COLUMBIA, S.C. — Fifteen South Carolina school districts are getting cash awards for filling cafeteria trays with food grown in the state, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture announced, wrapping up the first season of its Certified SC Cafeteria program.
The top five buyers each receive $10,000: Greenville County Schools, Horry County Schools, Greenwood School District 50, Beaufort County School District and Clarendon County Schools. Ten more districts get $5,000 apiece, including Charleston County, Spartanburg 4, Florence 1, Saluda County, Williamsburg County, York 1, Anderson 3, Pickens County, Sumter and Union County.
Winners were picked from purchasing records showing how much South Carolina produce, nuts, honey and grains each district bought. The prize money has to go back into school nutrition, either for more local food or for kitchen equipment that helps cafeterias prepare it.
Lawmakers set aside $1 million a year for the program, which started in January. When a district buys in-state fruit or produce, the state pays it back directly. In its first season, 67 districts and schools took part, covering 874 cafeterias that serve 538,066 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers thanked every participating district and congratulated the 15 winners in the department’s announcement. School nutrition leaders from around the state gathered for their association’s annual conference, where the winners were named.
Season two opens in December and lasts a full year, ending in December 2027. Agribusiness, counting farming and forestry, is the state’s largest industry, supporting about 260,000 jobs and generating $51.8 billion a year, according to the department.
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