Hawaii seeks local beef vendor for Oahu, Big Island schools

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) - The Hawaii Department of Education is looking for a vendor to provide beef to schools as it continues efforts to locally source food for student lunches.

West Hawaii Today reports the department’s School Food Services Branch issued a request for proposals last month, seeking a vendor of ground beef and stew beef to serve in Oahu’s 157 schools and the Big Island’s 42 schools.

School food authorities are required to source foods from Hawaii when possible. The School Food Services Branch serves about 100,000 meals every day.

Farm-to-school coordinator Dexter Kishida says the cattle must be raised, finished and processed in the state for the beef to be considered local.

Kishida says all the beef served in schools on Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kauai will be sourced from local ranches.

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