Food shortage strikes at Craven County Schools. What is being done to feed students?

Even with the proactive approach, the staff is dealing with an issue most around the country are also seeing — supply shortages in the country's food chain. 

"We thought we were out of the pandemic and come to find out we are still feeling the effects of the pandemic," said Nutrition Director Lauren Weyand. "We are no longer serving students meals from the buses and with more kids back and serving more kids, we are seeing shortages of items."

On Friday, the school system held their 2nd Annual Food Festival called "What's on your Spork". The purpose of the event is to help nutritional staff source food items they have struggled to receive during the pandemic. 

Local suppliers like House of Raeford Farms in Duplin County, Brookwood Farms near Charlotte, along with McCoy Cattle Farm and Otter Creek Acres both of Craven County participated.

Weyand said some of the farmer's items are already on the school's menu, but being able to incorporate more locally sourced items will help relieve a lot of the burden staff have when it comes to purchasing food.

Chicken was one of the more popular shortages at the height of the pandemic as most consumers across the country are still struggling to either find products or are seeing an increase in price. 

The same is said for schools in Craven, which are also unable to consistently find breakfast items and service ware such as to-go containers, utensils, cups, and plates. 

"Working through some of the shortages, we are able to get things like muffins and pancakes that the kids like, but it is sporadic," Weyand said. "We may have a school that orders something and another school that ordered the same thing and only one receives it."

For the 2021-22 school year, school breakfast and lunches are free to all students because of Craven County Schools' participation in the Seemless Summer Option. 

The school system is reimbursed monthly by the United States Department of Agriculture for what they serve and comes at no cost to the schools. Schools are also required to serve an afternoon snack. 

Offering free meals and snacks means schools have to follow certain USDA guidelines, especially to combat food waste. Students are allowed to decline a certain amount of items offered and if a student does not take the minimum offering, then they have to pay for the items a la carte. 

This, along with offering food students want to each, helps schools not to waste food.

Weyand explained Craven County Schools is reimbursed at a rate of $2.46 for breakfast and $4.31 for lunch, serving between 14,000 and 15,000 meals a day. This comes out to between $30,000 and $60,000 a month. 

The food festival was hosted at Havelock High School brought in more than 13 vendors, local to the region. Students and a parent focus group tested more than 100 products in order for the nutritional staff to gauge what food products the students want compared to what Craven County Schools can get in.

"It certainly more personal when you know the person who is bringing you the food and with that will relieve some of the burdens of not being able to get in other products," Weyand added. "Now that we know what they have in stock and what we can order right away, it takes away the guessing game."

Craven County Schools' nutritional staff have not looked through the survey answers students and parents said they enjoyed most, but a few of the big hits were pot roast, chicken pot pie, meatloaf, and different recipes involving the chicken schools can get in. 

The items chosen by students and parents are expected to be put on school menus starting in January. 

Reporter Trevor Dunnell can be reached by email at tdunnell@newbernsj.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Food shortage strikes at Craven County Schools. What is being done to feed students?