Farm to School Programs

This page provides resources for schools and early care and education programs on Farm to School in Illinois including food safety, procurement, scratch cooking, school gardens, and success stories. 

Farm to early care and education (“farm to ECE”) is the application of farm to school activities to preschools, daycare centers, Head Start programs, and other early care settings. This toolkit provides educators and school administrators with information about local food sourcing, nutrition education, gardening activities, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) veggie and fruit snack menus and recipes.   

The following list contains all the farm to early care and education curricula available through the National Farm to School Network.   

Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) increases children’s access to fresh, healthy food. It also helps children learn more about food and gardening. This page lists ways states and communities can get started. 

This two-page fact sheet discusses how farm to school isn’t just for K-12 institutions; an increasing number of early child care and education providers are engaging in farm to preschool activities. The term “farm to preschool” encompasses efforts to serve local or regionally produced foods in early child care and education settings; provide hands-on learning activities such as gardening, farm visits, and culinary activities; and integrate food-related education into the curriculum. 

Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) provides resources, toolkits, consulting and training for teachers, food service personnel, and administrators seeking to incorporate local, sustainable food into school meals and healthy eating education and school gardens into school curriculum and educational activities. SGA implements the Illinois Harvest of the Month local food access program, the Great Illinois Apple Crunch program, and directs the Illinois Farm to School Network, which links partner organization resources to Illinois schools. SGA’s Fresh from the Farm Curriculum and Farm to School resources are offered at no cost to educators. 

Illinois Harvest of the Month celebrates multiple in-season, locally grown food items every month. The calendar features foods produced during each Illinois growing season. Schools choose which local foods to celebrate based upon availability and the right fit for their site or program.  

The Midwest Great Apple Crunch is a day-long local food celebration. The Great Apple Crunch is celebrated in October. This page offers educators activities and guides to teach how apples grow and help children discover how tasty a fresh, local apple can be.   

Farm to school is a people-powered movement that seeks to strengthen the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers. This article explains the three basic elements for farm to school.