Center for Regional Food Systems 10 Cents a Meal

10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms (10 Cents a Meal) is a state-funded local food purchasing incentive grant program that reimburses 50% of the cost of fresh or minimally processed Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans, used in meals and educational activities for children.  

During the 2023-2024 program, 10 Cents a Meal had the greatest reach to date in its history: 269 grantees in 66 counties that reached an estimated total of 594,000 children, in addition to over 320 food suppliers, including farmers and food hubs. 

As a matching reimbursement grant, the state’s investment into this program generates at least double the impact for Michigan farms and food vendors. This means that through $3 million in state-funded grant reimbursements during this program year, nearly $6 million in spending was reported by grantees on eligible Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans. According to the Local Food Impact Calculator, this spending yields over $10.2 million in estimated economic impact for the state. 

Although the 2023–2024 program marked record reach, the future of 10 Cents a Meal is uncertain as it remains unfunded at the state level for the 2025–2026 program year.   

10 Cents a Meal was administered by the Michigan Department of Education with support from a core team of organizational partners: Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems.  

Explore the report through the sections below: 

• Evaluation Summary of the 2023–2024 Year of 10 Cents a Meal 
• 2023-2024 10 Cents a Meal Grantees  
• 2023-2024 10 Cents a Meal Grantees and their Counties by Prosperity Region 

Additional sections of this evaluation report will be released in the coming weeks. These summaries will explore the geographic distribution of children reached, the experiences of participating food program managers, Michigan farmers and vendors supplying to grantees, Michigan-grown foods served, impacts and outcomes of the program, and more.

Suggested Citation 

Matts, C., Tsupros, M., McManus, M., and Nyerges, E. (2026). Doubling Investment and Growing Impact: 10 Cents a Meal 2023–2024 Evaluation Results. Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/10-cents-a-meal-2023-2024-evaluation-results  

Acknowledgements

Our sincere appreciation to the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms (10 Cents a Meal) grantees for their participation in the 2023–2024 program year, including completing evaluation surveys and submitting purchase information. Their hard work, care, and dedication in serving children local foods are what make this program possible, and their thoughtful feedback helps to improve it over time. 

We also wish to thank Megan Maddox and Wendy Crowley, Michigan Department of Education, and Cassandra Bull, National Farm to School Network, for their careful reviews of this report and ongoing partnership; Emma Beauchamp and Mel Hill of Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) for communications guidance; Amethyst Macelli for copyediting services; and Julia Fiorello of Happy Strategy for design.  

As always, thank you to the 10 Cents a Meal program team for their ongoing collaboration and partnership, especially the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) team for their continued leadership and vision in administering this important program. The 2023–2024 10 Cents a Meal team consisted of staff members from MDE, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and CRFS. Additionally, this program is supported by the collective impact of collaborative partners, including MSU Extension Educators. We are grateful for their dedication to supporting those involved in this program across the state. 

This evaluation was conducted through funding support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and 10 Cents a Meal’s administrative funds for organizational partners. 10 Cents a Meal and its administrative funds have been part of the annual state K–12 budget since it began as a regional pilot in 2016-2017. At the time of this writing, however, 10 Cents a Meal remains unfunded in the state budget for the 2025-2026 year. 

For more information about 10 Cents a Meal, visit tencentsmichigan.org. For more information about 10 Cents a Meal evaluation, see canr.msu.edu/10-cents-a-meal, and to learn more about farm to school in Michigan, visit mifarmtoschool.msu.edu. Contact May Tsupros, Director of Farm to Institution Programs of CRFS, at tsupros1@msu.edu or Julie Lehman, Farm to Youth Network Coordinator of CRFS, for more information. 

Evaluation Report Authors

• Colleen Matts, Assistant Director for Strategy, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University
• May Tsupros, Director, Farm to Institution Programs, Assistant Director of CRFS Programs, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University
• Megan McManus, Senior Coordinator of Research and Evaluation, Chef Ann Foundation (Previously: Farm to Institution Specialist, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University)
• Eva Nyerges, Lecturer, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky (Previously: Evaluation Specialist for the Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University)