Celebrating Farm to Preschool Successes and How to Get Involved
by Ellie Morris
Regional Child Care Health Consultant
This is a great time of year to pause and reflect. What is there to celebrate from the past year? What can we take with us to motivate action next year? Sometimes the true impact of our work can get lost in day-to-day tasks and stress. But, everyday we are shaping the lives of North Carolina's young children during their most formative years. This work has ripple effects across communities and generations. Thank you for everything you are doing to create a healthy, vibrant future for North Carolina.
NC Farm to Early Care and Education (F2ECE) project leaders are reflecting on the year as well. We hope that these year-in-review highlights will spark your own reflection and fuel or reignite your commitment to Farm to ECE in 2025.
NC Farm to Preschool Network: This past spring, the NC Farm to Preschool Network was one of 14 state teams to receive a FARMWISE grant, a joint project of the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Farm to School Network, and the National CACFP Sponsors Association. The Network is planning how to offer ECE programs financial incentives through CACFP to purchase local foods…so stay tuned!
CACFP-participating programs: Did you know that CACFP reimbursement can be used to purchase locally grown foods? CACFP funds can also be applied to costs associated with growing food that will be used in meal service and/or nutrition education, such as seeds, soil, and other gardening supplies. Keep in mind, procurement standards must be followed, and these expenses must be listed in the institution’s approved CACFP budget. Visit NC’s Farm to CACFP webpage to learn more on how CACFP can support your Farm to ECE goals.
NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS): Utilizing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding, the NC DHHS is supporting statewide Farm to ECE initiatives and breastfeeding promotion. Over the past year, partnerships with Buncombe Partnership for Children, Wake County Smart Start, and North Carolina State University have enabled 18 ECE facilities to establish gardens, incorporate more local foods into meals, and integrate gardening into both indoor and outdoor classroom activities. Garden coordinators collaborate with ECE programs to develop Farm to ECE lessons, conduct taste tests with the children, and assist with local food procurement.
- Inspiration: See grantees in action in this new NC Farm to ECE video and share the joy of Farm to ECE with colleagues!
- In March 2024, the NC DHHS introduced the Farm to ECE Connections Map, a tool designed to help ECE programs and local growers connect and bring fresh, healthy local foods into young children’s meals. Currently, over 340 childcare centers, 248 of which are CACFP providers, across 78 counties in NC are registered. Additionally, 92 local food producers (farmers, food hubs, farmers markets, and local distributors) are participating, covering a total of 81 counties across the state. Check out the map in our resources section.
REACH Recognition: In 2024, ten programs were recognized for their commitment to promoting children’s healthy habits. Six programs were recognized for Farm to ECE!
- Inspiration: FUNDAMENTALS Child Development Center in Wayne County, NC was recognized in 2024 for Farm to ECE and Child Nutrition. They love Farm to ECE because, “children and adults have the chance to see where some of their food comes from, it gives them a chance to try freshly grown produce to help start healthy eating habits."
NC State Center for Environmental Farming Systems: CEFS Farm to ECE program entered its third year of a USDA Regional Food Systems Partnership grant focused on developing local food purchasing models. Five new counties this year (Buncombe, Guilford, Wake, Watauga, and Wayne) were chosen to work on replicating successful purchasing models, and developing new ones.
They were also recipients of SPAN grants through the CDC and NC Division of Public Health, which supported their efforts with childcare gardens. The USDA-SPAN collaboration led to a Breakthrough Collaborative focused on both local food purchasing and gardening, with the support of NC State’s SNAP-Ed Steps to Health program, which provided gardening training. Each of the five counties also had two interns funded through the two grants, who worked with childcare centers on gardens, experiential learning related to cooking, and supported local food purchasing.
In August of 2024, CEFS Farm to ECE Program Director Caroline Hundley stepped down to spend more time with her family, after eight years developing the program. They are grateful for her leadership and energy, and proud to welcome CEFS Farm to ECE Training Coordinator Shironda Brown into an interim director role.
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The NC Farm to Preschool Network connects, educates, develops and shares resources between community and state partners, farmers, early childhood educators and families to spark the local foods movement in early childhood education environments. |
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Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here
by Jean Craighead George
On a cold winter morning, grandmother writes, “Dear Rebecca, winter is here”. Read on to experience the many swift changes of winter grandmother describes in her letter.
Watch a read aloud on YouTube.
Holidays Together
by Sophia Day
Uniting readers of various backgrounds, this book focuses on similarities among major holiday festivals including candles, baking, family traditions, music, generosity, and kindness. Watch a read aloud on YouTube.
Check out our 2024 Children's Book List here!
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Whip It Up!
by Marianne Lindgren & Chika Mita
NC Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
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We hope you’ve enjoyed the recipes we shared throughout the year! To make it easier for you to revisit them, we’ve compiled the recipes into one convenient resource. Check out our Whip It Up! Recipe Book and explore all the recipes featured in our 2024 e-newsletters!
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Youth Garden Grant
Deadline: December 13, 2024
Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for youth and their communities. Any organization planning a new or improving an existing garden program that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 0 and 18 is eligible to apply. Learn more here.
Shade Structure Grant
Deadline: December 15, 2024
Award Amount: Up to $8,000
The American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) Shade Structure Program awards funds to schools, daycares, parks, and other nonprofit organizations for installing permanent shade structures where children learn and play. Learn more here.
Spark Good Local Grants
Deadline: December 31, 2024
Walmart U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs, and Distribution Centers are awarding local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of communities where stores operate. Learn more and apply here.
GroMoreGood Garden Grants
Deadline: January 10, 2025
National Head Start Association (NHSA) will award grants in variable amounts depending on demonstrated need and proposal in the application. Grants will supplement needs of existing garden projects, help launch new garden projects, or supplement/launch outdoor green space projects. Learn more here.
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This Week in the Garden
@ Preschool
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See what's happening
preschool edition! |
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