On behalf of the Texas Department of Agriculture, thank you for joining us at MegaCon 2026! Your participation helped make this event a meaningful opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen partnerships that support child nutrition programs across Texas.
 

• To view or download the presentations that were shared during the conference, please visit SquareMeals.

• We would love to hear your thoughts about your MegaCon 2026 experience! Please click here to complete our survey!

• Congratulations to the contracting entities recognized by TDA during the awards ceremony on Tuesday! You can view and download photos with the Commissioner here!

TDA has updated the micro-purchase logs for the child nutrition and household programs to reflect the new micro-purchase threshold of $15,000. The updated micro-purchase log used by the Child Nutrition Programs also includes additional clarity around its use in CACFP. The forms can be located on each respective program’s Administration/Forms page.

Texas Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Day is coming up on April 17, and schools across Texas are encouraged to participate in a statewide "Rooted in Texas" contest. This is a great opportunity to highlight fresh, Texas-grown produce and engage students through simple, fun activities. 

To enter, submit: 

• A brief summary of your activities  

• Photos and/or videos  

• Menu highlights or student engagement examples  

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2026 
Please submit your Texas Fruit and Vegetable entries here. 

April’s important USDA Foods updates for schools include information and resources to help prepare for PY27 ordering, along with ESC support. 

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Thank you for taking some time to join and participate in our April TANS Talk webinar. Visit SquareMeals to find a video recording of the webinar under the "Previous TANS Talks" module. 

The Meal Accommodation for Disability Statement Sample Form, Meal Accommodation Tracking Form, and Fluid Milk Substitute Worksheet have been updated to align with additional flexibilities provided under the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. The revised forms can be found on the NSLP Administration/Forms page of SquareMeals.

The Buy American Checklist for Non-Domestic Food Product Purchases has been updated to include guidance on document retention, as well as a reorganization of existing content. The revised checklist can be found on the NSLP Administration/Forms page of SquareMeals.

A significant portion of this release incorporates new guidance in alignment with the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. Section 18, Food Service Contracts, was updated to incorporate content from TDA’s Food Service Management Companies (FSMC) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Additional revisions include updated procurement thresholds, simplified meal pattern charts, and clarifications to existing ARM guidance.

Click the headline title to view the full article. 

TDA has posted to the NSLP Resources page a new pre-recorded webinar that walks SFAs through the latest ARM release from March 11. The video presentation is located under the Webinar module at the bottom of the page. SFAs may also access the video on Youtube. 

USDA has recently released policy memo SP 05-2026, CACFP 03-2026, SFSP 03-2026, 2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs, detailing the effect of the Act on the Child Nutrition Programs. 

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School districts are invited to attend an in-depth 6-hour Local Wellness Policy training designed to help strengthen and implement effective policies. This training is offered as part of a USDA-funded initiative that empowers high school students to help improve their school environment. Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of their district's Local Wellness Policy to review and work through during this hands-on session. To learn more about this training opportunity, please click here.

The School Year 2026-2027 Administrative Review and Procurement Review Schedule is available on www.SquareMeals.org.

The NSLP Annual Financial Report was due to TDA on March 27, 2026. CEs that did not submit the NSLP Annual Financial Report will receive a corrective action document (CAD). Please ensure that the CAD is responded to and submitted by the due date.