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 Food Business Development

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

 

Food System Infrastructure, Planning and Policy

  • Food Systems Partners Investing in Communities and Entrepreneurs

    This program brought together food systems stakeholders to strengthen the viability, resilience, and equity of Michigan regional food economies.

  • Michigan Food Hub Network

    The Michigan Food Hub Network brings food hubs together to create something larger than the sum of its parts: A network of regional food distributors across the state dedicated to supporting the growth and success of Michigan’s local food economy.

  • Michigan Local and Regional Food System Workforce Assessment

    Michigan’s local and regional food sector is important to the state’s economy. Does Michigan have the workforce to sustain and grow this system?

  • Michigan Local Food Council Network

    Convening and engaging food councils through peer-to-peer learning to build individual and collective capacity, address food and food policy issues, and engage communities.

  • National Food Hub Survey

    The National Food Hub Survey seeks data on the economic growth, activities, opportunities and challenges of food hubs and similar businesses across the United States.

  • Racial Equity in the Food System Workgroup

    A community of Cooperative Extension professionals and community stakeholders who connect, learn and collaborate to facilitate change within our institutions and society to build racial equity within the food system.

Michigan Good Food

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 and other non-school sponsors spend on Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans with grants.

  • 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 Food Business Development

  • Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center

    The Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center will coordinate a network of technical assistance providers that are dedicated to the success of small to mid-sized farm and food businesses across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

  • Michigan Incubator Kitchen Network

    The Michigan Incubator Kitchen Network (MIKN) supports shared use commercial kitchens and their communities of food business entrepreneurs.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Food Systems Partners Investing in Communities and Entrepreneurs

    This program brought together food systems stakeholders to strengthen the viability, resilience, and equity of Michigan regional food economies.

  • 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 70 K-12 schools/districts and early care and education programs received over $200,000 in grant awards to increase the amount of local foods purchased and served in food programs serving Michigan children.

  • Michigan Food Hub Learning and Innovation Network

    Providing development and leadership expertise for Michigan businesses that facilitate the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of local and regional food products.

  • 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 Organic Farming Exchange

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Season Extension Outreach

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

Center for Regional Food Systems

Food System Infrastructure, Planning and Policy

Farm and Food Business Development

Farm to Institution/School