LUSK - The kitchen at Lusk Elementary School is attempting to replenish their meat stock and they are turning to the local community for help in that endeavor.

The school lunchroom prepares a high volume of meals that include meat as a main ingredient. Kitchen director LeeAnn Fullmer and head cook Jessica Stallman estimate that a whopping 60 pounds of ground beef go into each meal. Meat shows up everywhere on the school menu. Tacos, taco casserole, Sloppy Joes, hamburger, goulash, and spaghetti are just some of the dishes that claim meat as a centerpiece. According to Fullmer and Stallman, fresh, local beef helps keep the school meals nourishing and appealing.

“If you look at our menus, almost everything we make is homemade,” Fullmer told the Herald. “It’s nutritious. Kids eat it.”

“The kids come back for seconds, thirds, and sometimes fourths,” said Stallman.

The school used to be a recipient of the federal lunch program. The federal program differed from the current one, in particular with the amount of food each child could receive per meal. Things, however, changed on June 22, 2015. It was on that date that Lusk Elementary School left the federal program, opting for a local one that is supported by members of the community. The local program, according to Fullmer and Stallman, has several perks that the were lacking when the federal government handled meals. Chief among those perks are a free breakfast and the ability to provide hungry students with more than just one serving.

“If we have it, they can eat it,” said Fullmer.

In the past, many different ranchers and farmers have stepped up, providing generous meat donations that have kept the local meal program afloat. Converse County Bank, Joe and Katie Kruse, Paul and Lucy Lukers, Justin and Riki Kremers, Bootheel 7, and Hanson Livestock have all given meat to the school in the past. In August, animals presented at the fair have also been donated. With the school’s stock starting to run low, Fullmer and Stallman are hoping that more locals will join the list of donors.

“If people help support our kids and the community by feeding them, then that would be amazing,” said Fullmer.

Donations have to have gone through a facility approved by the FDA. The school also asks that donations come in five pound packages. A grant through the school district office helps pay for the processing fee.

“If someone wants to donate a critter, the school will pay for the rest,” said Fullmer.

People interested in helping are encouraged to call the Lusk Elementary School at 307-334-2224 and ask to speak with Fullmer. Potential donors can also contact Donna Hanson via Facebook or the Niobrara County School District at 307-334-3793.