MDARD Awards 320K of Grants to Boost Food Safety Education in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced more than $320,000 of Food Safety Education Fund grants for seven entities across the state. 

“Ensuring the safety of Michigan’s food system is central to our mission at MDARD,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “These grants give local partners and food service workers the tools and training they need to maintain strong food safety practices that protect communities across Michigan.” 

Following a competitive review process, MDARD is awarding Food Safety Education Fund grants to: 

• Great Lakes Conference for Food Protection (GLCFP) – $35,000 for the GLCFP Training and Scholarship Fund, which will assist Michigan’s food regulatory, industry and environmental health professionals by providing scholarships for food safety training.  

• Gottagetit – $60,000 to help this non-profit organization implement “Cooking with Confidence: Food Safety Education for Youth and Families,” a hands‑on food safety program serving 100 youth and their families across Flint, Kalamazoo and Kent counties.  

• Kent County Health Department – $36,700 for education and outreach to increase knowledge about safe food handling practices in consumers' homes with the goal of reducing the incidence of foodborne illness.  

• Michigan Dairy Industry Conference – $5,000 to the Michigan Dairy Industry Conference Training Scholarship Fund that supports training, educational and professional growth opportunities for Michigan dairy professionals.  

• Michigan Farmers Market Association – $64,092 for the “2027 Food Safety Education at Michigan Community-Driven Marketplaces,” a project which will work with farmers, market managers and other community-driven marketplaces to identify local food safety needs and provide consumer food safety education.  

• Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association – $59,500 for the Michigan Food Safety Orientation Guide for Foodservice Employee Training. This initiative will develop, test and distribute a standardized food safety orientation guide for onboarding foodservice workers to improve compliance, reduce foodborne illness risks and support consistent training across Michigan’s hospitality industry.  

• Michigan State University Extension – $60,659 toward “Building Resilient Communities Through Food Safety Education and Emergency Preparedness Outreach.” This food safety education program is designed for residents of Bay, Clinton, Genesee, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Macomb, Midland, Montcalm, Oakland, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Wayne counties.  

The FSEF grant program was established under the Michigan Food Law of 2000, as amended, Sec. 4117, and is funded through assessments of $3 to $5 from licensing fees paid by Michigan food establishments. The grant program provides food safety training and education to consumers, as well as training and education to food service establishment employees and agents of the MDARD director who enforce Michigan’s food regulations.  

Since Fiscal Year 2019, MDARD has awarded nearly $2.5 million through the Food Safety Education Fund grant program. The grants were part of more than $276 million of investments MDARD delivered over the past eight years to help Michigan communities create jobs, build infrastructure and promote agricultural development. 

Food safety resources for consumers and food industry professionals, including materials developed from Food Safety Education Fund grants in previous years, can be found at MDARD's food safety web page.   

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