THIS JUST IN !!!

FALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS
​

It's official! We are holding these meetings IN PERSON! Please see the advisory committee meeting description towards the bottom of this page for expanded details. Here's a quick look at dates/cities/times:
  • Miles City: Tues. Oct. 19, 10am - 2pm
  • Great Falls: Thurs. Oct. 21, 10am - 2pm
  • Missoula: Friday, Oct. 22, 10am - 2pm

​<-- Oct. 21st & 22nd are statewide MEA Days: no students in school = no searching for a sub so you can attend one of these meetings : )

​FALL 2021 ORDER DETAILS
ORDER WINDOW WAS OPEN MAY 1 - 31*, 2021

Picture
The 11th biannual School Services of Montana Fall 2021 Co-op Food Program Food order window was open for the entire month of May, 2021. This program, available to ALL K-12 schools and child based organizations in Montana and select counties in Wyoming, provides quality food and food service supply items at substantial cost savings through high-volume bid purchasing. Each participant, regardless of their order size, receives the same price for all items, and each district is guaranteed delivery to their location. All orders placed during the Fall 2021 order window will be delivered in the first half of the 21-22 school year beginning late-August. ​(see the blue delivery schedule box below)

​The order process remains unchanged, as do the program updates made in the spring of 2020: both bids awarded April 9 were awarded for the 21-22 school year, ensuring continuity of food items and pricing for the entire school year. This critical program change was made to better serve our K-12 school district participants. Congratulations to US Foods who won both 21-22 SY bids! 
Picture
PROGRAM DETAILS
​Our program provides quality food and food service supply items to K-12 schools (public & private), child-based organizations and state/county agencies across Montana (and select counties in Wyoming!) at substantial cost savings through high-volume bid purchasing. All food items adhere to the guidelines of the Federal School Lunch Program and food nutrition requirements. These items are annually reviewed and updated by our Advisory Committee, and two bids are issued every year in accordance with state and federal law.

Each participant, regardless of their order size, receives the same price for all items, and each district is guaranteed delivery to their location, and prices have delivery fees built-in (i.e. there are no additional fuel surcharges or delivery fees). There are no minimums on the dollar amount a district must order, though individual deliveries (D1, D2, D3, D4) totaling $500 or less may be combined with another individual delivery to meet this $500 minimum per individual delivery at the discretion of the bid winner (distributor) so their delivery fees are covered.​
​** PLEASE NOTE **
This program is not associated with the USDA Commodity Foods Program and is not subsidized by the State of Montana.

​FALL 2021 DELIVERY SCHEDULE
-------------------------------

​Delivery 1
Delivery 2
Delivery 3
​Delivery 4
​Aug 23 - Sept 10
Sept 20 - Oct 8
Oct 18 - Nov 5
Nov 15 - Dec 3
NEW ITEMS & UPDATES
*this info was current as of May 1, 2021; specs and/or availability for many of these items have been adjusted due to current manufacturing conditions
The 21-22 SY features 13 new items: 11 food items and 2 disposables. Enjoy!
  • Pre-sliced Bavarian Soft Pretzel Buns
  • Albie's Breakfast Calzones, biscuits & gravy style
  • Albie's Chicken & Cheese Empanadas (cross between a calzone & an enchilada)
  • Chopped BBQ Pork with a western-style sauce by Brookwood Farms
  • Simplot Mashed Potato Bites, Roasted Red Potatoes, and mini golden Whole Baby Bakers
  • Bake Crafters 3-pc Breakfast Meal Kits with a juice box, donut, and snack crackers
  • EZ Jammers Crustless Strawberry Jam & Wowbutter sandwiches (PB alternative)
  • Bake Crafters Pancake Sandwich with 2 mini maple pancakes & a chicken sausage patty
  • Creamy, roasted SunButter, a sunflower seed spread PB alternative
  • Individually Wrapped Cutlery Kits with fork/knife/spoon/napkin/salt & pepper
  • 12 oz Squat Container LIDS - matches the white foam squat container

A few items have been revised in either flavor, case pack size, or specs. Here's the list: 
  • ​Item 69 - chocolate chips: now in multiple smaller bags per case vs. the previous 25 lb. bag
  • Item 420 - this juice cup is now peach/mango flavor, and this brand is shelf-stable
  • Item 41 - dill pickle spears: now in a 5 gallon bucket
  • Item 163 - pork /veg egg roll: the only available product is NOT whole grain or whole grain rich
  • Item 591 - IW raisins: now strawberry flavored : )

