Bestow Early Learning Center is a family-owned early care and education program in the heart of Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham. Mrs. Adrienne Loder and her husband founded Bestow, and the two have created a special space for mainly African-American children to learn and play. Through the National Early Care and Education Learning Collaborative (ECELC), Mrs. […]
Kerri Newton, Kerri’s Kidsville Program Director from Springfield, Missouri, had the desire to provide healthy and enjoyable meals at her center. In 2013, she decided to attend the National Early Care and Education Learning Collaborative (ECELC): Taking Steps to Healthy Success training to learn more about how to make healthy choices for her kids. While […]
Growing Minds is happy to share the new Farm to Preschool (F2P) Toolkit. This toolkit contains information about getting started with F2P, rules and regulations, recommendations for local procurement, and monthly resources.
Atlantic Beach Urban Farms, a farm with 300 indoor aeroponic towers located in Atlantic Beach, Florida, donated a commercial tower along with seedlings to Arlington Christian Academy. Their resident farmer helped the children install and plant the tower. She trained staff on the care of the tower and is available to them for technical assistance. The tower was planted with 28 seedlings that will be ready to harvest in two to three weeks.
The San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce has taken off in three years. San Diego County school districts serve more than 300,000 meals each day—spending $65 million in food per year, including $11.6 million in produce. 31 San Diego County districts are engaged in at least one of 18 comprehensive farm to school activities.
First Lutheran Childcare Center was awarded a Garden Grant from Wisconsin Team Nutrition. They were able to purchase gardening and nutrition books, play food, nutrition games, seeds, plants and more. By gardening and taste-testing the food they grew, the children were encouraged to eat new foods that otherwise they never would have tried.
Excitement and momentum surrounding the Farm to Preschool movement is growing in Wisconsin. The state has a strong history in both Farm to School and the early childhood setting, but that work has been somewhat separated for many years. A Farm to Preschool subgroup formed in 2015.
The Farm to Preschool movement in Georgia has had some great projects and is on the cusp of hitting its stride. In 2015, partners from multiple agencies and non-profits began crafting the state’s first Farm to Preschool Strategy.
Long Island Farm to Preschool Program increases access to fresh produce in underserved areas and brings a weekly farmer’s market to child care centers.
Children, staff and families from West Haven Child Development Center in Connecticut united to implement an innovative preschool garden project. The children are reading books about seeds, learning how plants grow and are excited about using fresh food from their garden in their meals.