When the Glynn County School System called John Wallace at Anchored Shrimp to purchase 2,000 lbs. of shrimp, he didn’t dare make suggestions about how the schools' nutrition department should use it.
“I learned a long time ago, don’t tell the chef how to cook,” Wallace quipped.
He didn’t really care how they prepared it anyway. Wallace was just happy to know the school system was buying locally caught shrimp.
“They shrimp industry appreciates the school system’s support,” he said. “Every little bit helps.”
That support is the result of the Local Food for Schools program, a pilot program in which Glynn County Schools has participated for the past two school years.
“Between school year 2023 and 2024, we received a total allotment of $84,267 to purchase fresh local products from farmers in our area,” said Shelley Daniel, the school system’s director of school nutrition.
That opened the door for the school system to purchase items like shrimp caught on Wallace’s shrimp boats, grass fed ground beef, watermelon, blueberries, squash, oranges and other fresh produce from local producers.
The program is funded by the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Division, which was awarded $7.1 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reimburse school systems around the state for locally grown food served in school meals. The idea is to create new revenue streams for small businesses, farmers and producers that are not traditionally accessed in school markets, information from the DOE said.
There were 81 school nutrition programs that participated statewide in the program’s first year, including Glynn. Those programs purchased locally sourced food from more than 150 farmers and producers statewide.
“Partnering with local farmers and serving our students fresh local products brings us great joy,” Daniel said.
While Wallace did not know how the 2,000 lbs. of wild caught shrimp — all of it peeld, deveined and individually quick frozen — would be used, Daniel said the menus is already set. The shrimp will become shrimp and grits that will be served at both high schools on March 10, Daniel said.