Jody Hudson, director of development with Girl Scouts of Central California South, poses with Scout members in this February file photo.

A new sales method for the local chapter of the Girl Scouts is propelling them to the forefront of the nation.

According to Jody Hudson, director of development for Girl Scouts of Central California South, the organization’s world-famous cookie sales — which typically run from Super Bowl weekend until March 15 — saw the girls take on an aggressive goal of 1 million packages sold. In order to meet that goal, their five-county chapter had to think outside the (cookie) box.

Their solution has been the “Cookie Donor Buyout” program, in which participating businesses can buy out a girls’ booth with a pledge of $500 or more. In turn, the buyers can then gift these packages to clients and employees or to local charities. It also lets the girls reach out to the Valley business community in Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties.

“We are blowing out our numbers right now,” Hudson said. “We are No. 1 in the country with our cookies sales as well as our membership growth, so exciting things are happening for our girls.”

As of last week, the Girl Scouts of Central California South have met and exceeded their 1-million-package goal, while their Donor Buyout program alone has raised upwards of $18,000. Hudson says that their branch is anomaly for sales and growth. In fact, it may be going a little too well.

“Our biggest problem right now is supply and demand,” Hudson mused. “Like do we have the bakers to keep up with the cookie sales here? I might be putting on my own apron and baking some cookies.”