The Marketplace, our online ordering website for co-op food program orders, has been updated and is ready to go for the Fall 2021 order window. Log in anytime beginning May 1st, and don't forget to have your printed, filled out ORDER WORKSHEET handy to streamline the order entry process. [See the section below for instructions on how to access previous orders, or to download and sort your current order] 
PROGRAM ADMIN FEES
In accordance with Federal law and in the spirit of transparency, we are happy to post our fees. SSoM charges an administrative fee to all participating schools/organizations to provide this program. The fee is a flat $.90 per case ordered, and invoices for Fall 2021 orders will be sent September 14, 2021 (net 45; due by October 29, 2021). While you do not have to be a member of SSoM to participate in our program, SSoM member districts receive a discount on this fee. (Click here for membership details and a current list of our members.) Continued growth of this program supports valuable programs within our organization, and our fees remain the LOWEST in the industry.

Once again, we will NOT be increasing our admin fee for the 21-22 school year. Hooray!​​
Picture
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PROGRAM?
If you are a School Food Service Director and haven't participated in the SSoM co-op food purchasing program in the past, you will need a User ID & password to access the Marketplace ordering website. Please contact Jennifer Brekke at the School Services of Montana office for fast, easy registration by phone, or email your request and include ALL of the following:​
  • First & Last Name
  • ​School District Name
  • District Email Address
  • Phone Number (best # to reach you)
​You will receive an email confirmation with your login, temporary password, and a link to the Marketplace.  While you are waiting for your registration confirmation please DOWNLOAD & PRINT the Fall 2021 Order Worksheet (click the button below to view, then print a copy), familiarize yourself with the items, and begin filling out your order on your printed copy. The How To Place Your Order VIDEO is a great resource for users who are new to the program and users who need a little refresher.
NOW AVAILABLE! Click here -->
MARKETPLACE INFO FOR EVERYONE
[click this button to log into the Marketplace]
The Fall 2021 order process is the same simplified process you've enjoyed during the last several order windows. Your login name for the Marketplace online ordering website should be your school district email address, all lower-case. Your password has not changed. If you forgot your password, follow the prompts on the Marketplace login page to change it. Here's a brief overview: log into the Marketplace during the order window, click the little globe icon at the bottom of the page, place your order by item number using the search bar at the top of the page (choose the # of cases you want for each delivery window), and remember the checkout process is THREE steps. 

DOWNLOAD & SORT YOUR ORDER
You may access the Marketplace at ANY TIME to review previous orders you have placed. Log into the Marketplace, click the word 'Requisitions' in the upper right corner of your page (right of your name), then click on the Orders tab on the left side of the page. Your most recent order is listed first, and if you click the little blue page icon next to your order number, you'll have the option to click 'Export Item Data', which downloads it into an Excel spreadsheet that you can sort into delivery periods. If you need assistance with that, call or email me, Jennifer Brekke.​
Not all internet browsers support the ​Marketplace.
 For best results use Google Chrome as your web
browser. The icon looks like this-->
Picture
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
*updated 9/30/21
A committee of participating school food service directors from around the state reviews items offered through this program once a year to ensure quality, nutritional integrity, and student acceptance. The committee also works to include foods that help meet higher nutritional standards, such as whole grain, low fat, and low sodium foods.

It is our intent to hold the Fall 2021 committee meetings IN PERSON at the usual locations across Montana. As of Sept. 30, 2021, the meetings are tentative due to recent spikes in COVID cases, but we are leaning toward holding them in person. Here is the tentative schedule:
  • Tuesday, October 19, 2021 in Miles City, 10am - 2pm, location TBD (?Sleep Inn & Suites)
  • Thursday, October 21, 2021 in Great Falls, 10am - 2pm @ Cascade County MSU Extension Services on Campus (details to come)
  • Friday, October 22, 2021 in Great Falls, 10am - 2pm @ the Missoula Food Bank : )

​The first half of the in-person meeting is reserved for food broker demos and taste-testing, and the second half focuses on the co-op program, revamping items offered, feedback on existing, and a discussion of current issues & potential solutions faced by School Food Service Professionals today. All Food Service Directors are eligible to attend if they or their district placed a Fall 2021 order through this co-op program. DETAILS COMING SOON : )
Picture
​​IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS & LINKS  (click to view/download)

CONTACT INFO
​
Jennifer Brekke
Marketing & Purchasing Manager
e-mail: jbrekke*
work cell (406) 580-7547