The 2024 Michigan Apple Crunch celebrates Michigan apples

Kelly McClelland<mccle100@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Celebrate Michigan apples and National Farm to School Month by participating in the annual Michigan Apple Crunch on October 17 or anytime in October.

For decorative purposes.

Each year, thousands of children and adults across Michigan crunch into a Michigan-grown apple as part of the Michigan Apple Crunch. The Crunch is an annual event hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan Farm to Institution Network. This year, the official Crunch date is Thursday, October 17, though participants are encouraged to crunch anytime during the month of October that works for them.

Michigan’s climate and geography make the state ideal for growing many varieties of apples. According to the Michigan Apple Committee’s estimate, farmers across Michigan will harvest 30.5 million bushels of apples this year!

Apples provide a great way for local schools and institutions to get excited about supporting local farmers. 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms is a state-funded program that matches what schools and other non-school sponsors spend on Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans with grants.  According to the most recent 10 Cents a Meal Evaluation Results, apples were the top Michigan-grown food purchased by 10 Cents a Meal grantees in the 2021-2022 school year.

Anyone can participate in the 2024 Michigan Apple Crunch and no event is too small to register. Sign up to crunch with your K-12 school, early care and education site, homeschool group, workplace, family, or organization. Be sure to register your Crunch to help us reach our goal of 350,000 crunches across the state this year.

Register your Crunch

To show your support for Michigan farmers and farm to institution programs be sure to register and participate in this year’s Michigan Apple Crunch! Learn more, access our Michigan Crunch Guides and register your Crunch at canr.msu.edu/community_food_systems/michigan-apple-crunch.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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