Michigan Farm to School Updates | | Stay informed on the latest news, resources, and events! | | Coming Next Month: A Combined Michigan Farm to School and Early Care Newsletter! | | There is a change coming to the Michigan Farm to School Newsletter! Beginning in April, the Michigan Farm to School Newsletter becomes the Michigan Farm to School and Early Care Newsletter. We will continue to prioritize content and connections to resources for local procurement, starting and sustaining student gardens, and teaching nutrition and ag education, just more of it, to meet the needs of learners from age 0-18!
The combining of these two farm to youth movements will also be strengthened by the creation of Michigan’s first Farm to School and Early Care Network, launching June 25, 2026! After years of supporting shared goals, a shared network will uplift our state’s farm to school and early care work. More details are coming soon in upcoming newsletters.
Save the date for the celebration and network launch June 25!
Questions? Email lehmanju@msu.edu to learn more! | | | | National Ag Day is Here! March 24, 2026
Use Ag Day to recognize the farmers, ranchers, and producers who grow the food that nourishes us daily. Whether you're teaching, learning, or just curious, there are fun ways to explore agriculture right here in Michigan!
- Discover local farms near you! Use the Michigan Farm to Program Directory to find nearby farms. Support local growers, bring fresh produce for kids to try, and help kids learn about the people and work behind the food we enjoy.
- Get students involved! Incorporate local agriculture into lessons, taste tests, school gardens, cooking demos, or science projects. Here is a great list of ideas from Future Farmers of America. There are lots of hands-on ways to celebrate National Ag Day and show where our food comes from!
| | Plant Selection and Seed Saving March 25, 2026
Discover how to choose plants that will thrive in your school garden while fostering meaningful student engagement.
This webinar will cover tips for selecting resilient, educational crops and introduce hands-on activities to spark curiosity around seed saving. Participants will gain practical strategies to connect students to the full life cycle of plants and build lasting garden stewardship. | | | Newman’s Own Foundation Food Justice for Kids Prize Informational Webinar March 25, 2026
This prize is an open call for innovative organizations working to ensure all children can access and engage with nutritious, culturally relevant food. The initiative supports projects focused on healthy food education, nutritious school meals, and engagement with Indigenous foods. Applications are open to U.S.-based nonprofits, Tribes, and school districts dedicated to nourishing children physically and spiritually while addressing the systemic barriers to food justice. | | | Farm to School Coordinators Community of Practice – Quarter 1 Meeting March 27, 2026
This is the first in a quarterly series of opportunities for Farm to School Coordinators across the country to attend and participate in free quarterly Community of Practice (CoP) calls and engage in a virtual forum (Slack) with peers and the National Farm to School Network (NFSN). The CoP calls will include presentations and topics presented by Learning Collaborative members and NFSN and will be an informal space for Coordinators to bring questions and ideas they may have from the field. Interested in learning more about this networking opportunity? Please email NFSN Programs Director at Trisha@farmtoschool.org. | | | What Parents Need to Know to Improve School Food April 8, 2026
Parents want better school food. Yet, well-intentioned advocacy can go sideways without an understanding of the actual landscape. This session with Chef Ann Foundation lifts the curtain on school food, showing parents and nutrition leaders how to partner effectively, explore policy opportunities, and build bridges that create real change. | | | Food Smarts: Waste Reduction for Kids Facilitator Training April 23, 2026
This training ($50) from Leah’s Pantry will equip participants to facilitate Food Smarts: Waste Reduction for Kids curriculum. Participants will:
- How to use the Food Smarts: Waste Reduction for Kids five-week lesson plans
- How to develop trauma-informed engagement and facilitation strategies
- Modifications for working with different age groups, and virtual delivery
This is an online, self-paced course that will take approximately two hours to complete. It must be completed prior to the 1.5-hour live (virtual) session offered once per quarter. The next live session will be on April 23, 2026. | | | Principals Advancing School Gardens April 29, 2026
Join the School Garden Support Organization Network to hear how school principals are championing and sustaining garden programs within their schools.
