The Michigan Legislature and governor’s office have agreed upon and signed a budget deal, and we wanted to take a moment to address that 10 Cents a Meal was not included in this year’s Michigan School Aid budget. MDE issued the following statement in its Child Nutrition Bulletin just before 3 p.m. on October 8th regarding 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms:

“Unfortunately, the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms funding for Fiscal Year 2026 (31j) was not included in the State School Aid budget. We encourage previous grantees to continue to track their expenses while avenues for continuing program funding are explored.”

Groundwork has been engaged in 10 Cents a Meal for over a decade. From its beginnings as a policy priority in the Good Food Charter, we piloted the program with a handful of schools in the Traverse City region and later advocated for its expansion and implementation on a statewide level. 10 Cents a Meal has been administered by the Michigan Department of Education with support from partners since 2016. The program has proven to be a winning solution that has shown incredible impact for Michigan children and farmers and we are disappointed it didn’t make it into the budget. While 10 Cents a Meal was not in the budget, we want to note that Michigan School Meals—which provides free breakfast and lunch—WAS funded at $201.6 million and that it is a critical win for children and schools. 

Michigan’s 10 Cents a Meal program plays a critical role in connecting farmers to stable local markets, supporting small and family-owned farms, and keeping food dollars circulating in the community. This work strengthens food security, invests in our local Michigan farmers and producers, and makes communities more resilient in the face of change. See the many impacts on our kids and agribusinesses outlined in the series of Legislative Reports.

Year after year we have worked with our implementation team partners at the Michigan Department of Education, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to continue to improve the program, communicate its value, and celebrate its success. Groundwork does not believe that the story ends here. Groundwork and our partners are staying vigilant and proactive in regards to what happens next. There are more conversations to be had about what is possible and we are actively building strategy and capacity to move forward. Groundwork remains committed to 10 Cents a Meal for the long term and in building solutions, with our partners and communities, that will last.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to this program that is so important to our farm economy and children’s health.

Jen Schaap, Food & Farming Program Director
jen.schaap@groundworkcenter.org

Elizabeth Palchak, Executive Director. elizabeth.palchak@groundworkcenter.org