Farm to School Success

Berrien County Juvenile Center food service manager Charity Hackett first took an interest in serving more fresh fruits and vegetables to residents, utilizing a garden at the Center. Since then, the Center has obtained food preservation equipment, developed resident food handling skills training and purchased CSA shares aided by the Michigan Farm to School Grant program. The Berrien County Juvenile Center was one of 21 MI Farm to School Grant recipients in 2014.

In the first year of the farm-to-school initiative, Hackett found difficulty in obtaining small quantities of a variety of produce from many different commercial farm vendors. Working with Michigan State University Extension and the MSU Product Center, the nearby Andrews University’s CSA and market garden program was identified as a reliable source of fresh fruits and vegetables. Bulk apples are purchased from a separate grower.

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