Michigan Food Policy Council

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• Michigan Food Policy Council
• MISSION
• The Michigan Food Policy Council (MFPC)
  cultivates a safe, healthy and available food
  supply for all of Michigans residents while
  building on the states agricultural diversity to
  enhance economic growth.
• Michigan Commission on Agricluture
• September 16, 2009

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Organization

• Originally created in 2005, re-authorized by
  Executive Order 2007-44
• Council Chair MDA Director or designee from MDA
• Funded, in part, by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  through March 2010
• Additional funding approved by the State
  Administrative Board in June 2009 to implement
  the MFPC recommendations

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Purpose

• Implement policies from the MFPC 2006 Report of
  Recommendations
• Identify and address new food policy issues as
  they arise

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Council Members
State Departments MDA, DLEG, DMB, DOC, DCH,
DHS, MDE, DEQ, MI Strategic Fund
Non-food Manufacturing
Labor
Sustainable Agriculture (2)
Restaurants
25 Council Members in E.O. 2007-44
Food Retailers
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MFPCRecommendations

• Accessing fresh and healthy foods
• Healthy Food Access through Direct Markets
• Community and urban gardens
• Food Assistance Program
• Summer Food Service Program
• Nutrition Education
• Emergency Food Needs
• Promoting Michigan Foods
• Select Michigan Program
• Farm-to-School
• Dept. of Corrections Buy Michigan First
• Support for Farmers Markets

• Growing the agri-food economy
• Agri-food entrepreneurship
• Support for food processing
• Information collaboration opportunities to
  assist agri-food businesses
• Grocery Stores in Underserved Locations
• Cultivating Agricultural Viability
• Farmland Preservation
• New Market Development
• Michigan Agricultural Visibility Ag-Tourism
• Farmers and Farm Workforce
• Role of MSU Extension

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Progress in State Government

• State Procurement Department of Corrections
• Potato contract
• Jackson-area MDOC sourced 118,608 lbs of
  Michigan products in 2008-2009
• Purchasing Michigan collard greens, cabbage,
  radishes, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, cilantro,
  dill, corn, navy beans, red beans, and black beans

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Progress in Our Schools

• Farm-to-School
• Public Act 343 of 2008
• Public Act 344 of 2008
• Public Act 315 of 2008
• Potential farm-to-school opportunities
  incentives for renovations/upgrades and
  challenges at federal level

Picture from Gladwin County Record August 4,
2009
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Progress in Food Retail

• PA 231 of 2008
• An property tax incentive for grocery stores in
  underserved areas
• Signed into law by Governor Granholm on July 15,
  2008
• Aligns with concepts in the MFPC Report of
  Recommendations
• MDA was named in the bill as the lead in
  determining underserved areas in Michigan that
  would qualify
• Potential grocery industry opportunity Food
  assistance distribution follow-up meeting with
  stakeholders this fall

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Progress in Farmers Markets

• Bridge Cards and Farmers Markets
• Michigan is leading the way in accepting
  debit/credit and Bridge Cards at farmers markets
• Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA), in
  partnership with MFPC, conducted a pilot project
  to help markets set up electronic payment systems
• Building a network and partnership
• Potential farmers market opportunity Farmers
  Market Promotion Program response for a Fall 2009
  December 2010 Grant

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Special Projects

• MI Neighborhood Food Movers
• Collaborative effort by the State Of Michigan
  in response to Detroits underserved areas
• Project Leader Kim Trent, Governors Office
  for Southeast Michigan
• MFPC is part of the Core Team along with MDA

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MFPCAction Plans

• Accessing fresh and healthy foods
• Community and urban gardens
• -Model zoning
• -State designation for cities following
  existing food access assessment
• Food Assistance Program
• -State outreach plan
• Promoting Michigan Foods
• Farm-to-School
• -Incentives for renovation or upgrades
• -Federal barriers
• -Consideration of Farm-to-School in state
  grant programs
• Dept. of Corrections Buy Michigan First
• -Strengthen distribution or increase/expand
  processing capacity

• Growing the agri-food economy
• Agri-food entrepreneurship information/collabor
  ation opportunities to assist agri-food
  businesses
• - Model of regional agri-food economic
  collaboration
• -Online resource specific to agri-food
  businesses that would address issues or needs
  across business scale
• Cultivating Agricultural Viability
• Michigan Agricultural Visibility Ag-Tourism
• -Model zoning from Agriculture Tourism
  Advisory Commission
• -Support ag tourism legislation

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MFPC Promotion Recognition
States looking to Michigan as an example New
York Ohio Virginia North American Gathering of
State and Local Food Policy Councils October
10, 2009
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• More information and copies of the report at
  www.michigan.gov/mfpc
• Contact Information
• Kirsten G. Simmons, Executive Director
• ph [phone]
• cell [phone]
• email simmonsk_at_michigan.gov