Center for Regional Food Systems 10 Cents a Meal

The 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms (10 Cents a Meal) program continues to reach more children in schools and childcare sites across Michigan in its eighth year of operation. With statewide eligibility, 10 Cents a Meal continues to maintain progress towards its two main goals to improve daily nutrition for children in school or childcare settings and invest in the Michigan agriculture economy.  

During the 2022-2023 program, 240 school districts and other non-school sponsors were awarded over $5.6 million in 10 Cents a Meal grant dollars from the Michigan Department of Education. Over 580,000 K–12 schoolchildren and nearly 5,000 children through early care and education sites could have benefited from the program. Additionally, grantees reported purchases from 248 different farms and food businesses. 

The full report, Sustaining Momentum for Michigan’s Future, showcases 10 Cents a Meal’s impact by examining the faceted impact on Michigan kids, farms, and food service programs. From “What foods were served through 10 Cents?” to “The Big Picture: Does 10 Cents Work?,” this report provides key indicators to determine future opportunities for growth.   

Additional resources related to the report findings

In addition to the full report, there are several accompanying resources below related to report findings, including the Executive Summary, Appendices, and an ArcGIS StoryMap.

Explore the evaluation report findings in an ArcGIS StoryMap

The findings from the 2022-2023 Evaluation report are also available to review in this ArcGIS StoryMap: bit.ly/10CentsStoryMap. To complement key report findings, a Grantee Data Dashboard and specially curated ArcGIS maps is included from the Michigan Department of Education.

How does 10 Cents a Meal impact childcare centers?

For additional insight into the impact of this program at early care and education centers, A Quick Glance at the 2022-2023 Family Day Care Pilot is also available. 

This evaluation work was conducted with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and 10 Cents administrative funds for organizational partners. 

Suggested Citation: 
McManus, M., & Tsupros, M. (2024). Sustaining Momentum for Michigan’s Future: 10 Cents a Meal 2022–2023 Evaluation Results. Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/sustaining-momentum-for-michigan-s-future-10-cents-a-meal-2022-2023-evaluation-results