Our Work

Our work spans the many people, processes, and places involved in regional food systems. Current work advances:

Food System Infrastructure, Planning and Policy

Michigan Good Food

Farm to Institution/School

Farm and Farmer Development

Find information about past areas of work at the bottom of this page.

 

Food System Infrastructure, Planning and Policy

Michigan Good Food

  • Michigan Good Food Charter

    The Michigan Good Food Charter is a roadmap for a food system that is rooted in local communities and centered on good food. The charter outlines six goals to advance the vision by 2020.

  • Michigan Good Food Charter Shared Measurement Project

    Improving understanding of the impact of good food efforts in Michigan by building capacity statewide to assess and communicate food system change.

  • Michigan Good Food Fund

    A statewide loan fund that supports good food entrepreneurs working to increase access to healthy food and spark economic opportunity in places that need it most.

Farm to Institution/School

  • 10 Cents a Meal

    10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms is a state-funded program that matches what schools spend on Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes with grants of up to 10 cents per meal.

  • Michigan Farm to ECE

    Farm to early care and education helps children and families eat more local foods.

  • Michigan Farm to ECE Network

    Helping Michigan’s children grow, choose, and eat more nutritious local food.

  • Michigan Farm to Institution Network

    Seeking new approaches to institutional food purchasing. Growing Michigan institutions’ capacity to serve local food. Expanding markets for food grown, raised and processed in Michigan.

  • Michigan Farm to School

    Sharing ideas, tools and resources to support a range of efforts to serve local foods in schools and early care and education settings.

Farm and Farmer Development

  • Farm Business Record Keeping for the Global Majority

    An online and virtual course for farmers of color to learn how to enhance cash flow, profitability, and financial performance.

  • Michigan Organic Farming Exchange

    Equipping farmers and consumers with knowledge about organic production practices and suggesting methods to successfully transition conventional production to organic.

  • Organic Farmer Training Program

    Join beginning farmers, homesteaders, educational gardeners and food system change-makers: Learn by growing food, visiting sustainable farms, and writing a business plan that fits your values, goals, land and community needs.

Past Work

  • Economic Impact Analysis of Local and Regional Food Systems

    Economists and local food system researchers convened to assess existing practices and recommend future strategies for economic analyses of local and regional food systems.

  • Financing Farming in the U.S.

    A national team of community-based lenders and farm business advisors.

  • Food and Community Connections

    A national outreach effort to cultivate environments and infrastructures for the development of equitable good food systems and healthy communities.

  • Food Innovation Districts

    A planning and economic strategy toolkit to address regional food system infrastructure needs and support the clustering of markets, food business incubators, and facilities for common storage and distribution.

  • Local Governments and Local Food Systems

    Building capacity for local government engagement in food system development through research and outreach programming.

  • MI Farm to School Grant Program

    From 2011-2018, over 20 eligible Michigan K-12 schools/districts and early care and education programs were provided mini-grants to plan for or implement farm to school programs.

  • Michigan Meat Network

    A network of livestock producers, meat processors, distributors, buyers, and food professionals looking to make business connections, find answers, and build viable markets for local and regional meat in Michigan.

  • Michigan’s Emerging Farmers

    Making farming a more prosperous, secure, and sustainable career by providing training and tools for Michigan’s beginning and emerging farmers.

  • Northwest Michigan Agriculture and Food System Sector Alliance

    Facilitating collaboration, planning, and action between stakeholders from the Northwest Lower Michigan food system, including growers, processors, preparers, packagers, distributors, servers, and retailers.

  • Season Extension Outreach

    Sharing resources, research, and other support for production, marketing, and business planning for year-round farming.

Our Work

Center for Regional Food Systems

Food System Infrastructure, Planning and Policy

Michigan Good Food

Farm to Institution/School

  • Spartans Will.
  • © Michigan State University
Michigan State University wordmark

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential.

Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707.

We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).