Where you live shouldn’t dictate whether you have access to fresh, nutritious foods, but for 1.8 million Michiganders – including 300,000 children – it does.
The consequences of food insecurity are staggering. In Michigan, one in four children suffer from hunger, and many more lack access to fresh foods. They must rely on processed foods which cause obesity and a host of health issues including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
In a state with 10 million acres of farmland and the nation’s second-highest diversity of food crops, we can fix this problem by passing policies that support sustainable agriculture and by creating programs that connect farmers with nearby neighbors in need of fresh fruits and vegetables.
10 Cents a Meal
This state-funded program powered by MEC member group Groundwork Center provides schools and early childhood education centers with match incentive funding up to 10 cents per meal to purchase and serve fruits, vegetables and legumes grown nearby. It serves some 402,000 children across 52 of Michigan's 83 counties, keeping both kids and local economies healthy.
Sustainable Agriculture
MEC program director Tom Zimnicki is a board member for Michigan Agriculture Advancement, which promotes policies and investments best for a strong agricultural system, like crop rotations for healthy soil and fertilizer management for healthy water.
It also works to empower farmers by creating networks that allow them to learn from one another and to find local and state markets best for them.
How We Work
- With member Groundwork Center’s 10 Cents a Meal program
- Through Engagement Director Sandra Turner-Handy's appointment to the Detroit Food Policy Council
- Through Program Director Tom Zimnicki’s appointment to Michigan Agriculture Advancement
- Through Program Director Tina Reynolds’ appointment to Healthy Kids Healthy Michigan
- As always, with our member groups
- As always, at the Capitol
