MDARD’s new Good Food for Michigan Project awards grant to U.P. initiative to bring locally grown food to seniors

Upper Peninsula community advocate among first recipients of new ag initiative to bring Michigan-grown food to local institutions, schools

SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. — The Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency (CLMCAA) in the Upper Peninsula is among the first grant recipients of a new Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Department (MDARD) program focused on bringing more locally grown food to schools, hospitals and other institutions.

Through the new Good Food for Michigan Project, CLMCAA will receive a grant of more than $16,000 as well as support services to increase the amount of Michigan-grown and produced foods served at senior nutrition sites and in their meals on wheels program. The investment also will help the organization further develop relationships with farmers in the region.

CLMCAA, which has more than 60 years of service working to address poverty in the eastern U.P., serves about 165,000 meals a year to seniors through its network of 14 senior nutrition centers.

“This investment from the Good Food for Michigan Project will help us accomplish a long-term goal: provide more fresh, nutritious food to our local seniors,” said Marcey Thorne, senior services director at CLMCAA. “Our team often receives perishable items, including lettuce and milk, that are either expired or just a few days from expiring. With support from this new MDARD program, we’ll be able to access our local grower network to source more food used in meals for seniors in our community.”

The Good Food for Michigan Project, a partnership between the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Department (MDARD), the Center for Good Food Purchasing, and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems is the result of collaboration between state agriculture officials, farmers and community groups.

“This initiative is another great opportunity to tap into our state’s rich agricultural heritage and better connect our farmers to schools, hospitals and more,” said Dr. Tim Boring, the director of MDARD. “Bringing locally grown food to more groups and institutions is a win-win – helping both our farmers and our communities across the state.”

Institutions selected for participation will collaborate with Good Food for Michigan Project partners to invest in local and regional food markets by improving transparency of their food purchasing and increasing procurement of food that is locally sourced, healthy, fair to farmers and workers, and produced using sustainable and humane practices.

The grant also will help identify opportunities for local sourcing across the U.P. that can benefit other senior nutrition centers working with the Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP), said Melanie Tran, the Michigan Impact Manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing.

“The CLMCAA is doing incredible work in the U.P., and this collaboration will help make even more connections to local farmers and increase the fresh food offerings in its senior meal programs,” Tran said. “Our work together will position CLMCAA as a Good Food hub in the region, piloting sourcing strategies and coordinating with peers to encourage others to increase the volume of Michigan-grown foods they use and serve.”

“We are looking forward to working with the CLMCAA team to bring more Michigan-grown food to plates across the eastern Upper Peninsula,” said Tammy Rosa, UPCAP nutrition program manager. “This program benefits our seniors as well as our local farmers who will see higher demand for their products and know that their efforts are helping to feed their friends and neighbors.”

The Good Food for Michigan Project complements other innovative MDARD programs focused on strengthening regional food systems. Additional information is on the Good Food for Michigan Project website.