LANSING - State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) today voted for a bipartisan plan to create farm-to-school initiatives that will help make fresh, locally grown foods available in school cafeterias.
"Making stronger connections between Thumb-area farmers' products and our schools is good for our kids and our economy," said Brown, a member of the House Agriculture Committee and co-sponsor of the plan. "This plan enables our schools to be partners in helping our farmers thrive and creating jobs in our own communities. It gives our schools the ability to buy the freshest, most nutritious foods for our students, and keeping them healthy is a goal we all support."
The bipartisan plan passed by the House will:
Raise school districts' small-purchasing threshold to $100,000, giving them the flexibility needed to enhance their ability to buy and serve fresh, locally grown products.
Increase marketing opportunities for Michigan farmers and heighten public awareness of Michigan's agriculture, our second-largest industry.
Incorporate the Select Michigan Program into public and private schools, including universities and colleges, to help promote farm products grown or processed in Michigan.
Encourage school food service directors to include local farmers, processors and suppliers when taking bids for products.
Michigan's agricultural industry employs over one million residents and creates an annual economic impact of over $60 billion. Expanding market opportunities for Michigan farmers will preserve and strengthen local food production and help increase the significant contribution that agriculture makes to Michigan's economy.
"We need to keep working to find and expand markets for our farmers' products so that our agricultural sector continues to grow," Brown said. "Encouraging schools to serve fresh, locally grown foods is a smart way to share the benefits of our proud agricultural tradition with everyone in the community."