This webinar will explore the unique role of school leaders in fostering garden-based learning and building supportive structures. Participants will gain insights and inspiration from real examples of principal-led garden program growth. | | | Resources, Opportunities, and Inspiration: | | | Doubling Investment and Growing Impact: 10 Cents a Meal 2023–2024 Evaluation Results - The full evaluation summary of Michigan’s 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms program, which highlights record reach during the 2023-2024 school year, is now available. The program supported 269 grantees across 66 counties, reaching nearly 594,000 children and generating nearly $6 million in direct Michigan-grown food purchases from a $3 million state investment.
Rapid Response Funding - Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF) has opened a new funding opportunity for Michigan-based organizations not currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) funding.
Funding will be available at $25,000 or $50,000 to implement a scope of work developed by MFF. The scope will focus on sharing healthy messages at community-based events to help people eligible for SNAP stretch their food dollars and conducting local food access scans to connect people to local food resources. If your school offers, or wants to offer nutrition education in their programs, read more!
Nourishing Narratives Film Competition - Food systems change begins with new ideas and fresh perspectives, including those of young people. The Nourishing Narratives mobile film competition invites youth ages 13–18 to explore food justice through short films created entirely on their mobile devices. Students across the country are sharing stories about food, community, and what it takes to build a more equitable food system. Up to 10 winners will receive $1,000 and the opportunity to connect with film leaders. Deadline: April 12, 2026
Funding: Kids Gardening Resources - KidsGardening.com has a funding database with many grants available for farm-to-school initiatives. Create a free account to access this database.
Salad Bars to Schools - The Chef Ann Foundation’s Salad Bars to Schools program donates salad bar equipment, training, and support to K–12 schools nationwide so students have daily access to fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins, helping improve health, reduce waste, and strengthen local food connections. The 2026 Salad Bars to Schools grant applications are now open though March 31, 2026!
Job Posting: Nutrition/Food Management Consultant - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is currently recruiting for a Nutrition/Food Management Consultant 10-P11/12/13 position within the Executive Office. This position is located at the Deborah A. Stabenow Building; 525 W. Allegan St., Lansing. The position requires a Master's degree and certification as a registered dietitian, and the candidate will need to be able to work in the office in Lansing 1-2 days per week. The position is open to all applicants and interested applicants must apply through NEOGOV.
Regional Leads for the Kids Garden Community - Rolling Application Deadline | $1000 Stipend | Virtual, 1-2 hours/week
Do you love connecting with people through youth gardening? The Kids Garden Community is launching U.S.-based regional groups, and seeking passionate Regional Leads to bring them to life. Regional Leads play a vital role in cultivating connection, peer learning, and belonging within a designated multi-state region. By facilitating conversations, elevating local expertise, and encouraging participation, Regional Leads help ensure that the Kids Garden Community feels both nationally connected and locally meaningful.
Starting a School or Community Garden Course - Do you love your community and want to start a school or community garden? Are you a beginning gardener looking for direction so that your school or community garden is as successful as it can be? If so, consider taking this free class! The "Starting a School or Community Garden: Essential Steps for Success" course from MSUE offers a flexible, self-paced online learning experience. Winter will be a great time to access this info if planning a garden in the spring!
Unlocking the Full Potential of School Food Systems
March Farm to School Podcast episode - Check out the Farm to School podcast, which features stories from the frontlines of food, farming, and education—where young minds grow and agriculture takes root. (Available on approximately 30 platforms. Simply search for “Farm to School Podcast.”)
Call for Responses - BIPOC Grower Needs Assessment: Farm to School Institutional Markets - Survey takes approx. 4-6 minutes
Help guide National Farm to School Network’s programming direction and resource development to support BIPOC Farmers! NFSN is currently seeking responses to a needs assessment survey as part of a BIPOC Farmer League project with the goal to better understand the real experiences, needs, and interest of BIPOC growers in accessing K-12 and institutional markets. Responses will directly shape future iterations of this project!
Selling Local Food to Schools: A USDA Resource for Producers - This federal resource guide is a support to farmers, ranchers, fishermen, or other food producers, large or small, in exploring market opportunities to nourish children across communities.
The 2026 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. March's feature is Beans!
| | | | Onions! A Cultivate Michigan Feature Food
Spring is a great time to cook up Michigan onions! Explore Michigan cabbage sourcing tips, resources, and recipes for your school site.
Learn more | | | 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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