Photo credit: Sarah Rypma

The 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms 2025-2026 Application is Available in NexSys!

10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms (10 Cents a Meal) is a state funded, matching grant. Sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast program (NSLP/SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) are eligible to apply.

10 Cents a Meal reimburses 50% of the cost of buying and serving Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans in meals and educational activities for children. Grantees can also use up to 25% of their grant award to receive 100% reimbursement for transportation and labor expenses such as delivery fees, mileage costs, and part time labor expenses that support the goals of the program.

This is an opportunity for ALL child nutrition program sponsors state-wide to improve the nutrition of children while supporting local growers. Completed applications are due in NexSys by Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

How Does the Program Work?

If awarded, you are required to:

• Purchase, prepare and menu Michigan-grown minimally processed fruits, vegetables, and dry beans
• Promote and market Michigan-grown products
• Plan educational activities that achieve program goals
• Submit food purchases by month, including the name of the source farm, the farm county, and purchase amount 
• Complete reporting surveys

How Do I Apply?

The 2025-2026 application is now available in NexSys and must be initiated and submitted by a level 5 NexSys user. As the 10 Cents a Meal program has grown over the years, the grant application is competitive. The Farm to Program team intends to award the grant to as many applicants as possible. The maximum possible award is 10 cents times every meal served in child nutrition programs the prior year.

To help determine which applicants will receive the grant, and how much money they will be awarded, there is a 2025-2026 scoring rubric available so that applicants know what the Farm to Program team will be looking for when scoring applications. The rubric contains guidance on what details to include in responses to the application questions on the Program Information page to receive a higher application score, and all applicants should refer to the rubric as they complete the application. 50% of an applicant’s score will consist of the Program Information page responses and any bonus points for submitting the application early. 

50% of the application score for returning applicants will be based on their ability to spend their requested award for the 2024-2025 program year and complete the required reporting surveys. New grantees will be given a boost in past performance points. 

Training Sessions & Resources

Registration is available for 2025-2026 program year training sessions. These sessions cover how 10 Cents a Meal works, how to source local produce, what is needed to participate, and hands-on application assistance. Several in-person sessions are available and, for those unable to attend in-person, there will also be a virtual option. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

• Escanaba – June 10, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Bay City – June 16, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Kalamazoo – June 23, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Traverse City – June 25, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Fruitport – June 26, 2025, 9-11am (EST) Register
• Mason/Ingham – August 7, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Macomb - August 14, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Flint – August 18, 2025, 2-4pm (EST) Register
• Virtual training – TBD

A virtual walkthrough of the application process and the scoring rubric are available on the How to Apply page.

Looking for the required annual program training? Please visit the Training page. 

Questions?

To learn more about 10 Cents a Meal, you can visit the 10 Cents a Meal section of the Michigan Department of Education website and the 10 Cents a Meal website managed by the communication and outreach partner for 10 Cents a Meal, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.

For questions about the 10 Cents a Meal program and application, please contact the Farm to Program team at [email protected].

The MDE Farm to Program Team also offers virtual office hours by appointment: Scheduling Link.