Bullock County Schools students will enjoy a popular root vegetable, potatoes, in school lunches this week.
Mack Family Farm harvested 500 pounds of fresh red and Yukon gold potatoes, which will be served at six of the district’s 15 schools on Tuesday, May 14th. Mack Family Farm potatoes, along with baby carrots, will be the two vegetables served together. Millcreek Elementary School, Southeast Brock Middle, Statesboro High School, Stillson Elementary School, Nevilles Elementary School, and Sally Zetelower Elementary School selected the hot meal entree of the day.
Mack Family Farm was hoping to provide 1,600 pounds of potatoes to every school in the district, but unfortunately due to the timing of the order and lack of rain, the yield was not as high as expected. The district has worked to find other funding sources to make up the difference. The remaining school menus also feature potatoes, but from other farms.
Mack Family Farm, located in Bulloch County, is owned and operated by Alyssa Mackelprang. They grow tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and potatoes, as well as less familiar items such as peanut butter fruit, pawpaw, and sun squat. You can also find it at the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market 2Go. Launched in 2023, the farm’s Facebook page states that opening the farm has been a dream of the family for 20 years, and that the family of seven employs “one seed catalog enthusiast, one chaos coordinator, and five weed control experts. It is explained that it consists of “.
Bullock County Schools Nutrition Director Desiree Yeager and Nutrition Coordinator Stephen Williams are working with local farmers to help build a food culture in Bullock County Schools cafeterias. Their efforts are also helping children understand the food on their plates and how it is grown and delivered. And with the growth and diversity of the district’s students, who represent 18 different nationalities and 24 different languages, children are being introduced to some of our local produce and how to prepare it for the first time. This school year, the district’s School Nutrition Office began partnering with Hunter Cattle Company for beef and Franklin’s Farm for strawberries, and will now also order citrus, peaches, and other produce that are in season during the school year. It’s scheduled to start.
Bullock County Schools
