Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Nutrition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School nutrition staff seek more Virginia produce, test local milk program; board approves Mayola bid
Summary
Nutrition staff updated the board on farm‑to‑school work, local dairy options and a local beef pilot; the board approved a new milk contract recommended from the RFP (Mayola) and discussed startup costs for a bladder‑milk dispenser program.
The Franklin County School Nutrition Department told the school board on Jan. 13 that the division is expanding locally sourced items in cafeterias and exploring a pilot for local dairy and beef, and the board voted to accept a milk vendor recommended through a competitive RFP.
What the nutrition team described Nutrition Director Heather Snead said the division already sources hydroponic lettuce from Ferrum College and Four Oaks and has set up a Boone’s Mill produce auction account for spring deliveries. The division has a walk‑in refrigerator at the bus garage for centralized deliveries.
Snead outlined work on locally sourced dairy: some Virginia suppliers (for example Homestead Creamery) require special dispensers and a reusable‑cup workflow. Snead said initial startup costs to implement a bladder‑milk dispenser program can be substantial; she cited a document showing initial equipment investments in the range of $84,000–$92,000 for full rollouts in other divisions and said dispensers alone cost roughly $3,000–$3,400 each (tables, reusable cups and rewash crates add cost).
She also said she had been in touch with local processors about supplying beef patties sized for school use; she referenced a local processor (KC Farms) and said packaging and patty sizing had to be solved before the division could proceed.
RFP and vote The division issued an RFP for milk service for the remainder of the school year and received multiple responses, Snead said. She recommended Mayola, which operates a plant in Roanoke and can supply the five‑gallon bag (“bladder”) milk product if the district elects to pilot that dispensary model. The board approved the Mayola contract during the meeting (motion seconded; vote announced as carried).
Why it matters - Local sourcing: The division is actively building local procurement relationships (Ferrum College hydroponics, Boone’s Mill auction, local beef conversations) to increase Virginia‑grown options. - Operational tradeoffs: Converting to bladder milk requires equipment, electrical work, cups and washing capacity; the division said it would likely pilot at the high school before expanding because younger students and tray logistics raise spill and custodial workload concerns.
Board action and follow‑up The board approved awarding the milk RFP to Mayola (vote carried). Snead said she will continue to pursue local produce and contact local meat processors, research grant opportunities and refine costs for a phased dispenser rollout. The board asked staff to return with more precise cost and installation plans if the pilot moves forward.
