Search for food distributor continues
The Gilmer County School System has money to keep its kitchens stocked, now it just needs to find someone willing to deliver the food.
Gilmer and surrounding school systems are in a similar pickle as distributor U.S. Foods appears to be no longer interested in doing business in the K-12 sector. Gilmer School nutrition director Patricia Partin discussed the predicament they are facing as they scramble to secure a distributor for the upcoming school year.
“U.S. Foods did not renew our food bid for school year ’23,” Partin said. “We are not alone. Over a dozen north Georgia nutrition departments did not receive their bid either.”
When Fannin County was informed U.S. Foods would not be renewing its contract in January, the distributor cited driver shortages, fuel costs, and labor shortages at the company’s warehouse, according to a News Observer article.
Nutrition directors from Fannin, Dawson, Lumpkin, Stephens, Gilmer and Pickens counties then joined forces to bid a contract for food supplies. Even their collective buying power was not enough to entice a distributor.
Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens have now banded together with the same goal in mind and hopes that the Hwy. 515 route will attract a supplier.
“We have high hopes. We have had some talks with distributors asking questions, which is good,” Partin said. “So, we’re hopeful for that. But no matter what, we will feed our students. I have no doubt. I don’t know what we’re going to have to do, but I’m not opposed to getting my boots on and getting my purse and going shopping. We’ll get food for the county.”
State and government officials are just now catching wind of the issues facing many of its districts. Nutrition directors from Gilmer, Fannin, Pickens, Union, Dawson, Lumpkin and Hall counties met with U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock’s Outreach Representative Andrea Wiggins last Thursday, May 12, in Blue Ridge.
Partin described the meeting as “excellent.”
“They were not aware,” she said of Warnock’s office. “Fannin had a call today (Monday) with some legislatures, and there is a Zoom call later this week. We’ve got some attention, I just hope the urgency is such that we get some immediate attention.
“It’s not the vendors as much as this is an issue with distributors. It’s more profitable for them to service restaurant and grocery stores than it is schools even though we’re excellent customers, we pay our bills on time and we have a standing grocery list.”
Partin noted they have dealt with increased food costs over the past year and taken those price hikes in stride. It has been a simple decision for the district as it needs food for students.
“We’ve accepted those increases, but it’s the distributor that is strapped,” Partin said. “We have state and federal guidelines we have to go by, and the distributor isn’t able to regain their losses with fuel prices and shortages.
“When we went back and revised our bid (in the group with Pickens and Fannin), we felt we were more than lenient to help compensate their losses. They have reiterated they are not trying to get out of the K-12 business, but it makes you scratch your head.”
Superintendent Dr. Brian Ridley said the district is exploring all options to ensure they have food to feed students. Board chairman Ronald Watkins and member Michael Bramlett mentioned the district has gotten food from local vegetable and fruit stands in the past.
“We’ve cleaned out some warehouse space, and we’re prepared to buy some dry goods in more bulk than we normally do and keep them,” Ridley said. “We’ll probably be storing more food than we ever have. It’s a scary situation because we can’t get anyone to sell it to us.”
Partin said the system has been creative and flexible with its food options at schools as the shortage has been present over the past year. They often find themselves without essential products but have continued to provide meals to students.
Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture is upping the requirement of whole grain meals from 50 to 80 percent next school year as part of its National School Lunch Program. The federal government has allowed food substitutions during the pandemic, but those waivers expire June 30.
Ridley and Partin shared the sentiment that they are willing to do what it takes to keep Gilmer’s students fed. Ridley mentioned they are even looking into the possibility of buying a refrigerated truck to pick up food themselves.
“I’ve never been asked if we need a refrigerated truck at a school, but we may need one,” he said. “Until this crisis is resolved, nothing is off the table because the kids have to eat.”
News Observer publisher Glenn Harbison contributed to this article.