Early Care and Education

What is Farm to Early Care and Education?

Farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) offers increased access to  local food sourcing, school gardens and food and agriculture education to enhance the quality of the educational experience in all types of ECE settings (e.g., preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, programs in K – 12 school districts).

Farm to ECE offers benefits that parallel the goals and priorities of the early care and education community including emphasis on experiential learning opportunities, parent and community engagement and life-long health and wellness for children, families and caregivers.

• Improves children’s health behaviors including choosing healthier options at school meals
• Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables through farm to school meals and at home
• Decrease in preference for and consumption of less healthy foods and sodas
• Increasing physical activity

Ohio Farm to ECE work

Find out more about the current work of the Ohio Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition under the “Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition” tab on this site.

Farm to ECE Resources

Videos and Handouts

Watch our videos on  Washing Local Foods, Composting, Cooking with Children, and Starting a Garden at an Early Care Site.

Each video has a corresponding handout to help you get started at your site: English(PDF) Links to a PDF document. or Spanish, including kitchen activities by age group
(PDF)Links to a PDF document..

Infographic

The Ohio Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition was partially supported by a grant administered by the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) from November 2020 to June 2023. Click here to review the impact of our work.

Getting Started

• Getting Started with Farm to ECE
• Getting Started: Planning Guide for Farm to ECE(PDF)Links to a PDF document.
• Research and literature on Farm to ECE

 How to Buy Local Food for Early Care sites

• Local Procurement for Child Care Centers(PDF)Links to a PDF document.
• Step-by-Step Guide Farm to Early Childhood
• How to Buy, Prepare and Serve Local Foods(PDF)Links to a PDF document.

How to Serve Local Food for Early Care sites

• How to integrate local foods into meals/snacks
• School Garden Food Safety Manual(PDF)Links to a PDF document.
• Taste Test guide from WI (PDF, Home Grown Taste Test Guide)

Tools to teach about food

• Creative Curriculum Guide(PDF)Links to a PDF document.
• Growing Healthy Kids – Rings of Fun
• Pint Size Produce Farm to ECE Activities

Gardens and Growing

• Seed starting indoors in less than 4 minutes

Become a Member of the Ohio Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition

Are you looking to advance Farm to Early Care and Education in Ohio? Learn more about the Ohio Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition and how you can be become a member.