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Ten Cents a Meal bringing Michigan produce into schools

Nearly 140 schools across the state are participating in the Ten Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms after the program was expanded to statewide participation this school year.

Michigan’s Child Nutrition Director Dr. Diane Golzynski tells Brownfield the program started as a pilot in Traverse City with private funding and after receiving legislative support expanded to a few regions with state support, better developing the process of connecting schools to local farmers.

“We are able to use state funding to provide 10 cents a meal in reimbursement for schools for every meal in which they serve a locally grown Michigan fruit, vegetable, or dried bean,” she explains.

She says Michigan’s program was designed after what has been done in Oregon and has grown beyond expectations, creating new business opportunities, increasing food knowledge of students, and providing better connections to local farmers.

“We’ve seen additional businesses pop up,” she says.  “We’ve got the Michigan Farm to Freezer Program now and they’ve been able to add additional distribution points as well as additional staffing as they flash freeze products in-season to extend their use.”

For the 2021 fiscal year, the state invested $2 million in the program, which requires a match from schools, and will invest at least $4 million in total into local foods.  Golzynski says they expect to analyze the total impact of the program later in the year.