Oregon Farm to ECE Institute
Next ECE Institute in 2028
The Oregon Farm to ECE Institute works to grow comprehensive farm to ECE programming that enables collaboration, planning, and project implementation in early education centers.
Scenes from the Winter 2025 Farm to ECE retreat, held in Portland at the Redd on Salmon Street. Video by Jason Hill
About the Farm to ECE Institute
Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) connects early childhood professionals to local food producers and community partners with the goals of serving culturally relevant, locally-produced foods to young children, providing hands-on experiences with food and gardening, and improving child nutrition.
While part of the Farm to School movement, Farm to ECE programs are specifically designed for early care providers who support age-appropriate social and emotional development for young children and differ in scope and content from farm to school programming offered in K-12 environments.
We launched our first Farm to ECE Institute cohort in 2024-2025 with seven teams across Oregon and Washington. Throughout the year, teams worked with their coaches to deepen their Farm to ECE programming, participated in virtual workshops on topics such as Native plants and foods, communications, and menu planning, and met in-person for workshops and activities. Read more about the first cohort’s fall retreat and winter retreat.
Steps for Success
The Farm to ECE Institute goes beyond learning the basics of farm to ECE. We help teams build the relationships, skills, and connections needed to implement robust and integrated farm to ECE programs aligned with your site’s priorities and rooted in the community.
Commitment
This is a year-long program that includes virtual learning and connection as part of a cohort of Institute teams, two one-day in-person retreats (Fall, Winter/Spring), action planning and implementation support, and access to a network of Farm to ECE peers.
Fall
Prepare for the Year Ahead
All team members will prepare for the fall retreat (October) and the exciting work ahead by meeting with your coach and attending two virtual on-boarding sessions.
October
Attend the Fall Retreat
Attend the fall retreat in October in Portland, OR to dive into action planning, network with peers, and engage in hands-on learning. The fall retreat will be for one full day and accommodations for traveling teams will be covered at no cost to teams.
Fall to Summer
School Year Activities
Meet regularly throughout the year as a team with your coach as you implement your action plan; attend 3-6 virtual workshops/convenings (this includes the 2 onboarding sessions); and provide feedback through data collection, evaluation, and storytelling to support the Institute program’s growth and improvement.
Winter
Attend the Winter Retreat
Attend the winter retreat in October in Portland, OR to review how your action planning is going, connect with others, and engage in hands-on learning.
Next Spring
Preparing for Year Two
Prepare a Year Two action plan with your coach and regroup with your cohort to share your progress and reflections in a year-end virtual gathering to be held late May or early June.
Building a Team
Institute applications must be submitted by teams, not individuals. Teams consist of 3–5 participants and should include a diverse set of collaborators.
The Institute is designed to support programs in either the early stages of development or for taking their programming to the next level. Early childhood sites or centers in Oregon can build a team and apply to the Institute. Sites that participate in the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) will be prioritized, though we may accept teams that do not currently participate in CACFP.
Single-site Teams
- Team size: 3-5 individuals representing various roles in the ECE site and community
- Roles: administration, teachers, school nutrition/food service. Multiple roles may be represented by one person for programs with limited staff, however the team must be at least 3 people.
- Additional team members can include: staff, farmers or other local food producers, board members, family members, garden educators, community partners, etc.
Multi-site Teams
- Team size: 3-5 individuals representing various roles in the ECE site and community
- Roles: administration, teachers, school nutrition/food service. Multiple roles may be represented by one person for programs with limited staff, however the team must be at least 3 people.
- Additional team members can include: staff, farmers or other local food producers, board members, family members, garden educators, community partners, etc.
Please note that the Farm to ECE Institute—including virtual and in-person gatherings—will be conducted in English. We will work with selected teams to assess accommodations and overcome barriers to participation as needed. For the first Institute cohort, we offered translated materials, live interpretation, and Spanish-speaking coaches for two teams.
How to Apply
The application period for the 2026-27 Oregon Farm to ECE Institute is now closed.
