farm to preschool toolkit · farm to early care and education (farm to ece) is a natural extension...

Table of Contents

IntroductionNFSN: Getting Started with Farm to ECEGet Local @ School MaterialsRules and RegulationsReach for the StarsProcurement

Local Food Purchasing GuidelinesCACFP Local Foods MemoIncorporating Local into Your Food ServiceQuestions to Ask Your Produce ProviderFarmer Conversation GuideNFSN Fact Sheet: Preschool Procurement

Building Positive Experiences with Healthy Food Plant List for PreK GardensCooking with Preschool ChildrenMonthly Resources

Resources section contains sample recipe card, sample sticker, weekly This Week in the Garden and Farm to School Goes Home resources, and food and farm based classroom lessons.

Farm to Preschool Toolkit

13-457-89-21

2223-2829 303132-3535-3839-4647-5153

WHAT IS FARM TO PRESCHOOL?Farm to Preschool. Farm to Early Care and Education. Farm to Childcare. Whatever you call it, it’s a growing move-ment, growing alongside the ever popular Farm to School movement (which is focused on kindergarten through 12th grade).

Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s make sure we share the similar definition. The North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network defined farm to preschool as: Farm to Preschool enhances the health and education of young children by developing systems and experiential learning that connects children and the their families with local food and farms. Farm to Preschool includes any type of childcare that incorporates local foods through: meals and snacks, taste tests, lessons, famer visits, cooking, growing food, and/or community and parent involvement.

ASAP’S GROWING MINDS AND HOW THIS FARM TO PRESCHOOL TOOLKIT CAME TO BEASAP’s (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) Growing Minds Farm to School program got its start in 2002 as a school garden program and morphed into a full-fledged farm to school program in 2004. Since that time, we have developed numerous resources (lesson plans, promotional materials, trainings, etc.), served as the Southeast Regional Lead for National Farm to School Network, and initiated the Growing Minds @ University project (integrat-ing local food and farm to school into pre-service training of teachers and health professionals). In 2007, we started working with preschools.

It took some time for us to wrap our heads around the preschool world (we are still learning!) but we quickly real-ized that we needed to create resources specifically for this population. We also adapted our trainings to incorpo-rate more parent engagement strategies. We got some years under our belts and then we co-facilitated the national Farm to Preschool subcommittee, bringing folks from around the country to dive deeper. 2015 to date, we’re co-leading the North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network, a group of stakeholders committed to growing and support-ing the farm to preschool movement in North Carolina.

And now this toolkit. We’ve had most of the resources on our growing-minds.org website for some time, but we knew that having it all in one place, in print, would be helpful.

In this toolkit, you will find resources such as: tips on cooking with young children, how to purchase food from local farms, how to engage children in gardening, rules and regs, and lesson plans galore! Caveat: though this looks like a lot of information (and there’s a lot here), it is SIMPLE. Simple as planting a seed with a child. Simple as eating a tomato.

Farm to preschool can often be an overwhelming idea to many people, but it doesn’t have to be! Look for ways to integrate farm to preschool into what you are already doing. And never underestimate the impact that even a seemingly small activity can have on a child. We encourage you to think of ways to do farm to school that are simple, inexpensive, easy for families to replicate at home (recipes, gardens), and foster exploration, wonder, and joy. Joy is the key ingredient.

Farm to Preschool Toolkit

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GETTING STARTED WITH FARM TO EARLY CARE AND EDUCATIONWhat is farm to early care and education?Farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) is a natural extension of farm to school that offers increased access to healthy, local foods, gardening opportunities and food-based activities to enhance the quality of educational experience in all types of early care and education settings (e.g., preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, programs in K-12 school districts). In addition to promoting health, wellness and high quality educational opportunities in ECE settings, farm to ECE also expands healthy food access and family engagement, provides additional market opportunities for farmers and supports thriving communities.

Getting startedFarm to early care and education offers multiple strategies to improve the health of children, increase the quality of educational experiences and support thriving communities. This list provides easy first steps to develop a lasting farm to ECE program in your community:

1 Assess where you are and where you’d like to be.

Are your goals centered on:• Purchasing healthy, local

foods to be served in meals or snacks?

• Establishing a garden or offering gardening experiences?

• Enhancing the learning environment with other farm to ECE activities (e.g., field trips to farms or farmers markets, cooking lessons, etc.)?

• Engaging families in local food access and education?• All of the above?

2 Form a team and collaborate. Teachers and administrators, parents, Child Care Resource and Referral staff, local farmers, community organizations, and even

local colleges/universities can play important roles in establishing a sustainable farm to early care and education program.

3 Establish one or two attainable goals to get started. Some ideas include:• Identify snack or meal items that you would like to transition to local.• Find a farmer, farmers market, grocery store or wholesaler to connect you to local

foods. Search LocalHarvest (localharvest.org) or reach out to your National Farm to School Network State Lead for help making these connections!

