The Michigan budget for 2026 was recently reconciled in the legislative houses of the state – and while there were some wins, such as the passage of universal free school meals, there were cuts to be aware of as eaters, such as the 10 Cents a Meal program. To learn more, we checked in with Jen Schaap, Food and Farming Program Director of Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, which was a critical player in piloting the successful program. See our interview below:
TLD: Introduce us to 10 Cents a Meal! What is the basic concept of this initiative? How did it get started and grow?
Jen Schaap: 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms was born out of the 2010 Michigan Good Food Charter, which is our state’s guide for creating and sustaining good food systems rooted in Michigan communities — there’s an updated 2022 version as well. The creation of the charter is a collaborative process involving representatives from Michigan agriculture, food, health, education, and governmental organizations. It’s meant to be a tool for collective action across the many dedicated organizations in our state. The collaborators identified that schools had barriers to purchasing local food. The 10 Cents a Meal grant program reduces that barrier and is a supplement to existing school meal funds, and helps schools and early care education centers purchase Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans. Other organizations that participate in USDA Child Nutrition programs are eligible as well. The grant funding also pays for some of the local food transportation fees and food service labor expenses. Supporting all of these pieces strengthens the local food supply chain and enriches nutrition and educational experiences for children in Michigan. Groundwork piloted the idea in 2013 with just a few schools in Northwest Lower Michigan using private funding, and, through collaborative efforts with MSU’s Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), grew into new Prosperity Regions across the state and eventually became statewide and is now implemented by the Michigan Department of Education. It went from a $250,000 state pilot in 2016 to a $4.5 million effort in 2025 through legislative support and lots of advocacy. It’s been streamlined to allow funds to be used beyond meals, for critical pieces to get kids invested, like taste tests, and this last year, to include the labor and transportation pieces, also critical to maximizing the funds, and still major barriers to scratch cooking and delivery. The latest data shows that grantees served over 590,000 children in 66 of Michigan’s 83 counties.
While free breakfast and lunch for school children did make it into the budget this year, 10 Cents a Meal did not. How will those free meals look different without this funding?
JS: It’s quite a relief that our state’s version of universal free meals, known as Michigan School Meals, made it back into the 2026 School Aid Budget that was just signed in October. It’s widely known that kids learn better in school when they’ve eaten. While this piece of the puzzle is essential, the plate is not complete. It’s a huge missed opportunity. With 10 Cents a Meal, the tray would include meals made with local fruits, vegetables, and dry beans. Without the program, tomatoes used in meals will likely be gas-ripened vs vine-ripened. Peaches will be in a plastic sealed container in syrup. Salad will likely come chopped and vacuum sealed, and will be iceberg lettuce vs a varied mixed green grown locally. Variety will suffer. So that means macro and micro nutrients are lost. It’s juice over whole fruits. Local food can also offer culturally relevant foods instead of the generic items coming from afar through a broadline distributor. Think coleslaw with collards and brussels sprouts vs the typical blends. Michigan has so much to offer as a state that can grow the second most diverse set of crops next to California. Fresh pears, broccoli, peas, and so many colors and kinds of peppers!
What is the impact on farmers who participate in farm-to-school efforts?
JS: Grantees purchased more than 60 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and dry beans grown by over 270 farms in 60 counties, according to purchase submissions. An additional 51 businesses, such as distributors, processors, packers, and food hubs, were impacted. The school matches the grant amount, so what the farmers receive is DOUBLE the amount of the award a school receives. This past year, that meant approximately $7 million in the pockets of farmers who work so hard to feed their communities. The program allows another channel for farmers to include in the mix of sales, and also throughout the winter for some of those storage crops like apples, carrots, squash, onions, and potatoes. That money continues to circulate in the communities as local dollars as well.
What’s next? How does 10 Cents a Meal move forward?
JS: With grit and determination, strong partners and community voices! We have heard that some legislators are still unaware that it did not make it into the School Aid Budget. First, we and our partners are making sure that legislators DO know that it was in fact, cut, and that they understand the hole this leaves for schools that want healthy kids and farms that need diverse income streams. The 2027 budget process is starting too, so Groundwork and our partners will stay engaged as things move forward. Such a small investment has made a huge impact. If you are a data fan and want to get in the weeds, the evaluation partners at MSU CRFS gathered and analyzed the data for each year’s legislative report. You can see the list of schools and the number of kids that have benefited, the number of farms, and more.
How can concerned community members stay informed and/or make a difference?
JS: JOIN US! We have a 10 Cents a Meal Advocacy Toolkit ready to launch on 11/10/25 that will have everything you might need to take a step toward getting this back. November is the month to take action, so please do and share with your community. If you have questions or thoughts, please reach out to Groundwork. We’re an email or phone call away. Visit groundworkcenter.org/10-cents-a-meal/ to learn more.