MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Kudos to Michigan State University Extension, Partridge Creek Farm, and Marquette-Alger RESA for hosting an excellent Central UP Farm to School Institute last month!

"It was awesome to be in the room with outstanding educators and food service directors that are bringing local, nutrient-dense food to youth across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan," shared Julie Lehman, Farm to Youth Network Coordinator.

One month remaining in the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund 2026 grant application window.

Applications are open to:
Native-led and Native-serving 501c3 organizations & collectives across the U.S. and its territories
Federally and state-recognized Tribal Nations, and their affiliated/sponsored/chartered entities and governmental programs or initiatives
Fiscally sponsored projects of a 501c3 organization that are Native-led and/or Native-serving

Learn more:

The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund: 2026 Grant Applications Now Open! Native Americans in Philanthropy, Newman’s Own Foundation, and Novo Nordisk are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2025 Indigenous Tomorrows Fund (ITF) grants.

Launched as one of the first state-funded local food purchasing incentive programs in 2016, 10 Cents a Meal has long stood out nationwide. Cassandra Bull of the National Farm to School Network has outlined the eight key design elements that distinguish 10 Cents a Meal from other programs.

Check them out here! https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/innovative-design-elements-that-stand-out-nationwide

Applications for American Farmland Trust’s Brighter Future Fund grants are now open through June 18!

The 2026 National Farm Viability Grants fund projects up to $10,000.

Eligible project types include professional services, equipment, or infrastructure toward:
▪️ Pursuing secure land tenure, farmland acquisition, land transfer or succession planning
▪️ Implementing regenerative farming practices
▪️ Improving business operations and financial stability

Learn more and apply at farmland.org/bff-national.

Congrats to the organizations in our region, including 3 from Indiana, that were just awarded the 2026 grant from the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub to bring their locally driven, innovative school food project ideas to reality.

Their projects will help strengthen our local agriculture; boost economies; and ensure school food is more local, nourishing, and loved.

InnovateSchoolFood.org

Great to see MIFMA and CRFS together at the first annual Food is Medicine Conference. Go team Michigan!

Through a step by step set of instructions, this new resource from , Methodology for Power Mapping for your Community’s Food System, can used to help groups identify players and influences within a community’s food system.

Link in comments!

Register now for Root Shock & Resistance: Rural Black Land Loss and Mobilization for Restoration — a virtual seminar on Thursday, June 18, 7 PM EST. Learn from a panel of farmers, food activists, and people’s scholars who will discuss centuries of Black land theft, the resulting root shock, and today’s fight for restoration.

Tickets are pay-what-you-can and all proceeds will be donated to Black farmers organizations.

🔗Registration link in the comments.

This event is sponsored by the University of Orange, Agroecology and Rural Economics Research Corps, and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

The Michigan Local Food Council Network (MLFCN) brings food councils together for peer-to-peer learning, building capacity, addressing food and food policy issues, and engaging communities across Michigan.

Join us for the June MLFCN meeting on Thursday, June 18 at 10:00 AM!

Link in the comments!

We are honored to celebrate Rachel Kelly, Senior Resource and Research Development Specialist, on her 10-year work anniversary with the Center for Regional Food Systems! 🎉

Rachel is a thoughtful and steady leader whose insight shapes so much of our work. As the lead for An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System, Eleventh Edition, she has helped guide national conversations on racial equity. Closer to home, she co-leads the Michigan Local Food Council Network and has supported the network since 2016. Her steady hand has been crucial to the ongoing work being done for Michigan Good Food, including work on the first Initiative, the 2018 Summit, and the most recent Good Food Charter.

Thank you, Rachel, for a decade of dedication and impact. We are so grateful for all you bring to this work.