Originally published:
Have you heard of “farm to school” (F2S) or “farm to early care and education” (F2ECE) and wondered what it is? Both terms refer to direct relationships between schools and food producers. These connections allow education programs to buy food directly from farms in their area and may link farms to schools and communities in other ways. Maybe you have wanted to try F2ECE in your program, or in the one your child attends.
You have probably seen evidence that young children rarely understand the source of their food. Crackers appear on the snack table at child care like magic! Someone goes to the store and returns – with bags of groceries! As one five-year-old I knew said, “Carrots come from the Jewel!” Children who live far from rural areas may learn mistaken ideas about farming, often from children’s books. They need to know what really goes on in agriculture. Then they can understand and value the work, and the workers, involved in putting food on their plates.
Many early childhood programs have children grow plants from seed. If they have enough space, they may bring gardening into the curriculum and encourage children to eat what they grow. Getting involved in farm to ECE can “take it to the next level.” Children can see how local food production works, and how it helps the whole community.
The Illinois Farm to School Network explains that farm to ECE has several goals:
- Increase children’s access to local and nutritious food.
- Provide hands-on learning opportunities.
- Influence eating habits and food likes and dislikes during -the early years.
- Educate children about food systems and local agriculture.
- Support local farmers and local communities.
My children would have loved to do this in preschool. And as a former classroom teacher, I see great potential for across-the-curriculum activities and Project Approach investigations!
Farm to ECE participation often starts with one or two people, such as a director, teacher, or family member. They make connections and build interest among staff and families. The Farm to School Network recommends creating a team of several people. That team includes family members, teachers, staff members, local farmers, and people from the community. It ensures that the whole program doesn’t rest on just one person. The Illinois Farm to School Network’s tool kit helps programs get started.
Bring children into the farm to ECE team as early as possible. Collect their questions about local foods and farms. Find out what field trips, guest experts, and food experiences interest them. Later on, they may be able to take active roles. Perhaps they can help with light farm work (with supervision, of course), prepare the food, compost peels and leftovers, and grow their own food plants.
You probably can’t source all your program’s food needs through a farm to school arrangement, but a variety of options are possible. Can you buy enough for snacks? Can you arrange field trips to a farm, so children can help pick produce for school? Can you join a CSA (community-supported agriculture) group that delivers produce on a schedule? Can a farmer visit the class to share tools, seeds, and other items they use? The Illinois State Board of Education offers resources for farm to child nutrition programs (F2CNP) that may be helpful.
Factors to consider when looking into farm to ECE include:
- Program regulations and policies about buying food. Is the program allowed to buy directly from a local farm or CSA?
- Food service practices. Is food for the children prepared on-site or delivered? Do children bring their own from home? Where might food from local farms fit in the menu?
- Space to prepare and store locally produced foods.
- Availability of food producers. Could you link up with some growers at an outdoor market?
- School year vs. growing and harvest season. If they are out of sync, your program might miss out on summer produce but enjoy fall fruits and vegetables.
If your program is in a city, consider farm to ECE experiences with urban farming groups. Joining a group like the Illinois Farm to School Network online might be the best way to start.
IEL Resources
- Resource List: Farm to School Programs
Jean Mendoza
Jean Mendoza holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from University of Illinois, a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Illinois, and a master’s in counseling psychology from Adler University of Chicago. She served on the faculty of the early childhood teacher education program at Millikin University and worked with children and families for more than 25 years as a teacher, social worker, and counselor. She recently collaborated with Dr. Debbie Reese on a young people’s adaptation of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz). Her long-standing interest in children’s literature is reflected in her reviews of children’s books with Native content, which have appeared in A Broken Flute and on the blog American Indians in Children’s Literature. Jean and her late husband, Durango, have four grown children and six grandchildren. She lives in Urbana, Illinois.
Biography current as of 2021