Michigan Farm to School Updates | | Stay informed on the latest news, resources, and events! | | Farm to School Month Celebrations Continue Across the State! | | | October is National Farm to School Month! This year’s theme, Growing for the Future, emphasizes the role of farm to school and early care in creating thriving communities now and in the future. All of our futures depend on the farmers who feed us, take care of our soil and waterways, and protect seeds for the next harvest—but their work often goes unseen and undervalued. By investing in programs that support local farms, producers, and fishermen, and allow school meal programs across the country to easily buy directly from them, we can create a thriving food future that puts people and planet first. As you consider how to uplift this message and celebrate the connections in your own community, here are a couple easy ways to get involved:
- Be Inspired: Follow the National Farm to School Network’s blog, Facebook, and Instagram to see inspiring examples of farm to school success and innovation.
- Explore Resources: Check out free resources for planning and promoting celebrations in your community, including our Farm to School Month Celebration Toolkit, customizable posters and bookmarks, stickers and more.
| | Michigan Farm to School Spotlight!
Paige Fleming, Director of Dining Service at Ferndale Upper Elementary School, brought the celebration to the students via a pop-up farmer’s market this fall! After being inspired by events at two other districts the year prior, Ms. Fleming recruited community partners to provide educational opportunities for students while they shopped. Read more on this special event as reported by Abigail, a student from Mr. Takach's 5th grade class!
Read the story | | | Apples for All! 2025 Michigan Great Apple Crunch Underway! | | | Registration for October’s Michigan Great Apple Crunch remains open; join the fun! Host your school’s event any time during the month of October to take part in this annual fall tradition.
The Great Apple Crunch is a simple event in which Michiganders come together to bite into locally grown apples. This is an excellent opportunity to promote healthy eating, support local farmers, and highlight the importance of local foods. Simply purchase some Michigan apples, gather your students, and help Michigan reach the 2025 goal of 400,000 Crunchers in Michigan! | | The Impact of 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms | | | The MSU Center for Regional Food Systems team is disappointed that 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms (10 Cents a Meal) was not included as a line item in the recently released 2026 State School Aid budget for Michigan. Now in its 10th program year, 10 Cents a Meal recently hit a milestone of over 300 program applicants from schools, ECE sites and afterschool providers across the state for the 2025-2026 school year — more than any other year — who desire to purchase fruit, vegetables, and dry beans from Michigan producers to serve to Michigan children. Following years of increased interest and participation, the unfunding of 10 Cents a Meal is a blow to Michigan’s food system; negatively impacting the financial ability of food program managers to serve local, nutrient-dense produce to children, as well shrinking a significant market opportunity for farmers and food businesses.
Michigan Department of Education (MDE) issued the following statement regarding 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms: “Unfortunately, the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms funding for Fiscal Year 2026 (31j) was not included in the State School Aid budget. Our team remains committed to supporting local purchasing across the state of Michigan. Contact us at MDE-FarmtoProgram@Michigan.gov for help with finding a supplier, nutrition education tools, or procurement questions.”
In this message from Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, one of the founding 10 Cents a Meal program partners, their Food and Farming Program Director shared their disappointment in the drop of state support to an established and respected program that supports child well-being and farm family income. As 10 Cents a Meal program partners with MDE and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, we are standing together with Groundwork to stay “vigilant and proactive in regards to what happens next. There are more conversations to be had about what is possible and we are actively building strategy and capacity to move forward.”
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems will continue to use this space in the Michigan Farm to School Newsletter to share updates and actions. | | National Farm to School Network’s Movement Meeting October 23, 2025
National Farm to School Network will host their annual Movement Meeting as a celebration of collective wisdom, practices, and partnerships that are shaping the future of farm to school. This vibrant gathering brings together practitioners and community members from across the country to connect, reflect, and plant seeds of intentional growth for the movement ahead. Regardless of your role or level of experience with farm to school and early care education, this Movement Meeting is for you! | | | Cultivating Futures: Green Careers Begin with School Gardens October 30, 2025
This interactive session will explore pathways that connect garden-based learning to green careers. Attendees will walk through a K-12 framework for engaging students in food and agricultural systems both to meet the growing demand for a trained green workforce and to provide viable, rewarding career options for students. | | | National School District Wellness Coalition Convening November 12-14, 2025
If you are a district leader* who cares about student health, join the National School District Wellness Coalition for the annual in-person convening of school districts across the US!
- Explore strategies to reduce risky behaviors
- Learn more about promoting physical activity in the school community
- Discuss the latest information to promote and support youth mental health
| | | | This event is a great opportunity to network with fellow child health champions, build meaningful relationships, and share your stories.
(*District health & wellness leaders (e.g. coordinated school health directors/coordinators, superintendents and district administrators, or more specialized district roles such as within student health services, school nutrition, PE/physical activity, mental health/SEL, school nursing, etc.)
