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MDARD Director highlights efforts to improve food access and supply chain reliability

The director of Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says investing in projects that provide solutions to food supply chain gaps has been a priority in 2025.

Tim Boring tells Brownfield the new Farm to Family Grant Program is helping to improve the reliability of the state’s food system.

“It’s certainly for the betterment of farms and food processors, those agribusinesses in between,” he shares. “We really need to make sure that agriculture is seen as showing up and delivering on these big challenges we have as a state.”

He says $730,000 has been awarded to Michigan food hubs and farm stops so far, and the department is currently accepting applications for the Last Food Mile grant program.

“These grants are going to be up to $100,000 a piece,” he explains. “They’re going to target some specific metrics around the impact of what these projects will do, how many farmers are going to be participating in the supply chain, how many pounds of produce are going to be moved around, what that availability and access looks like in individual communities.”

Boring says the new programs were designed to respond to ongoing stakeholder feedback and drive investment in ways that benefit communities across Michigan.