FARM TO EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN ACTIONMany programs exist across the country—here are two examples:

In-home providers create farm to ECE opportunities through a backyard gardenIn Los Angeles, Ethan and Friends Family Child Care owner Shaunte Taylor has transformed her modest inner-city backyard to include raised beds, a compost bin, multiple fruit trees, and a chicken coop. Now, children plant seeds, amend the soil while investigating worms and insects, water plants, and harvest and prepare simple recipes using their garden produce.

Continued on other side....

Credit: Growing Gardens

Stay InformedJoin our network: FarmtoSchool.org

Twitter @FarmtoSchool

Facebook National Farm to School Network

Instagram @FarmtoSchool

GROWING STRONGER TOGETHERThe National Farm to School Network is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into school systems and preschools. 3

NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK

• Identify curricula, activities or books related to farm to ECE.• Plan a local foods meal, snack, day, or event.• Reach out to a local nursery or hardware store for donations or other support for

starting an edible garden.• Plan a farm or farmers market

field trip, a farmer visit to the classroom or host a tasting of local produce.

4 Learn from others. If you are running into an obstacle, it is

likely that there is someone who has run into it before! Some places to connect and learn from others include:

• The National Farm to School Network website. Find resources and contact information for people in your state and region who are working on farm to school and farm to early care and education. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive regular communication about news, resources and opportunities.

• The farm to preschool website (farmtopreschool.org). Find information and case studies specific to early care settings.

• Your county or state’s Child Care Resource and Referral agency. These agencies can provide ways to learn about and connect with other early care and education programs that are implementing farm to ECE activities. Find your local agencies at www.usa.childcareaware.org.

• The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) staff in your state. Learn how CACFP can help you make local food more economical and can free up resources for other farm to ECE activities. CACFP state agency contacts can be found at www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp.

5 Promote farm to early care and education in your community. Ideas include sharing information and recipes in parent newsletters, posting garden or field trip

photos to a website or on social media, or inviting local media to your activities.

School districts versus early care and education settingsThere are a few important distinctions between school districts and early care and education settings:

Local foods procurement: ECE programs tend to purchase at smaller volumes and generally do not offer a la carte choices or multiple meal options. Small purchasing volumes can be a good fit for small farmers who may not have enough volume to work with an entire school district.

Class size: ECE programs tend to have smaller numbers of children, and their schedules can vary (child care might be for only a few hours, or it could be a full day). Smaller groups of children provide greater flexibility, while shorter days can limit some activities.

Curriculum: Common Core is the standard for K-12, while experiential education is highly encouraged in ECE settings. This is a great fit with many farm to ECE activities such as gardening, cooking and taste tests.

Parental involvement: parental involvement tends to be strong during the early childhood years, which can be a huge asset for farm to ECE programming.

FARM TO EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN ACTION

Oregon Child Development Coalition works directly with local farmers to procure food for mealsEarly care centers have proven to be an ideal market for La Esperanza Farm, an incubator farm for local organic and sustainable Latino farmers in Forest Grove, Oregon. Working closely with the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s USDA Food Services Specialist, Head Start centers now receive deliveries of local produce for meals, nourishing both children and their community.

The National Farm to School Network has more resources on this topic and others, as well as contact information for people in your state and region who are working on farm to school and farm to early care and education programs. Visit farmtoschool.org for more information and to join our network.

WHY FARM TO SCHOOL?KIDS WINFarm to school (inclusive of farm to early care and education) provides all kids access to nutritious, high quality, local food so they are ready to learn and grow. Farm to school activities enhance classroom education through hands-on learning related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition.

FARMERS WINFarm to school can offer new financial opportunities for farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors and food manufacturers by opening the doors to an institutional market worth billions of dollars.

COMMUNITIES WINBuying from local producers and processors reduces the carbon footprint of food transportation while stimulating the local economy. Educational activities such as school gardens and composting programs help to create a healthy environment around the school community.

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Growing Minds Materials Available for Purchase I

tried

local strawberries

Stickers Available:

Tomatoes Cucumbers Cabbage Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Apples

Lettuce Greens Strawberries Summer SquashBerries

Priced at $6 per 100 stickers, any quantities available.

3x5 Recipe Cards Available:

Tomatoes Cucumbers Cabbage Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Apples (3 different versions)

Lettuce Greens Strawberries Summer SquashBerries

Priced at $15 per 100 cards, any quantities available.

Growing Minds @ Market Manual

This manual makes it simple to implement a children’s activity area at your local tailgate market. From tips and tools to activity lesson plans, it’s all here. Information is included that outlines the benefits of bringing children’s programs to your market and provides suggestions for different ways to sustain them.

Manuals are $15 each.

To purchase any of these items please email: [email protected] or call 828-236-1282 to speak with Growing Minds.

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Growing Minds is a program of ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project).

306 West Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 236-1282

www.Growing-Minds.org

Rules and Regulations Many early childhood instructors and directors are hesitant to participate in farm to school activities like cooking and gardening with their students due to uncertainty about the rules and regulations around these activities. The following guidelines for gardening have been drawn directly from the NC Rated License Assessment Project, NC Division of Child Development, and NC Children’s Environmental Health Branch: Gardening:

• NCRLAP - Gardening is viewed as an intentional planned activity when there are enough tools and supplies for children (such as gardening spades, gloves, watering cans, wheelbarrows). Handwashing is required when children return indoors after gardening. Gardens/Gardening is not recommended for infant and toddler play areas.