Can’t make the Convening? Read more on school wellness resources:
| | School Meals for a Sustainable Future: Local, Organic, & Regenerative November 19, 2025
Join the Chef Ann Foundation for the final session in their free webinar series. This webinar will explore the realities of districts’ ability to incorporate more local, regenerative, and organic food into their programs. | | | The 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference December 2-5, 2025
You are invited to register now for the 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference! This conference is designed to be a powerful space for learning, networking, and collective action. In light of all of the changes in the food systems space this year, this will be an even more impactful and important moment to gather in person. Whether you’re involved in school nutrition, local food procurement, early care education, or community food access, you are invited to join in New Mexico this December! | | | | Agenda Highlights:
- Curated Workshops and Networking Sessions
- Exhibitor and Poster Sessions
- Intensive Courses: Farm to ECE Deep Dive, Bringing the Farm to Table, Creating and Sustaining School Gardens, and more!
- Field Trips to Local Farm to School Sites
| | 2026 Growing School Gardens Summit February 19-22, 2026
Save the date for February 19 to 22 in Phoenix, Arizona when over 700 school garden educators will gather for four days of peer-to-peer learning, networking, and movement building. | | | Resources, Opportunities, and Inspiration: | | | Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub Spark and Innovation Collaborative Awards: APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
Do you know a way to bring local, nutritious food to more schools across our region?
MSU’s Center for Regional Food Systems is a part of the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, which supports people working to improve school meals across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The initiative offers funding, training, and other assistance to partnerships that include farmers, food producers, suppliers, distributors, schools, and organizations.
Applications are now open through January 23, 2026: the Spark Awards and the Innovation Collaborative Awards.
Spark Awards - Spark Awards fund projects that need a short-term infusion of funds for school food system and product improvements, such as capacity-building, planning, and product-testing projects.
- ($30K - $100K per year)
Innovation Collaborative Awards - Innovation Collaborative Awards fund projects that promote systems-level change of the school food system, such as scaling up of programs, forming regional partnerships, or developing or integrating new programs or products.
- ($250K - $500K over 2 ½ years)
We encourage those interested in applying — including farmers, food producers, School Food Authorities and others working to improve school meals — to reach out via our Michigan Interest Form. Our staff is offering weekly drop-in office hours to answer questions, and a launch webinar date is coming soon. Michigan’s State Lead, Julie Lehman, is available to answer questions and help guide you through the application process, as well as connect you with partners and resources to bring your ideas to life. Grantees will receive ongoing support tailored to their needs and goals. | | | | | Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program: APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
Exciting news: USDA’s Farm to School grant is now open! This grant is designed to increase the availability of local foods in Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operations and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for CNP meals. Grants can be used to launch new farm to CNP programs or expand existing efforts and projects can range from $100,000 to $500,000.
*FYI: USDA webinars on the RFA have been postponed due to the federal shutdown. You can send questions about the RFA (that are not clarified by the posted FAQ) to Anna.Arrowsmith@usda.gov with a cc to SM.FN.FarmToSchool@usda.gov.
See an in-depth analysis on the current iteration of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant opportunity from National Farm to School Network on their recent blog post. | | | | | Math in the Garden E-Course! - Get to know the bestselling Math in the Garden book like never before, and learn how to facilitate joyful, productive math learning outdoors. The Math in the Garden e-course is $45 and helps you confidently bring math instruction outside, offering practical teaching and facilitation tools and ready-to-use resources that make teaching easier and way more fun.
What You’ll Get ✔ Guided walkthrough of the bestselling Math in the Garden book ✔ Spotlight on lessons across four chapters adaptable for ages 5–13+ ✔ Strategies to make outdoor learning smooth and engaging ✔ Exclusive resources and all-new printable student worksheets
The 2025 Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Harvest of the Month - This monthly packet encourages children to learn about nutrition, agriculture, Indigenous food culture and cooking with monthly recipes, coloring pages, and fact sheets. Each month is focused on a different culturally relevant food in season. October’s feature is squash!
Celery! A Cultivate Michigan Food - Explore Michigan celery sourcing tips, resources, and recipes for your school site. (This Celery Caesar Salad recipe might be the hit of the season with your students!)
| | | | School Food Renegade:
Elissa Penczar Special shout out to Muskegon’s own Elissa Penczar! Penczar was just named one of the country's 10 School Food Renegades for her inspiring efforts to challenge the status quo and reimagine what’s possible when fresh ingredients, creative menus, and genuine care come together on a lunch tray. Thank you to Elissa — and all of the school food staff and educators across the state — for investing in Michigan’s youth. You are appreciated!
Check out her feature on Fox17! | | | About Michigan Farm to School
Farm to School centers around efforts to serve local foods in school and early care and education settings. We share ideas, tools and resources to support a range of efforts, from school garden programming to farmer visits and field trips.
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