LFS Executive Summary – South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) is requesting funding through a Cooperative Agreement with USDA AMS under the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) to facilitate the purchase and distribution of local foods to schools within the state, with an emphasis on areas of need. SCDA will work with an established and verified distributor, Senn Brothers, as well as the South Carolina Department of Education to determine levels of need and to increase the purchase and distribution of local foods to these schools. Expected outcomes of this project include the purchase of food from at least 50 farmers, including at least 29 socially disadvantaged farmers and 46 small farm businesses. Food will be distributed in school districts across the state, with a specific focus on 24 counties of need. In total, SCDA expects to impact over 800,000 students at 124 School Food Authorities. Of this total, SCDA estimates that at least 213,000 students in underserved areas will receive increased access to local foods.