Michigan Involved Groups and Organizations

The following organizations have resources and information to help with your local Farm to School program.
The Michigan Department of Education
Collaborates with various entities in the State of Michigan to link local farmers to local school districts. The MDE is identifying school districts that are interested in using local produce in the National School Lunch Program and working with the Michigan Department of Agriculture to identify local growers and shippers for the program.

Michigan Department of Agriculture
Facilitates opportunities for local producers to sell directly to individual school districts.

The Michigan Apple Committee
Working with the Michigan Department of Education and Agriculture as well as the Department of Defense to establish farm to school business relationships.

Michigan State University
Coordinates and assists in the development of farm to school programs throughout the state.

Michigan Integrated Food & Farming Systems
Co-sponsored a summer garden and school project with Grand Rapids Public Schools and will be pursuing an expanded farm to school effort through a Kellogg grant.

Michigan Land Use Institute
Coordinates the Broccoli, Books, and Bread project in Traverse City Area Public Schools. MLUI is also exploring and developing ways to include fresh, local foods in school snacks and meals.

Growing Hope
Works with schools to establish garden programs, integrate food systems into classroom curricula, and encourage buying of school lunch food from local farmers.

Mixed Greens: A Children
The mission of Mixed Greens is to teach the children of the Grand Rapids area the value of health and Michigan agriculture through the growing, preparing and sharing of food using schoolyard vegetable gardens and kitchen classrooms. Mixed Greens is working collaboratively across the sectors with community institutions to create, promote, and support schoolyard garden and kitchen classroom programming. Currently, Mixed Greens oversees garden and kitchen programming in several Grand Rapids Public Schools and are working on the development of an independent, inner-city vegetable garden conservatory with commercial kitchen for their youth-based educational activities.

School Nutrition Committee - South Haven
A local grass-roots committee is forming to establish and strengthen the link between what is grown on local farms and what is served in the cafeteria in schools. The committee is seeking energetic, enthusiastic community members who are interested in joining a new Farm-to-School Committee. The committee will meet this spring to brainstorm the potential advantages of buying locally grown produce and incorporating it into South Haven Public Schools' food service programs and other school and community-sponsored venues where food is served. For more information, call (269) 637-6499 or (269) 639-2408.

Michigan Land Use Institute
The Institute developed the Web site as part of its ongoing efforts to foster farm-to-school sales and enrichment activities.The farm-to-school Web site is the third the Institute has launched to grow jobs, build health, and protect land by promoting local farm food. Its Taste the Local Difference Wholesale site connects farms with chefs, grocers, and other wholesale buyers; its new Get Farming site matches new farmers to existing farmers or other landowners who want to sell or lease their land. So far, more than 30 area schools. The Institute is also planning a farm-to-school conference with assistance from the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District and other school partners. Scheduled for March 12 in Traverse City, it will offer workshops for cooks, food buyers, parents, teachers, students, and farmers.

Food System Economic Partnership
FSEP exists to catalyze change in the food system of Southeastern Michigan. We provide research, education and outreach with urban and rural partnerships, resulting in agricultural development opportunities, sustainable communities, and healthy local economies.