Good Food for Michigan connects Michigan farmers, growers, and food producers to schools, hospitals, and other institutions across the state to expand local and regional food markets and bring fresh food from values-aligned sources to more Michiganders.

The Good Food for Michigan Project aims to expand the number of schools, hospitals, and other institutions that purchase Michigan-grown and produced food and to showcase the robust benefits of these partnerships that boost local agricultural economies and benefit the health and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet.

By connecting Michigan’s farmers, growers, and food producers with schools, hospitals and other institutions using the power of procurement, the Good Food for Michigan project is aimed at strengthening regional food systems and equipping institutions with the resources they need to serve nutritious and locally grown foods.

By helping institutions purchase Michigan-grown foods, this program is aimed at creating new opportunities for farmers to sell locally, improve access to nourishing foods and build healthier, more resilient economies and communities.

This program was developed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and stakeholders in agriculture and education across the state. Goals of the program include:

• Increasing transparency of food purchases made by schools, hospitals, and other Michigan institutions to create awareness about the sources of food served to students, patients, and others.
• Supporting schools, hospitals, and other institutions to increase their capacity to procure and serve products grown and produced in Michigan and aligned with the Good Food Purchasing Program values of Community Health & Nutrition, Valued Workforce, Environmental Sustainability, Animal Welfare, Local & Community-Based Economies, and Equity, Accountability, & Transparency.
• Boosting local and regional food markets by increasing the demand for locally grown items because more of them are purchased by schools, hospitals, and other institutions.

The benefits of this program are enormous. In the state budget, Michigan allocated nearly $250 million to pay for breakfast and lunch in public schools. The average annual food budget at a hospital in the United States is $2.6 million — imagine capturing just a portion of that at the 140 hospitals across Michigan. An effort to redirect even some of those dollars to local producers will allow farmers to hire more workers, invest in equipment and invest more in the local economy. Every dollar spent on local food can generate nearly twice the economic activity compared to money spent on food from other states.

What is the Good Food for Michigan Project?

The Good for Michigan Project is intended to expand the number of schools, hospitals, and other institutions committed to purchasing Michigan-grown and produced food and showcase the robust benefits of these partnerships to foster interest in and demand for healthy foods and local agricultural economies in our state.

What impact will the Good Food for Michigan Project have on the state?

By helping Michigan food producers to increase their share of food supplied to institutions across the state, farmers will see demand increase for their products and those served by schools, hospitals, and other institutions will have opportunities to try locally grown items.

Which agencies are part of the Good Food for Michigan Project?

Good Food for Michigan is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, the Center for Good Food Purchasing, and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

How can my organization, school, or hospital get involved in the Good Food for Michigan Project?

To learn more on how to get involved in the Good Food for Michigan project, please contact Amy Nelms, Center for Good Food Purchasing Policy Manager, at anelms@goodfoodpurchasing.org.