Center for Good Food Purchasing

Bendle Public Schools is one of the first Michigan institutions to receive a Good Food for Michigan Project grant! These grants will enable institutions across Michigan to serve more fresh, nutritious Michigan food!
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD
Center for Good Food Purchasing
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems
Read more about our project:
https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/bendle-public-schools-mi/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRu_PVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwQzlkOUZyQUFZU0RQcnFEc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqxETt3xVOKUdQ8xTrZEDIlW6wVpH7_6rH1dPTZafjO8wdGbLD_i3mFsFGsu_aem_FV-SWKFBVGjukUDqf-axSQ

Good Food is a win for students, farmers and communities in Michigan | Opinion Bendle Public Schools is among the first to receive a grant from the Good Food for Michigan Project, bringing fresh, local food to students.

“The Good Food Program is helping develop a predictable market for Michigan farmers so that they can thrive during a turbulent time for the agriculture industry. Connecting farmers in our state to the people who live, work and play here helps all Michiganders.”
- Kelly McClelland Horton, educator for Extension community food systems in Genesee County, on Good Food’s efforts to get Michigan food served in our cafeterias at Bendle Public Schools and at institutions across the state.

Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems Center for Good Food Purchasing
Read more:
https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/good-food-for-michigan/

The Good Food for Michigan Project will help ensure more fresh, Michigan food gets to seniors in the Upper Peninsula!

Thank you Chippewa-Luce-Mackinac Community Action Agency for joining our Good Food mission to connect Michigan institutions with Michigan food.

Read about our new program: https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/clmcaa-upper-peninsula-mi-award/

Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD
Center for Good Food Purchasing
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Sign up for the Good Food for Michigan Newsletter!

https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/good-food-for-michigan/ -mi)

You can learn about our efforts to get Michigan grown food into Michigan institutions. Center for Good Food Purchasing Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Students can be healthier and more ready to learn with bellies full of fresh Michigan food!
Thank you Bendle Public Schools for being among the first recipients of a new grant program focused on getting more locally grown food to schools, hospitals and other institutions that feed thousands of Michiganders through the Good Food for Michigan Project.

Learn more: https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/bendle-public-schools-mi/
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD
Center for Good Food Purchasing
MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

🍊 The Center for Good Food Purchasing and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) are collaborating on an upcoming free online webinar series all about good food! CA institutions and food producers are invited to join us on 5/26 during our first webinar in the series to explore how to get more local fruits and vegetables in institutions when kitchens are set up for pre-processed produce.

🗓️ Tuesday, May 26, 2-3 PST
📝 Register at bit.ly/GFCA-Spring26Webinar

🥬 Are you a food service director who wants to source local lettuce, but don’t know how to get it chopped?

👩‍🌾 Are you a farmer who wants to sell to schools, but the district is asking for pre-processed tomatoes instead of fresh?

💡 Hear from Dré Maher from Nevada City School of the Arts, Michael Jochner from Morgan Hill USD, and Barbara Jellison from West Contra Costa USD about their unique approaches to solving these challenges: bit.ly/GFCA-Spring26Webinar

Get to know Michigan Impact Manager Melanie Tran and learn more about the Good Food for Michigan Project by checking out her Q&A with May Tsupros of MSU Center for Regional Food Systems!

To stay in the know, follow Good Food for Michigan Project and sign up for the project mailing list via our website ➡️ https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/good-food-for-michigan/ -mi

Meet Melanie Tran, Michigan Impact Manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing and learn more about the Good Food for Michigan Project.

Focused on expanding local, values‑based food procurement by Michigan institutions, the project strengthens community health, supports local farmers, and advances the Michigan Good Food Charter. In March 2026, May Tsupros of CRFS connected with Melanie to discuss the work ahead and their continued collaboration across Michigan’s food system.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/q-a-with-the-center-for-good-food-purchasing

📢 GOOD FOOD OPERATORS LEARNING SESSION: THURS. 4/16, 1PM PDT

Good Food Operators are invited to join the Center for a free online learning session on Thursday, April 16, to chat and workshop about storytelling. We’re looking forward to digging into the stories you want to share with the world, what’s working for you (and what’s not), and how we can spark interest and drive engagement together.

🍊 For more info and to sign up, please contact Jon Polley, Senior Program Manager.

Welcome to the Center, Tiana Josephine Zuniga! 🎉

Tiana has joined the Center as Operations Assistant, providing essential administrative support to our core mission team and staff and enabling smooth day-to-day functioning of the organization. Please join us in giving Tiana a warm welcome!