Early Care + Education
Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) works to connect early childhood education settings to local food producers so that they can serve culturally relevant and locally produced foods to young children (ages 0-5), while providing related experiential education, opportunities for family engagement, and improving child nutrition. Farm to ECE is part of the broader farm to school movement in Oregon and across the U.S.
In these Oregon-specific guides created by Ecotrust you will find tools & resources for early care and education providers, specialists, and support organizations to increase local food procurement, gardens, and nutrition education in early childhood settings
Spanish version coming soon!
Everything in Good Season: Growing Farm to Early Care and Education
This resource from Michigan State University's Center for Regional Food Systems is a farm to early care and education (ECE) guide geared toward home-based childcare settings. It brings together insights from ECE providers to share sourcing tips, seasonal recipes highlighting the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and engaging activities. This free resource is specific to the needs of smaller groups of children in a home setting but can also be used as inspiration for groups of any size. Within this guide, homecare providers will find engaging activities like Bean Plant Dress Up and Worm Delight, along with kid-friendly recipes, such as gingered carrots. Guidance is also provided on how to incorporate gardening into early care and education settings during each season. Access the education guide here.