Farm to Preschool 101

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Farm to Preschool 101

• Stacey Sobell Williams, MPH
• Farm to School Coordinator, Ecotrust
• Portland, Oregon
• Western Lead Agency, National Farm to School
  Network

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Agenda

• Introduction to farm to preschool
• Farm to Head Start pilot in Oregon
• Increasing procurement of local foods
• Farm Field Trips
• Gardening with young children
• Curriculum

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Introduction to Farm to Preschool
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What is Farm to Preschool?

• Farm to School
• Connects local food producers and processors with
  the school cafeteria or kitchen
• Food- and garden-based education in the
  classroom, lunchroom, and community
• Ages 0-5
• Childcare centers, preschool, Head Start, daycare
  centers, in-home care

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Why Farm to Preschool?

• Dramatic increases in obesity among preschoolers
• Low consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Food deserts lack of access to fresh fruits and
  vegetables
• Fresh food healthy food
• Other benefits
• Local economy
• Environment

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Why Farm to Preschool? Continued

• Rely on caregivers to create food/activity
  environments
• Consume as much as 80 of daily nutrients in
  childcare
• Early patterns are a determinant of later eating
  habits

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Why Farm to Preschool? Continued

• K-12 Farm to School movement strong
• Prepare preschoolers for farm to school programs
  as they enter K-12

Credit Emily Jackson, ASAP, 2008
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Why Head Start?

• Vulnerable population
• Parental involvement
• Curriculum is experiential a good fit

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Ecotrust Farm to School
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Ecotrusts Farm to Head Start Pilot Program

• Oregon Child Development Coalition
• 3 pilot sites
• Goals and activities
• Connections with local farmers and food
  processors
• Incorporation of more healthy local fruits and
  vegetables and other foods
• Promote food- and garden-based
• education

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Pilot Program Outcomes

• Farm and food processor field trips
• Salad greens, strawberries
• Local, preservative and HFCS-free chili
• Inspired ideas sugar-free local fruit cups
• Early Sprouts curriculum (www.earlysprouts.org)
• Sensory exploration, tasting, cooking activities
• Parental involvement, hands-on participatory

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Farm to Childcare into the Future

• OCDC planted gardens, started a blog
• Replicable model

Americorps member, teachers, and kids at OCDCs
Silverton learning and nutritional garden Photo
credit http//ocdcgardens.blogspot.com/
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Procuring More Local Foods
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Increasing Local Procurement Models

• Direct from farmers
• Work with farmers cooperatives
• Farmers markets
• Traditional wholesalers
• Note As of October 1, 2008, the NSLA allows
  institutions receiving funds through the CNP to
  apply a geographic preference when procuring
  unprocessed locally grown or raised agricultural
  products. You can access the memo here
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/Policy-Memo
  s/2008/SP_30-2008.pdf

Adapted from USDA Food Nutrition Service, Eat
SmartFarm Fresh!, 2005
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Steps to Increase Local Procurement

• Start small
• Review menus/regulations
• Decide on the best model
• Meet with your distributor
• Identify local farms, food processors, markets
  (adult field trips)
• Communicate clearly and be flexible

Adapted in part from Community Alliance with
Family Farmers, Farm to School Field Guide for
Food Service http//www.caff.org/programs/FSDguide
.pdf
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2008 field trip with OCDC childcare partners to
Truitt Brothers processing plant in Salem, OR
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How do you procure?Where do you get most of
your food?Have you procured or tried to procure
local food?What barriers have you encountered?
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Troubleshooting Procurement
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Troubleshooting Procurement

• Problems
• Too expensive
• Distributor inflexible or few local options
• Solutions
• Set financial guidelines, develop annual goals,
  start small, buy seasonally
• Demand more local, renegotiate contract, leverage
  off-contract flexibility

Adapted in part from Community Alliance with
Family Farmers, Farm to School Field Guide for
Food Service
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Troubleshooting Procurement continued

• Problems
• Kids wont eat new foods
• Little support or even opposition
• Solutions
• Farm or farmers market field trips, tasting
  days, use produce from on-site garden
• Build a team! Communicate challenges and
  benefits. Promote what you are doing!

Adapted in part from Community Alliance with
Family Farmers, Farm to School Field Guide for
Food Service
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• Online directory and marketplace for regional
  buyers/sellers of food
• Helps to streamlime procurement and promotion
• Launched February 2010
• Focus on Oregon and Washington
• www.food-hub.org

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Farm Field Trips
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Farm Field Trips

• Try to go to the farm that supplies the food to
  the Head Start center
• Make sure you have access to bathrooms
• Dress appropriately and come prepared (water,
  name tags, sunscreen)
• Provide authentic experiences let the children
  do something real
• Make an inclement weather plan

Credit Emily Jackson, ASAP, 2008
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Credit Emily Jackson, ASAP, 2008
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Establishing Head Start Gardens
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Benefits of Gardens

• Naturally calms and reduces stress
• Can help to manage ADHD
• Promotes exploration and discovery
• Great fit with experiential education
• Motivates and increases activity

Credit Diana Vandenbussche, Child Development
Associates, 2009
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Establishing Gardens

• Challenge 1
• Staff unfamiliar with or resistant to gardening
• Possible Solutions
• Have a fun training
• Require teachers to incorporate gardening into
  their lesson plans every day
• See if cooperative extensions, Victory Gardens,
  or any other groups offer mentors
• Find an easy gardening curriculum (next
  presentation)

Credit Diana Vandenbussche, Child Development
Associates, 2009. Photo Credit Emily Jackson,
ASAP, 2008
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Establishing Gardens

• Challenge 2
• Lack of money and resources
• Possible Solutions
• Have garden fundraisers
• See if parents are willing to donate time
• Grants (Staceys list) or request in-kind
  donations of supplies (e.g., Home Depot)

Credit Diana Vandenbussche, Child Development
Associates, 2009
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Establishing Gardens

• Other Challenges
• Physical obstacles
• Placement of preschool buildings
• No dirt area or space for garden
• Not enough shade/too much shade
• No hose connections outside
• Lack of people power for digging up space, etc.
• Not enough or the right equipment
• Animal /insect invasions!
• Certain types of plants may be toxic (e.g., no
  nightshades tomatoes, peppers, potatoes)

Credit Diana Vandenbussche, Child Development
Associates, 2009
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Establishing Gardens

• Possible Solutions
• Grow plants indoors or just sprout seeds on
  windowsill
• Buy or build raised bed boxes for patio areas
• Let children fill small watering cans to water
  plants inside or out
• Enlist parents to water on weekends and help with
  physical labor starting garden

Credit Diana Vandenbussche, Child Development
Associates, 2009
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Establishing Gardens

• Opportunities
• Include a sand or soil box nearby for non-garden
  play
• Plant with the senses in mind, use lots of color
• Consider planting fruit bushes/trees
• Cook with what you grow or at least taste it

Credit Emily Jackson, ASAP, 2008
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Dont forget

• Be a good role model eat your veggies!
• Document your work and promote it to parents, the
  community, and the media

Photo Credit Emily Jackson, ASAP, 2008