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Michigan local food grants for schools significantly reduced

Michigan students are again receiving free school breakfast and lunch this school year but incentives to support local food purchases have been cut in half.

Wendy Crowley, Farm to Program Consultant for the Michigan Department of Education, oversees the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms program and tells Brownfield it’s a cut she’s been preparing for.

“Our budget is back to $4.5 million, so that is a pretty significant change to the way that we interact with and approve applicants,” she shares.

The state for the past two years has funded the program which supports buying Michigan-grown, minimally processed fruits, vegetables, and dry beans with more than $9 million with the intent to reduce funding starting this year.

“The legislature requires things like community partnerships and partnerships between school districts, and some pretty unique requirements for marketing the program and nutrition education for kids,” she says.

This fall schools can also use up to 25 percent of their funds for deliveries and labor costs.

“The barrier for our grantees, for schools and other child nutrition programs is really the capacity to receive and process,” she shares. “It’s one thing to be able to get cases of Michigan produce in but to get it in a form that is easy to feed to kids is another.”

She says continuing to offer free school meals will positively impact farmers, student learning, and Michigan’s agricultural diversity.

AUDIO: Wendy Crowley, Michigan Department of Education