A Non-contentious Policy Issue Worth Chewing On

Guest Opinion

By Nathan Medina | Feb. 5, 2022

I recently had the pleasure of presenting to the 2022 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference about 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids & Farms. 10 Cents a Meal is the groundbreaking state program that provides schools and early childhood education centers with match incentive funding — up to 10 cents per meal — to purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes.  

The audience for this conference primarily included small farmers from northern Michigan, but attendees were present from across the state. I was joined for the presentation by friends from MSU Extension, Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s ValleyHub food hub, and a farmer with farm-to-school experience who talked about the ins and outs of serving local food, navigating sales/procurement, food safety, and resources available to foodservice and local farms wishing to participate in farm-to-school efforts.

For a second year, 10 Cents a Meal is available to grant recipients statewide and is an embedded part of Michigan's educational and agricultural identity. Just last year, Gov. Whitmer and State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice proclaimed the program to be a key component of the state’s Top 10 strategic education plan.

This year’s current 228 grant recipients serve a total enrollment of more than half a million children, in 55 of Michigan's 83 counties. This is an increase from 144 enrollees the previous year. Our grantees currently hail from communities stretching from the Motor City to the Keweenaw Peninsula. The grant application window was also recently reopened to allow for more school districts and early childhood education centers to apply for the current 2021-22 school year, so we’re hoping to see even more kids receive Michigan-grown food thanks to 10 Cents a Meal.

Expansion of the program has been a 360° win for Michigan farmers, distributors, and food service programs — and of course, the children who get to enjoy fresh, local, delicious, nutrient-dense produce. The economic ripple effect of the $5 million line item, more than double the funding from $2 million in the 2020-21 school year, enhances and strengthens our local food system economy at every step of the process, from planting, to harvesting, distributing, cooking, and finally ending up on a child's plate.

Recently, I and my colleagues from Groundwork, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, and the Michigan Department of Education have been going on a speaking tour of sorts — via zoom or otherwise — hitting pockets of interest in the early childcare community across Michigan. All of these sessions have served the same purpose: ensure that awareness of the program is promoted and that it remains accessible to folks in every pocket of the state.

Particularly during this time of supply chain disruptions, knowing where your food is coming from and having a direct connection to the people who grow it can pay dividends in peace of mind; this ready-made customer base of schools and early childcare centers can allow farmers to plan ahead and have a steady stream of predictable business throughout the year, which can help them plan ahead effectively for future growing seasons.

Despite a growing statewide footprint, the 10 Cents a Meal movement retains a distinct northwest and west Michigan patina as a result of its foundational years as a pilot program in these regions. That’s a wonderful tribute to the early-adopting school districts, food service directors and farms that initially took part in the salad days — pardon the pun — of the program and it's even more reflective of the leadership of Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), a long-time champion who has fought to fund 10 Cents a Meal for several budget cycles and continues to do so even in his final term in the legislature.

Now more than ever, the importance of engagement with our current and future crop of state legislators cannot be overstated. With Sen. Schmidt being termed out of office and with the current redistricting for both legislative chambers (in addition to our U.S. congressional seats), it is essential that supporters of 10 Cents a Meal share the positive stories and voice their support in this busy election year. 

Thankfully, the program is recognized as one of those unique policy areas that is non-contentious and can garner support from members of both parties, regardless of who is in power. That is a testament to the work of supporters and people on the front lines feeding kids and supporting the local food supply chain in these most challenging of times. And above all, the program’s legislative success is a testament to the truth and legitimacy of what it provides: healthy food for children and essential business for family farms.

There’s still time for your child’s school to tap into these important funds and serve local food in the cafeteria. Let your school know today that they can apply through Feb. 11. (And if your school is already using 10 Cents a Meal, write them a big ole thank-you note!)

Nathan Medina is Groundwork’s Lansing-based policy specialist.