We encourage applicants to read through our FAQ section for more information about the program, Institute model, and in-person details. While applications are currently closed, please fill out the interest form below to indicate future participation!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Farm to ECE Institute is a unique year-long professional learning opportunity for selected ECE site-based teams in Oregon. The Institute supports teams in working together to create a culture of equity and wellness, improve food access, increase leadership, and strengthen local food systems. Our Farm to ECE Institute has been developed based on Vermont FEED’s Northeast Farm to School Institute, which has been bringing teams together across New England and New York for over ten years. Additionally, they work with other regions to adapt the Institute model. 2024-2025 was the first time the Institute was offered, and seven teams across Oregon and Washington participated. Read more about our adaptation here.
This is a year-long program (approximately August to June) that includes virtual learning and connection as part of a cohort of Institute teams, two 1-day in-person retreats (Fall and Winter/Spring), action planning, coaching, implementation, and technical assistance.
The 3Cs Approach to Farm to School (adapted from Vermont FEED)
The 3Cs approach, which Vermont FEED developed in 2000, has taken root across the country as a successful model of change that connects efforts in the Cafeteria, Classroom, and Community to achieve robust and sustainable farm to school programs.
We’ve found that the more successful programs are not “add-ons” to school policies and curricula, but integrated throughout the school priorities and culture. This requires collaboration among administrators, school nutrition professionals, students, families, and educators.
In the Classroom: Farm to school education provides a real-world context for learning across all disciplines. Engaging youth in hands-on opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking food from scratch, and visiting local farms establishes meaningful connections to the curriculum and deepens understanding. Rather than an add-on to an already crowded curriculum, food, nutrition, and agriculture can be integrated within the existing curriculum, from literacy and history to math and science.
In the Cafeteria: The school cafeteria is a major hub of activity. It can be a powerful educational environment, engaging youth in activities like taste tests and cooking lessons to introduce them to new foods and empower them to make healthy choices. Farm to school programs connect the expertise of school nutrition staff with education initiatives, resulting in increased participation in the meal program, reduced waste, and making nutritious food accessible to all students.
More than half of America’s children—nearly 30 million students—get daily nutrition from school meals, and schools spend over $6.3 billion on food costs. These numbers present enormous opportunities, and farm to school programs leverage this potential by strengthening connections between school meal programs and local food producers. When a cafeteria increases its local purchasing, it bolsters its local economy, resourcing it with funds that recirculate and build value long after the original sale.
In the Community: Making connections within the community builds partnerships outside the school for place-based learning and garners community support for school initiatives. Youth have opportunities to learn about how their food is produced and to develop their own agency for creating change. Farmers build relationships with schools, early childhood programs, and other local institutions that allow them to expand into other wholesale markets and boost the local economy. Community dinners, service learning projects, and harvest festivals involve parents, families, and the whole community in building a food culture that is celebratory, honors multiple foodways, and is committed to healthy and sustainable food choices.
Farm to ECE efforts are most successful and long-lasting when teams take the time to build commitment and capacity of a diverse set of collaborators. These must include nutrition/food service staff, teachers, and administrators. They may also include garden educators, family members, farmers and other food producers, and community partners. We encourage and seek diverse teams that contain members of different racial and gender identity, experience levels, and program roles. Sites that serve at least 40% of children eligible for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) are prioritized in the 2026-2027 program.
Consider inviting people who are already farm to ECE champions as well as key decision-makers and implementers who have yet to become involved but could provide valuable insights or connections when it comes time to implement your action plan. Your site may already have a group that has been working on farm to ECE or wellness, or there might be a committee that has worked on these efforts in the past but possibly needs a “refresh” with some new planning and new team members.
- Single-site teams: Teams must be composed of 3-5 individuals representing various constituencies in the ECE site and community. Teams must have representation from the three following roles: administration, teachers, school nutrition/food service. Additional team members can include: staff, farmers or other local food producers, board members, families, garden educators, community partners, etc.
- Multi-site teams: Teams must be composed of 3-5 individuals representing various constituencies in the ECE center and community. Teams must have representation from the three following roles: administration, teachers, school nutrition/food service. Additional team members can include: staff, farmers or other local food producers, board members, families, garden educators, community partners, etc. Depending on the number of centers you operate, we may recommend you focus your efforts at 1-2 to get started.
Each application is reviewed and scored by at least two people. We utilize a rubric that factors in team composition (e.g. all 3 required roles are represented), geographic location within Oregon, participation in CACFP, program type and communities served, and program goals as they relate to the Farm to ECE Institute’s goals. The rubric is one tool utilized by the selection committee to understand needs and opportunities of teams. We aim to build a cohort of teams that has diversity in geographic region, types of communities served, and levels of Farm to ECE experience.
