Boulder Valley School District: Sourcing Food Locally Saved BVSD's Baco

Press release from the Boulder Valley School District:

December 11, 2021

Local and regional food sourcing helps BVSD’s Food Services Department stay afloat amidst supply chain and staffing crises

A perfect storm of labor shortages and supply chain issues have jeopardized school lunch programs in Colorado and across the country. Recent New York Times and Denver Post articles document districts' many missing school meal items, last-minute runs to Sam’s Club for frozen pizzas and at times, a shift to all pre-packaged, shelf-stable items to be served when there aren’t staff to serve hot meals in schools

Fortunately, BVSD schools have not been as impacted by these issues, largely in thanks to the School Food Project’s distinct scratch-cooking approach and dedication to local and regional suppliers.

“We’re not waiting on some conglomerate in the midwest to ship us processed food,” says Deb Trevor, Procurement Manager for the School Food Project. “The fact that we are sourcing locally and cooking most of our meals from scratch means that we can pivot when there are supply chain and staffing issues. It has not been easy, but we can make it work.”

BVSD’s school lunch programs use Colorado-raised chicken and beef, Boulder County-grown beans and fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmer partners when seasonally available. Utilizing many different supply sources has been an asset as the food supply chain faces various and unpredictable challenges. Local vendors and farmers have also expressed their gratitude for these partnerships.

“This collaboration with the School Food Project allows us to stay on farm and grow organic seeds and produce to support our mission,” says local farmers Laura Allard and Rich Pecoraro of MASA Seed foundation. “Your support provides funding for our nonprofit for seed saving, produce donation and community education.”

Additionally, the School Food Project’s new Culinary Center building has been a pivotal asset during these challenging times. It provides centralized production for scratch-cooking and greatly increased storage capacity, allowing for bulk purchases to avoid supply chain shortages.

The Culinary Center was a part of the district’s bond program generously approved by voters in 2014.

LEARN MORE: The School Food Project’s work to overcome supply chain shortages in this piece put out by the School Nutrition Services Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

School meals are available at no cost for all students during this school year, no paperwork or application is required to access the meals. Check out the menus here and encourage your student(s) to participate in BVSD’s nationally-recognized school meal program.

This press release was produced by the Boulder Valley School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.