October is Farm to School Month!
This year’s National Farm to School Month theme, Creating Thriving Communities: Local Food in Every School, celebrates the powerful, positive impact of local procurement in creating thriving communities. This annual 31-day campaign recognizes, appreciates and celebrates the connections happening across the country between kids, families, and their community food systems. Michigan’s local purchase incentive program, 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms, supports schools who buy local produce by matching their reimbursement for Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and beans. For more information, email
MDE-FarmtoProgram@Michigan.gov.
Celebrate with an Apple Crunch Day
To help us celebrate Farm to School Month, we plan to participate in the annual Michigan Apple Crunch on October 15. It’s simple and easy to participate. Register at Michigan Apple Crunch, purchase local apples, and celebrate your Crunch anytime in October. Get a FREE Crunch Guide when you register! Anyone can Crunch, including schools, early care sites, colleges and hospitals across Michigan - even after-school programs and families can sign up – no event is too small! Be sure to follow the Michigan Apple Crunch on facebook and share photos of your crunch using the hashtag #MIAppleCrunch!
- The Michigan Farm to Program Directory is a searchable database of both suppliers and buyers of Michigan-grown products. This tool was developed by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and its partners to make it easier for food program operators to purchase and serve Michigan fresh produce, and to help Michigan farmers and food suppliers connect with new customers.
- National School Lunch Week - October 12-16, 2026. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom.
- Farm to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week - October 12-16, 2026. Through local food procurement, gardening activities and agriculture education, Farm to CACFP leverages CACFP funding to help incorporate local foods into the nutritious CACFP meal pattern thus strengthening community food systems and supporting positive health outcomes for those in care.
- Check out Cultivate Michigan resources to help you source Michigan apples from distributors and food hubs for your institutions and promote them in your cafeterias.
- Order Free Farm to School Month Stickers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Child nutrition program operators, state agencies administering the child nutrition programs and State Departments of Agriculture can order free stickers that celebrate Farm to School Month! Place your order today.
- Check out USDA Farm to School resource sheets on using Department of Defense to buy local, School Gardens, Farm to Summer, and more.
- Apply for a Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant that supports planning, developing, and implementing farm to school programs. USDA's Farm to School grants are an important way to help state, regional, and local organizations as they initiate and expand farm to school efforts.
- Also use Cultivate Michigan Featured Foods materials to find and promote local, seasonal foods, including for fall: tomatoes, winter squash, potatoes, salad greens, celery, and broccoli.
- Visit the Michigan Apple Committee website that has searchable tools to help you find Michigan apples at farm markets and stores, see the harvest schedule, as well as activities for kids and resources for teachers.
- Join the Michigan Farm to School and Early Care Network to support people and programs that help children and youth (ages 0–18) learn about and eat local food across the state. Whether you are in the classroom, the cafeteria, or the community, this network is for you!
- Michigan grows a wide variety of crops each year and our farmers take pride in growing high-quality, diverse products. Learn more about our state’s agriculture production at Michigan Ag Facts and Figures.
- View and share Michigan Farm to School videos. These short videos include topics of 10 Cents a Meal, Why Farm to School, School Gardens, Purchasing and Sourcing, Meal Quality, Local Procurement, Food Safety, and Agriculture Education. Watch the Video Series
___________________________________________________________________ Contact UsEmail: MDE-SchoolNutrition@Michigan.gov If you or someone you know is interested in receiving the Child Nutrition Programs News and Updates and Bulletins, visit Child Nutrition Programs News and Updates Subscription.
___________________________________________________________________ USDA Nondiscrimination StatementIn accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
- fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
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