Center for Regional Food Systems Michigan Farm to Institution Network

The Michigan Food Hub Network is a group of regional food distributors across the state of Michigan dedicated to supporting the growth and success of our state's local food economy. Members of this network represent food hubs, which are defined as businesses that aggregate, distribute, and market locally and regionally produced foods, often selling direct to consumers or through wholesale markets including schools, hospitals, and other institutions. 

The Michigan Food Hub Network, or Network, was organized and launched in 2012 by former Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) Director, Rich Pirog, in response to a set of challenges and possibilities, to increase market opportunities for farmers, increase local food commerce with larger-volume food buyers, and build capacity for hubs to supply healthy food to historically marginalized Michigan communities. Shortly after Pirog launched the Network, Noel Bielaczyc took over leadership, creating new relationships and support for Michigan food hubs. With local food purchasing incentive programs like 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan Kids and Farms and the USDA Local Food Purchasing Agreement, food hubs began filling an important role in connecting local food to schools. These initiatives supported a massive expansion of food hubs, bringing today's total to 40 across Michigan. In 2024, Sam Stokes began leadership of the Network and in July 2025, Jamie Rahrig of CRFS and Lewis Hughes of MSU Extension stepped in as co-coordinators of the Network. 

Since its inception, the overall goal of the Network has been to build the capacity of Michigan food hubs to successfully work with public and private partners to meet their business goals, which in many cases includes more effective and efficient ways to supply healthy food to low-income communities in the state. Rahrig and Hughes are currently in a collaborative process to develop a strategic plan for the next five years of the Network.  

In November 2025, CRFS Michigan Farm to Institution colleagues Julie Lehman and May Tsupros sat down with Rahrig and Hughes to learn more. 

Lewis and Jamie, tell us about yourselves. What should people across the food system know about you and your passion around Food Hubs, Networks, and value chain coordination work? 

Hughes: My path through the food system has been shaped by a mix of hands-on experience and academic exploration where I have focused on the cultural, economic, and logistical aspects of food production and distribution. Over the past decade, I’ve worked across many links in the value chain—from managing organic farms and regional food hubs to coordinating local food programs and grant-funded initiatives throughout the U.S. These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for the complexity of food systems and the importance of building equitable, resilient networks that connect producers, distributors, and consumers in meaningful ways. 

What drives my work at MSU Extension is the transformative potential of regional food producers, aggregators, and distributors to make local food a viable, sustainable option for institutions, retailers, and communities. Whether guiding farmers through wholesale readiness, developing new trade routes, or strategizing funding models, my role in coordinating the Michigan Food Hub Network is about facilitating systems that work today and will stand up to the shifting economic landscape for years to come. 

Rahrig: As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, it has always been important to me to focus my career on bringing healthy foods to communities. From writing, implementing and evaluating nutrition education programs, to coordinating assistance to support food and farm business across the Midwest, I enjoy working collaboratively with community partners to bring equitable and innovative strategies for food systems change.  

I came into my position at MSU with the idea that if we could make the healthy choice the easy choice, we would all have better access to healthy and local foods in our stores, schools, and other places where we eat. Little did I know when I started that so many food entrepreneurs and farmers shared this same vision! Coordinating the Michigan Food Hub Network with a values-based approach and getting the hubs the resources they need to thrive will be one way to get more healthy foods to our communities.  

Why is a partnership between CRFS and MSU Extension such a powerful partnership for this moment in time?  

Hughes: The Michigan Food Hub Network has a long history of collaborating. Bringing together CRFS and MSU Extension is especially important for this moment with national conversations on resiliency, supply chains, and securing our country’s food supply. Food hubs and other food aggregators and distributors play a critical role in ensuring we have a strong and resilient value chain!  

By partnering, we can combine both institutional and hands-on knowledge of the two organizations. The experience and skillset that I bring with my background in farming and food distribution, combined with Jamie’s background in entrepreneurship, project management, and evaluation, were a great way to continue coordination of the Network.  

MSU Extension has a team of dedicated community food systems and food business professionals, of which both Jamie and I are members, which supports Michigan’s food and farm ecosystems. Our experience and connections with the MSUE and Product Center team will be additional drivers to support food hubs, farm stops, food clubs and other members of the Network moving forward.  

The food system is always dynamic and evolving. What focused efforts do you see having the most potential in our Michigan food system right now?  

Rahrig: Across the country, demand for locally produced foods is growing. At the same time, there is an increasing need for systems that aggregate and distribute farm products, making more locally and regionally sourced foods available to institutional markets. The Michigan Food Hub Network is a mature network of hubs, many who have been in business for more than five years, while others are just launching their business. This means that the need for tailored assistance will be all the more important to support the demand for local food and customized support for this mature and budding Network of hubs. 

Over thirty percent of the hubs who completed our recent assessment are selling to K-12 schools. Another 33% want to sell to more schools, and 25% are seeking to sell to more colleges and universities. We see both a variety and depth of products that the hubs can distribute. What will be important as we move the Network forward is to learn what our opportunities for network engagement are. 

Where have you seen or where do you anticipate challenges in Michigan’s Food System right now and how does that connect to historical challenges? 

Rahrig: One challenge we are seeing nationally is that many hubs are relying on grant funding to support their organizations. Now with the unfunding of several federal and state programs that were getting farm products into institutions that serve seniors and schools, funding to support local food supply chains is always top of mind.   

Hughes: Another issue affecting Michigan is the lack of statewide distribution networks. Michigan has a large amount of locally produced products that leave the state or go unsold due to a lack of coordination between producers, distributors, and buyers. Food hubs, farm stops, food clubs, and co-ops can play a key role in building Michigan producers' capacities for accessing wider market opportunities, including institutional sales, and the Michigan Food Hub Network can help facilitate these relationships. 

Can you give us a glimpse of some exciting stuff on the horizon with the network coming in 2026?  

Rahrig: We are excited to work more with the Michigan Food Hub Network to promote the idea of more synchronized food distribution across the state and even into other states. We plan to develop a multi-year strategic plan with hubs and statewide partners to support their vision for Michigan.  

In the 2025 assessment, the hubs stated they would like to work with more K-12 schools, which is a great way for the Michigan Farm to Institution Network to engage further with the hubs! 

We are already planning to reconvene the Michigan Food Hub Network with more virtual and in-person meetings that will include additional technical assistance to the hubs. There is an interest in developing small working groups to focus on logistics, a trade network, producer readiness, and food as medicine.  

Any final thoughts or words? 

Rahrig: We are committed to supporting the hubs across our state and building up the Network. If you would like to strategize ways to support food hubs or get more locally produced foods into your institutions, please reach out! 

About Michigan Farm to Institution Network  

The Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) helps people across the farm to institution supply chain learn, connect, and collaborate. Since 2014, we have provided a space for learning, sharing, and working together to help farm to institution programs grow in Michigan.  Learn more: mifarmtoinstitution.org  

About Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems 

The Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems advances regionally-rooted food systems through applied research, education, and outreach. We do this by uniting the knowledge and experience of diverse stakeholders with that of MSU faculty and staff. Our work fosters a thriving economy, equity, and sustainability for Michigan, the nation, and the planet by advancing systems that produce food that is healthy, green, fair, and affordable. Learn more: foodsystems.msu.edu