Michigan Profile

There is a lot of farm to school activity in Michigan both at a state and local level. State level efforts began at the first brainstorming meeting between the State Departments of Education and Agriculture, Michigan Works/Thumb, and the USDA Department of Defense (DoD) in September 2001. By 2004 the group had made significant progress identifying key players and strategies to link farmers with schools.

Michigan receives approximately $1.9 million in fresh USDA commodity produce each year, ordered through DoD in Nashville, Tennessee. The Michigan Department of Education is coordinating with DoD in Nashville to purchase $1.9 million in fresh produce from Michigan growers. The Michigan Apple Committee has provided a list of all shippers who can deliver truckloads of apples to warehouses of all the trading partners.

State farm to school efforts within Michigan are also being lead at the university level.
The C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU) coordinates and assists in the development of farm to school programs throughout the State. The group led by Mike Hamm, surveyed approximately 700 food service directors in Michigan to determine their interest and perceptions of purchasing local produce. 383 food service directors responded with as many as 70% agreeing to purchase from local producers if price and quality were competitive and a reliable source was available. The Michigan Departments of Education and Agriculture will use the results of this survey to map the state and identify food service directors who can be linked with local producers.