Michigan Policies

Farm to School Procurement Act - Public Acts 315, 343 & 344
The Farm to School Procurement Act was approved by the Governor of Michigan in December 2008, requiring the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) to collaborate to encourage school food authorities to purchase local farm products. The act requires MDE to: ? investigate potential procedures and tools for school authorities to purchase local farm products and abide by Federal regulations; ? educate food service directors on the small purchase threshold and other procurement procedures and tools; and ? implement food preparation training for food service staff to accommodate fresh and local foods. The MDA, as part of the collaboration, would have to: ? house a farm-to-school point person to coordinate its efforts with the MDE and the Department of Community Health; ? identify, target, and promote job creation around farm-to-school initiatives; ? investigate opportunities for farmers to supply their products to commercial distributors; and, ? in cooperation with commodity groups and growers associations, use existing web-based market development tools or adopt a voluntary web-based directory of farmers searchable by location. Public Acts 343 and 344, raise the small purchase threshold for school food purchases at public school districts and intermediate school districts. A higher small purchase threshold gives Michigan school food service directors more room to purchase local foods from Michigan farmers through informal purchasing procedures.