Council member: Gullah Farmers Co‑op is moving toward a contract with the school district

A council member told the Beaufort County caucus on June 23 that the Gullah Farmers Co‑op is poised to resume supplying the school district after a hiatus. The member said district officials told her they had not purchased from the co‑op in about two years but subsequently reached out and are now going to buy food from the co‑op.

The council member summarized the sequence, saying the finance committee had been told previously that the co‑op was selling to the district. “They hadn’t bought food from the co‑op in 2 years,” the council member said, and added that the district had recently contacted the co‑op and will be buying food.

Another council member addressed the record to clarify the co‑op’s status, saying the co‑op is “entering into a contract with the school district” and that it has not yet completed any sales. “They are entering into a contract with the school district. They have not sold anything at this time,” that council member said.

The discussion arose during the council member discussion portion of the caucus; no formal contract text, dollar amounts, vendors, or a procurement timeline were provided during the remarks. The council did not take a vote related to the co‑op during the session and did not put any contract on the public agenda at the time of this meeting.

The exchange highlights a change in the district’s engagement with a local agricultural cooperative, and the council members asked staff to clarify the status prior to any formal procurement or reporting back to the full council.