Appendix K Census Recruitment Email from FNS to State Child Nutrition Directors

APPENDIX K

Census Recruitment Email from FNS to State Child Nutrition Directors

OMB Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

Dear [STATE CN DIRECTOR]:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has contracted with Abt Associates to conduct the 2019 Farm to School Census (2019 Census). The 2019 Census is a key part of the Farm to School Census and Comprehensive Review, a 3-year study that will examine and describe the multiple facets of farm to school across the country, including the USDA Farm to School Grant Program.

This Census will survey all public and private school food authorities (SFAs) that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in all 50 States, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Washington, D.C. Like the 2013 and 2015 Farm to School Censuses, the 2019 Census will gather information about the use of local foods in schools and other farm to school activities.

Data collection for the 2019 Census will begin in early 2019. SFA directors will be asked to complete one short web survey (sent to them via email) in order to provide information about local sourcing and farm to school activities. Since you are the main point of contact for SFAs in your State or territory regarding Child Nutrition (CN) Programs, FNS requests your help with the following items.

1. Soon you will receive an email from Abt Associates asking you to send current contact information for all SFAs (public, charter, and private) in your State or territory. We ask that you reply promptly to this request.

2. Abt will also send you a template email and FAQ document that introduces the 2019 Census to SFAs. We ask that you send this email to all SFA Directors in your State or territory. Abt will then directly send the SFAs a link to the 2019 Census.

3. We ask that you send two Census reminder emails to all public, charter, and private SFA Directors in your State agency during the data collection period. Abt will provide you with the text and a schedule for sending the emails. Abt will also send reminder emails throughout the data collection period to SFA Directors who have not yet completed the Census.

4. We’d greatly appreciate if you could include information or reminders about the 2019 Census in your usual communications with SFA Directors, such as newsletters or emails.

The study team will be available to answer any questions that you may have. You can contact them via email at [email protected] or toll-free at 866-778-1316 (from 9 am to 9 pm ET).

Curious about the 2015 Farm to School Census results? Check out the data here: https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/ where you can explore data at the SFA, State agency, or national level.

Thank you in advance for your support and assistance in maximizing participation in the 2019 Farm to School Census!

Sincerely,

Cindy Long

Deputy Administrator

Child Nutrition Programs

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 4 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302, ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address