This article first published in the Traverse City Record Ag Forum. 
A budget impasse in the Michigan Legislature means we are rapidly approaching a potential state government shutdown, and schools can’t properly plan their budgets for the year and take care of their students—including when it comes to healthy food.
“In a shutdown, no state school aid flows,” wrote State Superintendent Michael F. Rice, Ph.D, to local and intermediate school district superintendents and public school academy directors last week.
One of the healthy food programs put in peril is 10 Cents a Meal, Michigan’s local food incentive program implemented by the Michigan Department of Education. Piloted here in Traverse City and now available statewide, the program provides schools, early care and education centers, and other organizations participating in USDA Child Nutrition programs with grant funds to pay for Michigan-grown produce, including fruits, vegetables, and dry beans. The program also pays for local food transportation fees and food service labor expenses. Such fees strengthen the local food supply chain and enrich nutrition and educational experiences for children in Michigan.
10 Cents a Meal complements Universal Free Meals (known in Michigan as Michigan School Meals), which offers free breakfast and lunch to students. This means more meals served and more local food in more of those meals. Since the Michigan School Meals program was introduced in the 2024 state budget, more kids are eating breakfast (31% increase) and lunch (25% increase) at school—increasing their learning potential and physical development.
With its local food focus, 10 Cents a Meal also benefits Michigan farmers and producers by connecting them to new institutional markets to sell their products—which grows their incomes and businesses. The 2024 10 Cents a Meal Legislative Report states that the program supported over 270 farms in 60 counties across the state. An additional 51 Michigan businesses, such as distributors, processors, packers, and food hubs also benefited. But despite the tremendous value that 10 Cents a Meal brings for child health and farmer income, and the national respect the program has earned, it is dropping off the radar amid the budget chaos. A school aid shutdown would mean 10 Cents a Meal funding may not be available.
The fraught budget negotiations have already convinced some schools to cancel free meals. At Groundwork, we know of schools that have alerted parents that they are not going to offer free breakfast and lunch due to the uncertainty and are going back to requesting that parents fill out free/reduced lunch forms.
A shutdown would jeopardize schools’ state aid payments as soon as next month. Rice urged school administrators, “Please call your state representative and state senator and let them know that you, your students, your staff, and your community have begun the school year without a state budget—and what that uncertainty means for your students and district … ask a parent a day to do the same, until we have a budget that supports Michigan’s children.”
Proposed budgets from the governor, State House, and State Senate are typically in a narrow range, which means reasonable predictability regarding the final reconciled budget among the three, but this year the range is large and the outcome highly uncertain. Schools need to plan, and students deserve the most nutritious food possible. We need 10 Cents a Meal and Universal Free Meals, especially now, given the many other safety net programs at risk: Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the potential adverse impact of a roads budget plan on the school aid budget.
Join us and show support for the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms Program and request that as the Michigan Legislature reconciles, they maintain this critical program in the Michigan State Budget. By signing and sending the letter at the link below, you can show your support for a strong local food system, farmers across the state, and our children. Access the letter at groundworkcenter.org/10-cents-a-meal-action-alert-2025/
When you contact legislators, include 10 Cents a Meal and free breakfast and lunch in your statement. Both are at risk of being cut. This affects Michigan farmers, K-12 students and also the little ones in early care.
Please do what you can. We know there’s a lot going on right now, but our kids and farmers are worth fighting for.
Christina Barkel is the Food Access Specialist at Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. Jennifer Schaap is the Food & Farming Program Director at Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.
Christina Barkel is Groundwork’s Food Access Specialist. christina.barkel@groundworkcenter.org
Jen Schaap is Groundwork’s Food & Farming Program Director. jen.schaap@groundworkcenter.org
