The Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub announced the 2026 grantees from Wisconsin who will lead collaborative projects to bring more local, nourishing food to K–12 schools. These projects are part of a multi-state effort to strengthen connections between Midwest farmers, industry partners, food producers, and K–12 schools. Each grantee team will receive up to $200,000 per year to expand access to food that reflects the region’s rich agricultural heritage and supports local economies.

“We’re thrilled to see Wisconsin organizations stepping up to build stronger food pathways between our farms and our schools,” said Daithi Wolfe, Senior Policy Analyst at Kids Forward, the Innovation Hub’s Wisconsin partner. “These projects are about making school meals more local, more delicious and more connected to the communities they serve.”

The 2026 grantee teams from Wisconsin include:

Menominee Indian School District

Partners: Menominee Language and Culture Commission, Menominee Department of Agriculture and Food Systems

The Rising Suns Continued: Path to Intertribal Procurement project, based in Keshena, Wisconsin, will expand Menominee Indian School District’s Indigenous school food system by integrating Indigenous knowledge, youth workforce development, and institutional procurement. 

Chippewa Valley Produce

Partners: Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, Farm Shed, Wello, Iowa Food Hub, NICE Community Schools (School Partner – Upper Peninsula, Michigan), Forest County Potawatomi, Green Gold Gardens

The Super Transport Cooperative: Paving the Way for Increased Supply to Schools Statewide project, rooted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will strengthen and scale a cooperative, hub-and-spoke logistics system that enables schools across Wisconsin to reliably procure nutritious foods from small and regional producers. 

NEW HMong

Partners: Hmong American Immersion School

The Nourish to Flourish: A Community-Driven Model for Inclusive School Food Systems project, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, will create a school food system where community-rooted, locally produced foods are fully integrated into school meals and learning environments to nourish students’ health and strengthen their sense of community. 

Howard-Suamico School District

Partners: Seasonal Harvest, Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative

The Reimagining School Milk: Modernizing Service and Enhancing Taste project by Howard-Suamico School District is based in Green Bay, Wisconsin and seeks to transition eight schools from the Howard-Suamico School District into bulk white milk service by shifting from an Iowa packaged-milk supplier to a Wisconsin dairy partner. 

The Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration as part of its Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.This is the second year of grantmaking by the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, which supports projects across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Grants are awarded to teams that may include farmers, industry partners, schools, food hubs, community organizations, suppliers and other partners working to improve how local food reaches students.

“These are practical, community-driven ideas that will make a real difference—not only for students, but for our food producers and local businesses as well,” said Wolfe. A full list of 2026 grantees can be found at InnovateSchoolFood.org.