Center for Regional Food Systems

Resources

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  2022-2023 Cultivate Michigan Marketplace Series Evaluation Report

  Published on June 4, 2024
  The Cultivate Michigan Marketplace events provided opportunities for local and regional food suppliers and institutional food service buyers to network and connect around local food.

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  Small Potatoes, Big Impact: Michigan Farm to School Potato Processing Partnership Case Study

  Published on June 4, 2024
  Michigan State University Extension supported the development of a potato processing program at Montague Public Schools.

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  Homegrown in the Aisles: Shopping Local at Your Grocery Store

  Published on June 3, 2024
  Purchasing local food for early care education providers can be as simple as going to the grocery store with these tips.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: An Introduction to Incentives

  Published on May 29, 2024
  Learn the basics of Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs) that provide additional funding to child nutrition programs or incentivize local food purchases.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: The Benefits of Local Food Purchasing Incentives

  Published on May 29, 2024
  Local Food Purchasing Incentive programs can be an effective policy tool to increase educational experiences for children, support local farmers, and nourish communities, making them a vital catalyst in the ongoing success of the farm to school movement.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: Program Development Considerations and Team Planning Guide

  Published on May 29, 2024
  The purpose of this resource is to provide Local Food Purchasing Incentive program designers and stakeholders with essential questions to create programs, or modify elements of existing programs.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: Program Administration

  Published on May 29, 2024
  This resource illustrates various aspects of Local Food Purchasing Incentive (LFPI) administration, showcases examples of collaboration, and addresses common challenges faced by administrators.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: An Introduction to State-Level Policies to Support Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Since 2020

  Published on May 29, 2024
  State-level policies play a pivotal role in bolstering local food purchasing within educational institutions, primarily K–12 school and early care and education (ECE) settings.

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  Expanded Local Food Purchasing Incentives: Programs that Reimburse More Than Local Food

  Published on May 29, 2024
  A key distinguishing factor among Local Food Purchasing Incentives is their focus on incentivizing specific types of foods or nonfood products, a decision that significantly impacts various agricultural sectors and the overall accessibility of the program.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: Incorporating Additional Values

  Published on May 29, 2024
  As interest continues to rise in local food purchasing incentive (LFPI) policies, the conversations around them are expanding beyond prioritizing purchases based simply on whether they are “local” foods.

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  Farm to School Local Food Purchasing Incentives: What if States Funded Farmers to sell to Schools?

  Published on May 29, 2024
  This resource considers alternative ways that policymakers can directly subsidize local farmers, food hubs, and other producers to increase their sales to K–12 schools and early care and educational (ECE) settings.

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  The Farmer in the Dell: Connecting with a Local Grower

  Published on May 17, 2024
  Connect your ECE site to local growers using these tips, strategies, and resources to increase access to nutrient-dense, local foods.

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  Kent County Food Policy Council: Great Grocer Project

  Published on May 7, 2024
  This case study from the Michigan Local Food Council Network is focused on the organizing efforts of the Kent County Food Policy Council (Kent County FPC) who participated in the Policy Advocacy Learning Cohort.

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  Ottawa Food: Community Advocates

  Published on May 7, 2024
  This case study from the Michigan Local Food Council Network is focused on the organizing efforts of Ottawa who participated in the Policy Advocacy Learning Cohort.

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  2018 Farm Bill Advocacy with the Detroit Food Policy Council

  Published on May 7, 2024
  This case study from the Michigan Local Food Council Network is focused on the Detroit Food Policy Council’s efforts to support 2018 Farm Bill advocacy.

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  A Call to Redistribute Resources and Power: Race Equity Dialogue in the Agrifood Business Space Webinar

  Published on May 2, 2024
  A REFS webinar which focuses on race equity-centered dialogue on the agrifood business space and discusses recommendations put forth by the USDA Equity Commission.

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  Directory of Michigan Local Food Councils

  Published on May 1, 2024
  Use this directory to connect with Michigan local food councils and food policy councils.

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  Michigan Local Food Councils Map

  Published on May 1, 2024
  This map, updated in early 2024, shows Michigan local food councils and their coverage area in the state.

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  MFIN Virtual Network Meeting: Sustainable Procurement at the Institutional Level

  Published on April 9, 2024
  A recording of the MFIN Virtual Network Meeting focused on how institutions can leverage their purchasing power to help advance sustainability in food service.

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  10 Cents a Meal for Michigan's Kids and Farms 2022-2023 Legislative Report

  Published on March 6, 2024
  Every year, the Michigan Department of Education submits a report to the state legislature about 10 Cents a Meal, to which 10 Cents a Meal partners contribute. This report shares information about the impacts of the 10 Cents a Meal program in 2022-2023.