State Leaders Celebrate School Meals That Are Free, Nutritious and Locally Grown
LANSING – Students at Bendle High School in Genesee County didn’t have to go to a specialty restaurant or spend any money today to enjoy Korean BBQ mini flatbread with cilantro lime slaw. All they had to do was head to the school cafeteria.
Officials from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) visited the school in Burton for National School Meals Week, which is also marked in Michigan through a proclamation from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The state leaders celebrated the free nutritious meals—many of them featuring locally grown food—that are available to all the state’s public school students under the Michigan School Meals Program, which began in the 2023-24 school year.
“When students are nourished, they are ready to learn,” said Dr. Deanne Kelleher, director of the MDE Office of Nutrition Services. “And here in Michigan, we are committed to making sure that every student has that opportunity every day with a free school breakfast and free school lunch. I want to thank Gov. Whitmer and the legislators for prioritizing improving access to nutritious school meals over the last four years by including funding for Michigan School Meals in the budget.”
Last October, an average of 865,459 Michigan students per day participated in the school lunch program—a 22% increase from 709,593 in the 2022-23 school year, the last school year before the Michigan School Meals Program began. Over the same period, the average number of students per day who participated in the school breakfast program jumped 26% from 375,956 to 473,021.
School meals also present a market opportunity for Michigan’s growers and processors.
"At MDARD, we're focused on seizing every opportunity to tap into our state’s rich agricultural heritage and better connect our farmers to Michigan consumers, which is part of Michigan's commitment to a holistic approach when it comes to supporting our kids,” said MDARD Director Dr. Tim Boring. “Whether it's free meals at schools, partnering with districts like Bendle Public Schools through our Good Food for Michigan Project, or providing grant support to food hubs like Flint Fresh, Michigan is leading the way in strengthening community health and creating new opportunities for our farmers.”
The Good Food for Michigan Project, an MDARD Farm to Family Program initiative, focuses on institutional procurement practices to keep locally grown food in Michigan communities. Flint Fresh, an MDARD grant recipient, is a food hub that connects local farmers to Bendle Public Schools.
“We know that when students are well fed, they are better prepared to learn, participate and make the most of their school day,” said Bendle Superintendent Trisha Cherveny. “The lunch choices our students have today are far beyond what I remember as a kid. I think my favorite school lunch back then was that rectangular piece of pizza—and I was pretty happy with it! Today, if I were a student, I honestly think I would have a hard time deciding between the baked potato bar, the salad bar and all of the different recipes our food service staff prepares.”
The Korean BBQ-style entree debuted at Bendle today.
“We don't just talk to our kids about where their food comes from,” said Dawn Pully, food service director for Bendle Public Schools. “We show them. We have our school garden and two greenhouses where students can actually see food growing and be part of that process. There is something pretty special about watching a student get excited when something they have seen growing ends up on the salad bar or on their lunch tray.
“That's what this is really about for me,” Pully said. “We're feeding kids, but we're also teaching them. We're exposing them to new foods, building healthy habits, supporting Michigan farmers and our local food system, and hopefully creating experiences they will remember.”
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