Michigan farm to school photography brings to life the journey of fresh, local produce from farms to students' plates across the state. As a commercial photographer based in Michigan, I've had the privilege of documenting the 10 Cents a Meal program for the Michigan Department of Education over the past two years. This unique project has allowed me to showcase the impact of farm-to-school initiatives through storytelling imagery. This fall, I visited The Dreamery at YWCA in Kalamazoo, where I captured images of their kitchen, fresh ingredients, and preschoolers enjoying nutritious meals.
10 Cents a Meal focuses on getting fresh, local ingredients into schools, and one effective way this is achieved is by incentivizing schools to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables like the fresh kale below from Crisp County Acres....
This kale was harvested and then distributed to ValleyHub in Kalamazoo, Michigan (a major food hub that sources from 32 different local farms).
Food hubs like ValleyHub play a crucial role in the 10 Cents a Meal program by distributing locally sourced ingredients from farms to schools and institutions, ultimately placing them in the skilled hands of chefs like Jomo at The Dreamery.
Chef Jomo crafted a homemade Caesar salad dressing for his kale salad before plating individual portions with fresh fruit for the preschoolers...
The end result? A fresh, nutritious, and delicious meal grown in Michigan and delivered to the mouths of our next generation, thanks to programs like 10 Cents a Meal. This initiative not only provides schools and early education centers with grant funds to purchase locally sourced ingredients but also strengthens the connection between Michigan farms and our children. With food hubs like ValleyHub facilitating the distribution of fresh produce, including kale from Crisp County Acres, meals prepared by skilled chefs like Jomo at The Dreamery become a reality.
To learn more about The Dreamery YWCA in Kalamazoo and see how they are utilizing the photos from our session, please see below. For more insights into my work with the Michigan Department of Education and additional sessions, click here. If you’re interested in discussing your own commercial photography project, let’s connect and create something beautiful together!