The Institute is designed to support programs in either the early stages of development or for taking their programming to the next level.
The Farm to Early Care & Education Institute is developed specifically for early childhood sites that are not solely connected to a school district. If you are in an early childhood program based at a public school, we encourage you to build a broad school-based team and apply for the K-12 Farm to School Institute, which is developed with school-based programs in mind. You are also welcome to reach out to institute@ecotrust.org to discuss what you think might work best for your program.
During the in-person retreats, teams gather in-person to get inspired by and learn from leaders in farm to ECE, build relationships across their team and the cohort, gain new skills, and develop a year-long action plan for farm to ECE programming.
- What: Two one-day retreats for professional learning, networking, planning, inspiration, and fun! Participation in the retreats for 3-5 team members is a requirement of each selected team.
- Fall Retreat: The fall retreat will be for one full day and accommodations for traveling teams will be covered at no cost to teams.
- When: Friday, October 23, 2026
- Where: Portland-area locations for retreats will be announced later in the year. Past retreats have been at Zenger Farm, the Redd East event space, and Leach Botanical Garden.
- Winter/Spring Retreat 2027: The winter/spring retreat will be for one full day and accommodations for traveling teams will be covered at no cost to teams.
- When: TBD, likely to be a date in Feb, Mar, or Apr
Thanks to the support of our funding partners, we are able to provide the year-long Institute programming, including lodging at the retreats for teams that need to travel, at no cost to the teams. Meals will also be provided at the retreats. Additionally, we have funds to help offset some travel costs for teams to attend the retreats. Incidentals are the responsibility of teams. Please reach out to institute@ecotrust.org with questions.
Action planning kicks off virtually before the fall retreat. With the ongoing support of your coach, teams spend the school year putting their plans into action and strengthening their capacity to impact the curriculum, kitchen, and community with change that lasts. Teams will engage in hands-on activities, facilitated discussions, and action planning with their coach at the in-person retreats, with opportunities to cross-pollinate with other Institute teams. In May or June, teams regather with their peers virtually to share successes, how they adapted to challenges, and begin planning for future years of farm to ECE programming.
This is a year-long program that uses a mix of virtual meetings and two in-person retreats. Teams will implement their action plans during the school year (approximately August -June) with the support of a coach and a network of farm to ECE partners who provide training, support, and peer to peer learning.
Summer-Fall: All team members will prepare for the fall retreat and the exciting work ahead by attending the two virtual on-boarding sessions to connect with other teams, build knowledge and skills, and begin outlining your action plan; and meeting with your coach.
Fall: Attend the fall retreat to dive into action planning, network with peers, and engage in hands-on learning.
Fall–Winter: Meet regularly throughout the school year with your coach as you implement your action plan; attend 2-3 virtual workshops; and provide feedback through data collection, evaluation, and storytelling to support program growth and improvement.
Spring: Prepare a Year Two action plan with your coach and regroup with your cohort to share your progress and reflections in a year-end virtual gathering, May or early June.
Once a final draft of the action plan is ready, teams share their plan with members of their site or center’s administration and any other relevant parties. Institute teams are expected to commit to implementing their Farm to ECE Action Plan and establishing systems to track progress throughout the year. Teams will establish regular meetings that include their coach (monthly is recommended), with the focus on assessing progress, communicating and celebrating successes, and changing course as needed. At the end of the Institute, all teams will share their successes and challenges through a virtual gathering with other teams. Teams will also have a final opportunity to work with their coach to create an updated action plan for the following year.
Every team participating in the Institute has a designated, experienced farm to ECE coach that will be matched with them based on their geography and/or specific needs their team may have in building up their program. Coaches are supported by the Oregon Farm to School Network in order to provide the best support possible to their teams. Coaches facilitate the development of the action plan and make connections to any technical assistance a team could use as they implement their plans. Coaches keep teams informed of learning opportunities and professional development that can strengthen their practice. They can help infuse creativity into the planning and implementation process by offering insights, suggestions, and feedback regularly. Most of all, coaches guide their team, rather than do things for them—they listen, reflect, evaluate, rethink and support the implementation of the Action Plan.
Please fill out the interest form to indicate potential future participation.
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