product development and purchasing in school nutrition. We have always known the complicated nature of K-12 procurement, and it was further highlighted throughout the process. This indicated a potential springboard for future research or projects. We saw that while cooperative purchasing across state lines does present challenges, there is also opportunity to streamline the procurement process. Consolidating volume and SKUs has the potential to simplify the school food supply chain for districts and provide an opportunity for smaller regional manufacturers to participate. In the end, despite the potential obstacles, industry members expressed interest in being involved in similar projects designed to test other approaches in the future. As an Alliance, we have committed to the continued research and development of procurement practices that will disrupt the current industry model. It is our mission to stay in front of the conversation to bring the highest quality products to students across the country.
Although there were some hiccups here and there, which you are always going to have - that’s why it’s a pilot - I think that for the most part it was successful.
~ Rick Garcia ~ Frontier Food Group
PAGE 12 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
View or download the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing
USFA Food Specification Catalog
Green Onion: Free online tool to analyze K-12 products for ingredients of concern
USFA Resource Center: Free online resources on a variety of SN topics
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON PROCUREMENT
USFA responsible antibiotic use turkey standard
Writing food specifications for school food service
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 13
READY, SET, LAUNCH
The procurement, purchasing, and delivery of nearly 1 million pounds of clean label, No Antibiotic Ever chicken proves that there is strength in numbers.
Collectively the member districts of the Urban School Food Alliance purchase nearly one billion dollars of food, and food products, each year to feed children. That number may seem staggering, so let’s break it down: • 18 Member Districts in 12 States • 6,480 Individual School Sites • 4.2 Million Students Enrolled • 724 Million Meals Served Annually
Nestled in all those numbers we also know that chicken is the #1 protein served in all our districts. “Our students are asking for a lunch they could be excited about. The chicken sandwich and chicken tender craze is a country-wide phenomenon and our students wanted to eat a product that is restaurant quality.” Dr. Katie Wilson As a result, chicken was the obvious choice for our Alliance to challenge an outdated
procurement model on such a high-volume product. Why did we insist on No Antibiotic Ever (NAE) Chicken? In short, antibiotics, as a preventive measure, are not necessary in our food supply. “So, if there is anything that we can do as a society it’s to understand how we are all interconnected and we all have to work together. That includes the appropriate use
PAGE 14 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
So why isn’t this the norm?
of antibiotics for animals and especially for those animals that we raise to help feed one another.” Dr. Jason Newland from Nationwide Children’s. Our data tells us that communities in our member districts are concerned with sustainability, antibiotic resistance, animal welfare, and higher food standards. The Alliance has chosen to join our districts in this commitment to NAE to help move the needle in that direction.
But how much volume do we need to be able to make this newly developed product affordable to districts?
Arriving at the product launch phase of the project was no small feat. By staying committed to the task, and the three years of behind-the- scenes work, we were able to overcome several challenges we encountered along the way. Here are just a few: • We collectively chose to develop our own chicken specification that would meet the members requirements. • We still had to stay within • We had to find a co-op that was large enough to do the purchasing and would be willing to work with inter- state purchasing. • We overcame the unexpected challenge of “one-off” procurement bid concerns within districts. all the federal, state, and local procurement rules. • We confronted fear and concerns from industry around the RFP and how this would impact their companies in the future. • We had to adapt to the misunderstandings and miscommunication with industry by writing over 11 amendments to the RFP in order to improve our responses. • We learned that this type of bid is intimidating to many companies and watched our interested companies dwindle from over a dozen to only two responding to the final bid.
Nearly One Million Pounds Later…
For this pilot our Alliance committed to acquiring 955,550 pounds of clean-label NAE chicken to serve as a limited time offer (LTO) to students. This equated to 4,368,231 servings spread across 16 districts. Over four million students benefited from this pilot. This means that four million students were served a higher-quality, cleaner- label product at no additional cost to the student or district. “The Alliance really wanted to make a significant sustainable change, and so we decided to take this project on - and go big or go home! We knew that there had to be a change in our food system.” Dr. Katie Wilson We want a better product. We want kids to get better food. This is all part of the initiative.
Echoing Districts Everywhere
“USFA now is a credible organization. USDA is looking to us to provide input as to what’s happening at schools. We can speak on behalf of not only the 18 members that are part of USFA, but also about other school districts, which are from other states and regions, because we are echoing the same things as them. We want a better product. We want kids to get better food. This is all part of the initiative.” Manish P. Singh, Los Angeles Unified School District The ticket to a high-quality final product is the use of high- quality ingredients. However, these ingredients are often outside of a district’s ability to purchase due to the higher cost that is typically associated. But what would happen if we apply the basic principle of purchasing to these items: the more you buy at one time, the less the individual per-item cost will be (ie: the Costco effect).
