Michigan agriculture, education officials join Dearborn Public Schools leaders to highlight local food purchasing

MDARD’s Good Food for Michigan Project grant helping DPS increase local food for students, strengthen connections with farmers, food suppliers

DEARBORN, Mich. — State officials from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Office of Nutrition Services visited Dearborn Public Schools on Wednesday to celebrate the district’s work to bring more locally grown food to students through the Good Food for Michigan Project.

Dearborn Public Schools, the third-largest school district in the state, serves about 20,000 students at more than 30 sites and provides more than 3 million meals each year. The district recently received a Good Food for Michigan grant to offer students more food grown and produced in the state.

“This partnership provides two opportunities: Supporting Michigan farmers by creating strong and dependable markets for the food they grow and investing in Michigan students by ensuring they have access to healthier food during their school day,” said Tim Boring, director of MDARD. “Schools, hospitals and other institutions have tremendous purchasing power. When they buy Michigan-grown food, they are creating demand for our farmers and contributing to healthier communities.”

Boring joined Dr. Deanne Kelleher, director of the Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services, and Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Mike Esseily on Wednesday at Henry Ford Early College to celebrate the start of a new school year and the district’s recent grant from the Good Food for Michigan Project.

“We have a great opportunity to look at our food purchasing practices through a different lens and see where we can offer more Michigan-grown and produced food,” Esseily said. “Good nutrition is the foundation of a great education. With the help of the Good Food for Michigan Project, we are taking a big step toward offering more locally grown and produced food.”

Dearborn Public Schools received a $460,565 grant and support services from the Good Food for Michigan Project to increase the amount of Michigan-grown and produced foods it serves at more than 30 sites across the district. The investment also will help the district to further develop relationships with farmers and food suppliers in the region.

Dearborn Public Schools partners with Southwest Food Excellence, a national company that specializes in culinary services for schools, for their school meal programs. They will work together to increase the volume of healthy Michigan food served at Dearborn and boost the district’s capacity to partner with Michigan farmers.

The Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services works with schools and child nutrition programs to provide healthy meals to Michigan children and help connect schools with Michigan farmers and food suppliers. Its Farm to Program Directory helps schools and other child nutrition programs identify suppliers of Michigan-grown food.

“School meals are an important part of the school day for Michigan children, and school nutrition professionals play an essential role in making sure students have the food they need to learn, grow and thrive,” Kelleher said. “When schools buy more Michigan-grown food, they support that mission and connect students with local farmers and food producers.”

The Good Food for Michigan Project’s partnerships with schools, hospitals, and grower networks build upon a foundation for food system transformation established by leaders like MDARD and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

This summer, the project unveiled the Good Food for Michigan pledge, which allows organizations and institutions to publicly commit to Good Food Purchasing, connect with the Good Food for Michigan Project’s network, and take steps that fit their current capacity and goals. Since that announcement, nearly three dozen Good Food Buyers, Good Food Suppliers, and Good Food Champions, have signed the pledge.

Together they represent schools, hospitals, community organizations, businesses, and other Michiganders who want to bring more Good Food Purchasing into their communities.

“With nearly three dozen organizations and individuals signing the pledge, we are seeing a high interest from Michiganders who want to buy more local food and learn about Good Food Purchasing,’ said Melanie Tran, the Michigan Impact Manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing. “We are excited to continue taking steps toward putting more Michigan-grown food on tables across the state.”

The Good Food for Michigan pledge map shows the location of pledge signers across the state and it will be updated as more Michigan organizations sign the pledge. Organizations and individuals interested in becoming part of the effort can learn more about Good Food for Michigan and sign the Good Food for Michigan pledge on the website.

Mike Esseily, superintendent of Dearborn Public Schools; Dr. Deanne Kelleher, director of the Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services; Melanie Tran, Michigan impact manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing; and Dr. Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development celebrate Dearborn Public Schools' work to bring more locally grown food to students through the Good Food for Michigan project.
Dearborn Public Schools hosted a press conference on Wednesday to celebrate the district’s work to bring more locally grown food to students through the Good Food for Michigan Project. From left to right: Mike Esseily, superintendent of Dearborn Public Schools; Dr. Deanne Kelleher, director of the Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services; Melanie Tran, Michigan impact manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing; Dr. Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.