MDARD Announces Last Food Mile Grants to Expand Access to Michigan-Grown Foods

May 15, 2026

By Lynsey Mukomel

Following overwhelming interest from Michigan farmers and agribusinesses, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced the recipients of its Last Food Mile grant program to improve transportation infrastructure and give more Michigan families access to nutritious, affordable, locally grown foods.

"Farmers and communities across Michigan continue to signal rising consumer demand for locally grown foods, but the transportation and distribution infrastructure necessary to get those foods to market hasn't kept up," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "MDARD's Last Food Mile grants invest in refrigerated transportation that will safely and reliably move more Michigan-grown foods from farm to market to the family dinner table. By addressing gaps in food distribution and promoting regenerative agriculture, we're building more resilient and sustainable food systems for Michigan."

The grant program launched through MDARD's Farm to Family Program following community conversations that repeatedly pointed to infrastructure as a barrier to success for Michigan agribusinesses received more than 130 applications. The interest in the grant opportunity exposes current gaps in Michigan's regional food supplies, which Farm to Family is working to address thanks to ongoing bipartisan support brokered by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Source : michigan.gov

Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.