~ Manish P. Singh ~ LA Unifed School District
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 15
As you can see, this effort was an extraordinary move to disrupt the marketplace and change the way schools procure food. The bold steps that the Alliance made in this process now serve as stepping stones for future initiatives. Despite its challenges this pilot proved that a new approach to procurement was possible. “The advice I would give to anyone that’s thinking of taking on a project of such magnitude is to understand that you must have patience. It’s going to take time. You’ll need to first show some successes – so even small bites of the apple – getting four or five districts to cooperate is better than none. Once you have proven success, others will join on board because they want to be a part of the success.” Rick Garcia, Frontier Food Group
READY, SET, LAUNCH
Just do it. Just stick with it and don’t let large food manufacturers and industry tell us what we can serve our kids. We need to stay strong to our values. ~ Anneliese Tanner ~ Boston Public Schools
Ready to join the cause?
The Urban School Food Alliance is committed to NAE and we are not looking back. The future of higher quality, clean-label ingredients in schools depends on the entire industry working together. Don’t just take it from us, be encouraged by two of our member districts on your path to incorporating more values-based procurement standards. “Just do it. Just stick with it and don’t let large food manufacturers and industry tell us what we can serve our kids. We need to stay strong to our values, make changes to our menus, be creative, and send the message that we’re strong on our science-based decisions around what we’re serving our kids.” Anneliese Tanner, Boston Public Schools “There’s strength in numbers - join other school districts, join other organizations, and utilize Urban School Food Alliance. But then also get your parents, your students, and your community involved too.” Florence Simpson, Los Angeles Unified School District
PAGE 16 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
Customizable social content for your district:
Printable content to display:
FREE Download: Marketing Tool Kit
Promote the use of NAE Chicken in your school nutrition programs with USFA Boost the Roost branding
View or download the Boost the Roost Specification Sheets for the NAE Chicken Patty and Chicken Strips
1 # T da 's en :
FREE Download: NAE Chicken Posters from Rich Chicks
N A ti io ic E ER!
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 17
RESULTS & SUCCESSES
The initial goal of the Boost the Roost pilot project was to position USFA as a disruptor in the marketplace, changing the way schools purchase chicken products to encourage a more efficient, process-driven procurement approach, driving out non-value-added costs. The pilot successfully tested the systems and processes to leverage the collective buying power of School Nutrition Programs (SNP) and attracted the interest of the industry. Valuable feedback was provided by SNPs and the industry identifying challenges that must be addressed as USFA moves forward with procurement initiatives.
BOOST THE ROOST TAUGHT US
Smaller, regional manufacturers are interested in participating in the school food supply chain but want more detailed information and time to discuss, identify, and resolve challenges before the procurement process is initiated.
The option to utilize USDA Foods entitlement must be a consideration in school food procurement.
USFA cooperative procurement is a significant challenge for large urban school districts due to differing state and local policies. The smaller districts participating in the pilot joined in the cooperative procurement with ease.
There is an interest in focusing resources on food quality .
PAGE 18 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
There is a commitment by USFA members to continue to procure healthier food options including No Antibiotic Ever chicken, and the removal of certain unwanted ingredients. USFA will continue to advocate for healthier school food.
The pilot successfully tested the systems and processes to leverage the collective buying power of School Nutrition Programs and attracted the interest of the industry.
An electronic bid system was successfully tested and helped USFA develop a vision of the electronic bid template development that is included in the USDA Cooperative Agreement.
Change takes time. The potential to develop improved products will require enhanced communication, adequate planning and execution time, a clear path, and the buy-in of school districts, industry, and key players.
~ Jill Kidd ~ Urban School Food Alliance
Knowledge gained through the pilot helped to identify procurement challenges and future opportunities for improvement that informed the goals of the USFA Cooperative Agreement with USDA “Procurement Practices in School Meals: Making Real Change Work for Healthier Meals.”
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 19
LOOKING AHEAD
“We have to continue the advocacy for NAE chicken and clean labels in our schools and the healthy use of antibiotics.” Dr. Jason Newland, MD, MEd, Nationwide Children’s First, and most important - we want to make it clear that the Urban School food Alliance is committed to sticking with NAE, despite the challenges we have encountered. We know this will take the commitment and courage from our member districts,
and districts around the country, to bring about change in the school nutrition (SN) industry. As an Alliance we are building on five action steps in the coming years to ensure we are doing all that we can to lead the way. 1. We will continue to encourage school nutrition directors to boost their role in changing the school foodservice marketplace.
The Urban School Food Alliance will not only be a layer of support to districts around the country, but we will also continue to be a resource center to those looking to disrupt the status quo. Our collective voice is strong and we will not be afraid to use that voice to achieve higher quality, clean- label food for all students. “There is strength in numbers and we really hope that other districts will continue on the
PAGE 20 | BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP
process or actually join in with us with NAE Chicken.” - Florence Simpson, LA Unified School District, USFA Board Member 2. We will advertise small producers that are still raising NAE chickens and what products they have available. The USFA leadership team has created a list of NAE suppliers and further processors that will always be a free resource to all districts. Our commitment is to keep this list up to date in order to remove yet another barrier to districts that are looking to take steps toward NAE. This list is available on the next page and for download HERE. There is no cost associated with being listed on this resource. If you are a vendor that would like to be included, please contact us to be added. 3. We will introduce those small producers to school nutrition procurement personnel in their area. In addition to creating and maintaining the above list, we will assist small producers that are looking to become a valuable resource in the SN industry. This could include making introductions to local districts, sharing information on SN related events, trainings, and conferences, or consulting on best practices for responding to bids and RFPs.
