Farm to School Program Provides Michigan-Grown Fresh Produce to Students

October is National Farm to School Month

Students from Parchment High School enjoy fresh Michigan produce with their school lunch meal. Photo by Sarah Rypma.

LANSING – Students from around Michigan are crunching away at Michigan-grown apples in their school cafeterias every day. They’re also enjoying a variety of other tasty fruits and vegetables produced in their home state.

October marks the 15^th anniversary of National Farm to School Month, an annual 31-day campaign to recognize and celebrate the connections across the United States between kids, families, and their community food systems.

Members of the State Board of Education this week learned more about the Michigan Department of Education’s Farm to School program and how it benefits children and communities across the state.

“We appreciate the strong partnership between Michigan’s farming communities and our schools to add locally grown fresh produce to school lunches,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “This program directly benefits students both physically and academically, and supports Goal 3 of Michigan’s Top Ten Strategic Education Plan, to improve the health, safety, and wellness of all learners.”

During the meeting, board members were treated to a sample of Michigan fresh apples from the Michigan State University Horticulture Teaching and Research Center. In addition to schools, the Farm to School program serves childcare centers, community service agencies, and food banks across the state.

Some of the locally grown produce to which students have access through the Farm to School program includes apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, winter squash, lettuce, asparagus, green beans, grapes, potatoes, and carrots.

Mr. Kevin Frank, senior director of culinary services for Detroit Public Schools Community District, discussed feeding students with healthy fruits and vegetables bought from Michigan farmers and the success of the Drew Farm, operated at Detroit Public Schools Community District’s Charles R. Drew Transition Center. “Just last year we grew over 30,000 pounds of produce from that farm alone,” Frank said. “We bought about a million dollars of local produce in the past two years alone. The 10 Cents a Meal Program allows us to get some reimbursement for the value of the food we’ve grown and also to support small urban growers in the city of Detroit. That makes it easier for us to provide Michigan-grown, healthy food to our students.”

10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms is Michigan’s innovative local purchasing incentive program funded through state school aid dollars. It provides schools, early care and education centers, and other organizations participating in USDA Child Nutrition programs with grant funds to pay for Michigan-grown food costs, local food transportation fees, and food service labor expenses. This strengthens the local food supply chain and enriches nutrition and educational experiences for Michigan children.

In 2024, there were 269 grantees across 66 counties using this program. New this year, the program allows reimbursement of transportation and labor costs associated with local purchasing, a game-changer for many sponsors struggling with supply chain and staffing barriers.

The Detroit district has purchased produce from farms in Oceana, Wayne, Kent, Grand Traverse, Ionia, and Lenawee counties, Frank said.

The Michigan Department of Education offers a number of ways that the public can celebrate National Farm to School Month. They include:

• The 11th annual Michigan Apple Crunch Day on Oct. 17.  It’s simple and easy to participate. Michiganders can register at Michigan Apple Crunch - Community Food Systems (msu.edu), purchase local apples, and celebrate by crunching into an apple on Oct. 17 or anytime in October. People who register get a Crunch Guide. Anyone can crunch, including schools, early care sites, colleges and hospitals across Michigan. After-school programs and families can sign up.
• National School Lunch Week, which is this week, was created to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom.
• The Michigan Farm to School Video Series include topics such as 10 Cents a Meal, Why Farm to School, School Gardens, Purchasing and Sourcing, Meal Quality, Local Procurement, Food Safety and Agriculture Education. Watch the video series.

For more information and resources, visit MDE-FarmtoProgram@Michigan.gov

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