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Michigan-grown foods in schools could see less support from state
Incentives for schools to purchase Michigan-grown foods are at risk as state lawmakers work toward passing the budget for next year.
Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee Chair Sue Shink tells Brownfield a lot of projects are under review as uncertainty in Congress has put more than 40 percent of the state’s budget in jeopardy.
“Let people know that you care about whatever it is that you care about, because I think there’s a lot of chaos in the federal government, and we need to make sure that the legislators know exactly what the people want so that they can do what the people want—because literally, that is our job,” she says.
She says the 10 Cents a Meal Program has bipartisan support in the state Senate, while House lawmakers have eliminated funding.
“We’ve been also working with Corrections to try to get them to make sure that they’re spending more on local food because tstate budget, hat’s a win-win for all of us,” she shares. “It’s better food, and our farmers are being paid to grow that food.”
In a statement to Brownfield, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Rebecca Park says members support efforts to connect local farms with community institutions, and investments like 10 Cents a Meal give students access to healthy, Michigan-grown products, while supporting local farmers and communities.
Michigan’s House has approved increasing per-pupil school funding by 25 percent, while giving schools more control over how dollars are managed. Legislation passed by Michigan’s Senate keeps special program funding, including free school meals, the 10-cent program, rural transportation, and other earmarks.
Recent evaluations by the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems found helping Michigan farms and food businesses was the top motivation for participating.
The top five Michigan-grown foods schools tried for the first time include apples, cherries, asparagus, dry beans, and blueberries.
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