By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Lillington, NC - True community wealth is measured by how well we feed our children, preserve our soil, and invest in our neighbors. This week marks the official public launch of Project Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), an ambitious, farm-to-school nutrition proposal presented to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners and Harnett County School Board by your author Jheri Hardaway. At its core, the initiative establishes a direct, recurring procurement pipeline ensuring that Harnett County farmers are empowered to serve homegrown sweetpotatoes across every cafeteria in the Harnett County Schoolsystem. This is more than a standard lunchroom contract; it is an intentional ecosystem designed to uplift local agriculture while confronting childhood hunger with nutrition, dignity, flavor, and local pride.
North Carolina’s agricultural heritage is defined by this resilient crop, yet our children rarely get the chance to understand or enjoy it at its fullest potential. Sweetpotatoes are a bona fide superfood full of vitamins A and C, gut-friendly fiber, and complex carbohydrates that sustain focus throughout a demanding school day. What makes this hearty root vegetable uniquely transformative for our schools is its sheer culinary adaptability and versatility. Sweetpotatoes can be prepared steaming hot or cold, tossed into crisp salads, mashed with warm spices, roasted with savory herbs, or enjoyed entirely plain in all its natural richness.
Food insecurity is an issue in Harnett County. At the start of the summer our Harnett County NAACP 5473-B President Benita Harrington addressed the Harnett County school board about adding sites for summer lunch pick ups. The Harnett County Schools Board of Education Vice-Chair Brad Abate immediately set plans in motion to add additional locations, so there is an openness to innovation in the student nutrition space. With an exceptional, natural shelf life, properly cured sweet potatoes provide an enduring, reliable food staple. For students navigating food scarcity at home, having consistent, nourishing access to a food that doesn’t spoil overnight is a vital line of defense.
This is not the first time students and sweetpotatoes have made waves in North Carolina. In the 1990's, fourth grade students at Elvie Street School in Wilson, North Carolina petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly for the establishment of the sweetpotato as the Official State Vegetable after being inspired by a visit from their local congressman, Representative Gene Arnold. With the support of their parents and community they began a letter writing campaign to the state legislature requesting the adoption. In the summer of 1995, after two years of work, the bill was passed.
Goodness grows in North Carolina is more than just a motto, cultivating the next generation of agriculture professionals is essential to our food systems. Equally vital to Project Sweet Potato is what happens beyond the lunch tray of the backpack. A central pillar of the initiative integrates agricultural education into the curriculum through structured field trips to participating Harnett County farms. Our students will put their boots in the dirt, meet the agrarian leaders stewarding our land, and learn the mechanics of sustainable farming firsthand. In an era increasingly separated from nature and food sources, this initiative bridges the gap, instilling respect for local farming and inspiring our young scholars to consider fruitful careers in agribusiness and environmental science. Additionally, with the Lillington Farmer’s Market project underway, timing is excellent to champion our local growers and promote shopping fresh and local.
Lastly, it is essential to keep Harnett County dollars in Harnett County. When our schools buy from industrial conglomerates thousands of miles away, our community loses out twice: our kids eat processed foods, and our farmers see diminishing returns. Project Sweetpotato keeps public dollars circulating right here at home, guaranteeing stable local demand for regional growers while giving our youth the very best our county has to offer.
To learn more about how you can support the initiative or advocate for Project Sweetpotato follow our ongoing coverage in The Carolinian or contact our author at Jheri@caro.news.
