Michigan Law hampers Farm-to-School Efforts

Michigan limits the amount of money schools can spend on local farm foods, according to an article by Beth Collins, local chef and school food service consultant. This obstacle was a hot topic at last week's Farm to School: Healthy Kids, Thriving Farms conference in Traverse City.

Collins writes:

The Michigan Board of Education effectively caps at just under $20,000 the amount of money that schools can spend on local farm foods. Any more than that, and schools must put themselves and local food suppliers through the bureaucratic nightmare of federal competitive bidding procedures....

Most disheartening about Michigan's cap is that most other states set their "small purchases threshold" five times as high. These states follow the federal government's recommended threshold of $100,000 and, therefore, provide more room for schools to purchase directly from local farms. In fact, federal regulators suggest schools start their farm-to-school efforts within this $100,000 small purchases threshold.

More than 300 people attended the conference aimed at helping school administrators, food service workers, teachers, and students prepare and serve fresher, healthier food at schools and camps. See the Farm to School web site for more information about the program, spearheaded by the Michigan Land Use Institute.

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