Locally grown produce will now be served in school cafeterias across Greenville County through a new state-funded program.
Certified SC Cafeteria incentivizes schools to purchase vegetables, fruits and grains grown in South Carolina. The program aims to enhance school meals with fresh, local produce while also strengthening the state’s farming industry.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture will operate the program, with support from the the South Carolina Department of Education. Certified SC Cafeteria was created with a $1 million annual investment from the South Carolina General Assembly. South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers explained that the program opens up a new market for local farmers in addition to benefiting schools.
“Our state’s farmers grow so many fresh, healthy foods, but supply chains and red tape have sometimes made it difficult for schools to buy local food,” Weathers said. “By creating the Certified SC Cafeteria program, we’re investing in our children’s future and increasing economic opportunity for South Carolina.”
School districts participating in Certified SC Cafeteria will be reimbursed for purchasing locally grown foods for school meals. For example, Greenville County Schools was recently awarded $60,000 to purchase Carolina Gold Rice, a long-grain rice tied to South Carolina’s agricultural history.
“We will be phasing it in. Before the end of the year, we will be serving Carolina Gold Rice across our district,” said Ron Jones, director of food and nutrition services for Greenville County Schools.
The school district plans to purchase 850 pounds of rice every three weeks from Marsh Hen Mill, a family-run farm and mill located on Edisto Island. Greg Johnsman, owner of Marsh Hen Mill, said they are blessed to have this new business in the education sector.
“The market changes,” Johnsman said. “Right now, restaurants are slow because it’s that time of year after the holidays, and we’re not back into the swing of summer. So that industry where I could sell some of my rice is not buying. So this is a huge help, where it’s another asset.”
J.L. Mann High School in Greenville offered a special lunch menu featuring Carolina Gold Rice to kick off the Certified SC Cafeteria program on Feb. 6. Weathers and Johnsman had the opportunity to serve meals to students. They also visited a U.S. history class to answer questions about Carolina Gold Rice and the state’s agricultural industry.
A total of 67 school districts and individual schools are currently participating in Certified SC Cafeteria. For more information, visit scfarmtoschool.com/nutrition-staff/certified-sc-cafeteria.
By the numbers
According to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, 67 school districts and individual schools have signed up to participate in Certified SC Cafeteria, which represents:
- 874 school cafeterias
- 538,066 students in K-12
