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Farm to Child Care // More Resources // Parent Engagement // Children's Activities // F2CC Upcoming Training

Free resources to support your Farm to Child Care program

Farm to Child Care / Farm to Preschool Curricula

Farm to Preschool Curriculum by UEPI
Farm to Child Care Curriculum by IATP
How's it Growing? How-to Guide by Emily Mehr
Preschool Lesson Plans by Growing Minds
Grow it! Try it! Like it! Nutrition Education Kit by Team Nutrition (USDA)
Nutritious, Delicious Wisconsin: Connecting Nutrition Education and Local Foods, by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Early Sprouts, by the Health Science and Early Childhood Education departments of Keene State College
Growing A Green Generation, by the University of New Hampshire Departments of Plant Biology & Child Study and Development Center
Cultivating Joy and Wonder: Educating for Sustainability in Early Childhood Through Nature, Food, and Community, by Shelburne Farms
Michigan Team Nutrition Preschool Book List, by Michigan State University
Food and Nutrition Fun for Preschoolers, by the Food and Nutrition Information Center
Harvest for Healthy Kids Activity Kits
Farm to Early Care and Education 101: A Roadmap for National Farm to School Network Core Partners by the National Farm to School Network

Gardens

Got Dirt? Garden Toolkit, by Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Got Veggies? Garden Based Nutrition Toolkit, by Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Child Care Gardens, by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Creating and Growing Edible Schoolyards: A How to Manual For School Professionals, by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)
Childhood in the Garden: a Place to Encounter Natural and Social Diversity by the NAEYC
Gardening with Kids Book Ideas by Gardening Matters (includes info on their availability at Twin Cities Libraries)
Starting a garden tips, planting dates for vegetables in Minnesota, and more by the University of Minnesota Extension
Planning a School Garden by Community GroundWorks
Gardening with your Children: It's Easier than you think! by Child Care Quarterly
Minnesota Ag in the Classroom by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Cooking with Children in Child Care by Growing Minds (cooking abilities at different ages on page 4)
Garden Planning with Kids
Creating a Square Foot Garden Plan
School Garden Checklist by Let's Move
Basic Garden Tools, Kid-friendly Garden Tools, and Kid-friendly Kitchen Tools
Starting a Preschool Garden and Common Poisonous Plants by Georgia Organics
Preschool Garden Workshop Slideshow by UEPI
Gardens for Young Learners Brief by Wisconsin School Gardens Initiative
Local Foods: Child Care Center Production Gardens by Natural Learning Initiative
South Carolina Garden Toolkit by South Carolina Farm to Institution
Springfield Public Schools Farm to School Garden Toolkit by Springfield Public Schools

Georgia Organics' video will help you begin to think about how you can grow some of your own food in a garden, given your space and time, and this guide was developed specifically for growing food with preschoolers, using containers or small spaces.

Consider the community assets and resources you already have at your fingertips: Master Gardeners, food hubs, nearby school districts, local public health (SHIP) professionals and early childhood family education (ECFE) programs.

Guides

Food Safety from Farm and Garden to Preschool, by the University of Massachusetts
Farm to Early Childhood Guide by Michigan University Center for Regional Food Systems
Farm to Preschool Training Manual, by Occidental College Urban and Environmental Policy Institute
Healthy Bites, by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Department of Health Services, and Department of Children and Families
The Preschool Initiative, by The Food Trust
Building Blocks For Fun and Healthy Meals, by Team Nutrition (USDA)
MN School Garden & Farm To Cafeteria Safety - A Food Safety Operations Manual, by MN Statewide Health Improvement Program
Child Care Food Program Wellness Toolkit
CHOICE: Creating Healthy Opportunities in Child Care Environments, by Contra Costa Child Care Council
Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility in Eating
How to include Kids in the Kitchen, Produce Shelf Life, and How to Cook Vegetables by Cook Smarts
The Benefits and How-to of Serving Family-Style Meals by the National Center on Health
Teaching Children About Nutrition During Meals

Finding Local Food

Minnesota Grown Directory of Farms
Minnesota Grown CSA Finder
Local Harvest (you can search by location for farms, farmers markets, CSAs, etc)
Land Stewardship CSA Directory
Local Foods College resource locator & interactive map
Pride of the Prairie Local Food Guide (Southwest and West Central MN)
Directory of MN Organic Farms
Eat Wild - MN Listings
MN Farmers Market Association’s Farmers Market Locator
((IATP’s Minnesota Farm to School Producer directory))
Food Alliance Midwest
RTC's Farm to Child Care Producer directory
Local Food in CACFP Memo by USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Local Meats in CACFP Memo by USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Things to Consider when Serving Local Foods in Child Care Settings by Renewing the Countryside
Food Safety and Selection at the Farmers Market by the University of Nebraska
Local Food for Little Eaters: A Purchasing Toolbox for the Child and Adult Care Food Program by Michigan State University

Kid-friendly Healthy Recipe Collections

Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Child Care Centers and Homes, by USDA Team Nutrition and Let’s Move
USDA Recipes for Childcare, by the United States Department of Agriculture
Harvest of the Month, by Network for a Healthy California
Cooks for Kids: Cooking Green Across America, by The University of Mississippi National Food Service Management Institute
Leap of Taste, by West Virginia Department of Education Office of Child Nutrition
Healthy Snacks and Physical Activities for Early Childhood Programs, by USDA Team Nutrition
Snacks That Count: Recipes for Nutritious Snacks, be Texas Department of Agriculture
Learning About Nutrition Through Activities: Cooking Activities, by Minnesota Department of Health
Provider's Choice/RTC Farm to Child Care Weekly Seasonal Menu
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for CACFP by USDA Team Nutrition

more resources

Free resources to support your Farm to Child Care program

Directory

Farm to Child Care / Farm to Preschool Curricula

Gardens

Guides

Finding Local Food

Kid-friendly Healthy Recipe Collections

Videos

MN-focused farm visits and educational opportunities

Websites with more information

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