Farm-to-school lunch initiative expands across Mich.

The Michigan Department of Education is leading an initiative that matches up to 10 cents per meal for schools buying fruits and vegetables from local Michigan farmers.

The initiative builds on a pilot program launched in 2013 by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, a northwest Michigan organization working to bolster local farm and food economies. The pilot aimed to bring more local food to three Michigan school districts, which have increased their purchases of local produce by 142% on average in the two years since the program’s launch, according to Groundwork Center’s website.

“Schools don’t have as much money to spend as a four-star restaurant on ingredients, but they’re often the biggest restaurant in the region,” Groundwork Senior Policy Specialist Diane Conners told the Northern Express. “They can be a stable market for farmers, as long as the farmers know that they’re really serious about it.”

The success of the pilot program sparked the interest of Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, who aided in the expansion project. Legislation that passed in June now enables schools spanning 23 counties to apply for the match grants. The Michigan Department of Education plans to move quickly on grants in order for schools to purchase local produce for the start of the 2016-17 school year.

The 10-cent increase provides a boost of approximately 50% to schools with a 20 to 30 cent per-meal budget for fruits and vegetables. The Groundwork Center hopes the additional funding will prompt school districts to try new produce like kale and Romanesco.

The legislation also promotes learning initiatives for local food and agriculture. Schools in the expanded program can obtain lesson plans from the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District’s Farm to School teachers’ resource website.  

The program is expected to open up new markets for local farmers and support the Michigan farming community while helping schools meet new health guidelines during lunchtime.