S. Car. forms farmer co-ops

he South Carolina Dept. of Education (SDE), Columbia, SC, Department of Defense (DOD) and South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), have formed a partnership with the state's small farmers to deliver locally grown produce to South Carolina school districts. Six farmer co-ops have been created to provide items directly to school vendors.

The pilot will launch with 13 districts which will utilize Section 4 and 11 funds to make produce purchases.

Six of these districts also participate in the DOD fruit and vegetable program and therefore will be able to utilize a percentage of their entitlement funds toward this pilot, although they will ultimately have to roll over to Section 4 and 11 monies, when the entitlement allotment is exhausted, according to Craig Brooks, education assoc. and administrator of the SDE food distribution program.

Next step: The pilot will be extended to the rest of the state's 87 districts after the trial run, he notes.

The products to be purchased include cucumbers, squash, peppers (red, yellow, green), tomatoes (cherry, grape, regular), watermelon, cantaloupe, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, and locally grown grapes.

Separately, Section 4 and 11 funds have been used for a $30,000 strawberry purchase in North Carolina, which is likewise working with its small farmers. "The berry purchase was a big hit and we plan to buy apples, melons, leaf products and sweet potatoes," notes Gary Gay, dir. of the food distribution div., North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Raleigh, NC.

At least $400,000 in Section 4 and 11 purchases should go through NC farmers this new school year, he says, while South Carolina's Brooks says that some $277,297 of the total $947,295 in SC entitlement DOD monies will go through the pilot.