go backwards. However, one initiative is not enough. We, as an Alliance, will continue to challenge our own membership with the inclusion of experts at our meetings that will push us to speak louder for food justice for all. 5. We will promote our chicken specifications nationwide to start a trend in cleaner label poultry. Boost the Roost taught us that there is always room to grow and improve. During this initiative we refined our specifications to be more specific and more clearly communicate on what our communities are looking for in a NAE clean-label product. NAE is not going away and we will continue to lead the charge for all districts, everywhere. The specification Sheets for both NAE chicken products that were used during this initiative are available for download on page 17 or on our online resources page HERE. “We really think that the more districts put this specification on their bids across the country, the more vendors will be feeling secure that this is a product that districts are going to want in the future - and this will begin turning the wheel of change.” Dr. Katie Wilson, Urban School Food Alliance
There is strength in numbers and we really hope that other districts will continue on the process or actually join in with us with NAE Chicken.
~ Florence Simpson ~ LA Unified School District
If you are a small NAE chicken producer that would like more information on becoming a part of the SN industry, please contact us. 4. We will continue to bring in speakers to our membership meetings about food justice and leading when the work is hard. Throughout the Boost the Roost initiative, the Urban School Food Alliance showed that we will not back down from a challenge. This initiative proved that our collective efforts can be rocks that start ripple effects in the SN industry - and we will not
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 21
RESOURCE LIST NAE Supplier
The suppliers listed below produce NAE chicken that further processors can purchase to produce NAE Chicken Products for schools. Work with the district preferred further processor to obtain NAE chicken products.
Foster Farms
AMICK Farms
GEORGE’S Inc.
1000 Davis St Livingston, CA 95334 209.394.7901 fosterfarms.com
7155 Batesburg Hwy Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29006 803.532.1400 amickfarms.com
402 W Robinson Ave Springdale, AR 72764 479.927.7000 georgesinc.com
PECO Food Inc
Perdue Chicken
Pilgrims Global
1770 Promontory Cir Greeley, CO 80634
3701 Reese Phifer Ave Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 205.345.0169 pecofoods.com
521 Willow St Salisbury, MD 21801
970.506.8000 pilgrims.com
410.543.3000 perdue.com
Porky’s Global
Tyson Foods
Wayne–Sanderson Farms
400 Port Carteret Drive Carteret, NJ 07008 732.541.0200 porky.com
671 W Randall Wobbe Ln Springdale, AR 72764 479.717.5200 tysonfoodservice.com
4110 Continental Dr Oakwood, GA 30566 800.392.0844 waynesandersonfarms.com
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FURTHER PROCESSORS
These manufacturers make NAE chicken products for schools/customers or are willing to produce them using NAE chicken.
Brakebush brakebush.com
Performance Food Service performancefoodservice.com
Foster Farms fosterfarms.com
Pilgrim pilgrims.com
Golden Platter goldenplatter.com
ProView proviewfoods.com
Hormel hormel.com
Purdue purdue.com
International Food Solutions internationalfoodsolutions.com
Rich Chicks richchicks.com
John Soules johnsoulesfoods.com
S&F Foods sffoodsinc.com
Mary’s Chicken maryschickens.com
Tyson tysonfoodservice.com
Miller Poultry millerpoultry.com
Want your company listed here too? Contact Us!
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 23
Large scale initiatives, like Boost the Roost, would not be possible without forming partnerships with organizations that hold shared values. Dr. Katie Wilson sat down with Valeria La Rosa, Program Director at Life Time Foundation to discuss working together on this project. “When we learned that the largest school districts in the country were coming together to work on breaking down access to clean-label products - one that is the number one protein being served in schools - we knew manufacturers were going to pay attention. We (the Life Time Foundation) knew that by helping the largest school districts with their own procurement goals, it meant that we were also helping
the small and medium sized districts. To us, the power that is brought by this coalition of large school districts is an important voice that we think manufacturers truly care about.” La Rosa continued, “At the end of the day we all want what is best for children and this is a space where we are all working together to ensure that we are helping children be the best they can be.” USFA and the Life Time Foundation have a shared mission of eliminating ingredients of concern from school food. You can learn more about the Life Time Foundation, and their free online tool, Green Onion, by visiting their website .
The conversation covered the successes, challenges, and ideas on what similar initiatives may look like in the future. Be sure to watch the full video above to gain further insight in what it is like to partner with the Urban School Food Alliance.
Thank you to the Life Time Foundation and all of our strategic partners.
USFA continues to seek partnerships with organizations that share common goals with our members. Together, we will keep improving school meals and the Alliance will continue to be a leader in the industry. Click HERE to donate or learn how to partner with the Urban School Food Alliance on future initiatives.
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Interested in supporting the Urban School Food Alliance? Donate Now, or Contact Us for Strategic Partnerships.
BOOST THE ROOST | USFA INITIATIVE RECAP | PAGE 25
www.UrbanSchoolFoodAlliance.org
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