• DCD - Growing a garden inside your licensed child care outdoor learning environment is fine for children 3 years of age or older. Gardens would need to be maintained. Growing a garden in infant and toddler play areas (children 2 years of age or younger) is not allowed.

• CEHB - Handwashing is required after outdoor activity including gardening. It is important to harvest the ripened fruit to prevent it from falling to the ground and attracting vermin. The use of pesticides is not recommended for gardens in licensed child care programs.

Composting:

• NCRLAP – There would be no safety concerns unless the area was not maintained well. Involving the children in the composting process would count as an example of a nature/science activity considered for the ECERS-R, FCCERS-R, and SACERS.

• DCD - Again, maintenance is a key issue. Failure to maintain properly could result in odor, bugs and other rodent problems.

• CEHB - Sanitation rules require composting areas be covered and maintained to prevent attracting rodents or vermin. In addition, worm bins must be kept covered. Handwashing after such activity is a requirement. The local Cooperative Extension Office may be helpful. Some compost may contain rotting food material.

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The following guidelines for cooking have been drawn directly from the NC Department of Health and Human Services Child Care Rules: Cooking: RULES: 15A NCAC 18A .2804 FOOD SUPPLIES (g) Nothing in the Rules of this Section shall prohibit the use of fresh garden fruits and vegetables, including those grown at the child care center, so long as they are washed before being served. 15A NCAC 18A .2807 FOOD PREPARATION (d) Raw fruits and raw vegetables shall be washed with potable water before being cooked or served.

INTERPRETATION: Child care centers may grow their own gardens and serve these foods to children so long as they are washed with potable water before being cooked or served. Child care centers may also receive fruits and vegetables from local farms and gardens.

RULES: 15A NCAC 18A .2808 FOOD SERVICE (f) Children attending child care centers shall not be in the kitchen except when participating in a supervised activity.

INTERPRETATION: Children may be in center kitchens during supervised activities such as cooking activities. Additional Resources: https://naturalearning.org/node/404 – Information on composting. https://naturalearning.org/childcare_production_gardens - Information on production gardens. https://naturalearning.org/sites/default/files/1_Growing%20and%20Cooking%20Veggies_Final_10192015.pdf – Information on cooking.

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REACH FOR THE STARS WITH FARM TO PRESCHOOL

Aligning Early Childhood Environment

Rating Scale (ECERSR) with Farm to Preschool (F2P)

The North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network (NCFPN) convened in May 2015. This group of

stakeholders are committed to supporting and promoting farm to preschool programming

across the state of North Carolina. NCFPN developed a definition for farm to preschool: Farm to

Preschool enhances the health and education of young children by developing systems and

experiential learning that connects children and the their families with local food and farms.

Farm to Preschool includes any type of childcare that incorporates local foods through: meals

and snacks, taste tests, lessons, famer visits, cooking, growing food, and/or community and

parent involvement.

This resource, Reach for the Stars with Farm to Preschool , was created by NCFPN. Its purpose

is to help child care centers and family child care homes integrate farm to preschool activities

into their curriculum while addressing the the Early Childhood Rating Scale (ECERS). This resource will benefit early childhood programs in North Carolina and across the country.

Reach for the Stars with Farm to Preschool is organized by four farm to preschool activities:

1. edible gardening with young children,

2. farm field trips/farmer visits with young children,

3. local food classroom cooking/taste tests with young children, and

4. local food served in meals and/or snacks.

In each of these activity components, the ECERS subscale, scale, and indicators were aligned

with suggested farm to preschool activities, providing ideas and prompts for early childhood

educators. In addition to enriching the educational experience, this resource clearly

demonstrates how star ratings can be achieved through farm to preschool programming.

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http://growing-minds.org/nc-farm-to-preschool-network/

http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/early-childhood-environment-rating-scale-ecers-r

REACH FOR THE STARS WITH FARM TO PRESCHOOL

Aligning Early Childhood Environment

Rating Scale (ECERSR) with Farm to Preschool (F2P)

Activity: Edible Gardening with Young Children

SUBSCALE SPACE AND FURNISHINGS

Scale Child related display

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Children display art that references experiences in the garden and includes pictures of themselves in the garden

Indicator 7.1 Creative and Individualized displays depicting the garden are created by 50% of the children

Scale Space for gross motor play

Indicators Indicator 7.1 Children utilize gross motor skills in the garden (weeding, digging, using a wheelbarrow) on a variety of surfaces (soft: dirt, wood chips/mulch, grass; hard: concrete surface)

Scale Gross motor equipment

Indicators Indicator 3.1 Children have access to gross motor equipment (wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, buckets) in the garden

Indicator 5.1 Numerous gross motor equipment (wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, buckets) are made available to children in the garden

Scale Meals and snacks

SUBSCALE PERSONAL CARE ROUTINES

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Indicators Indicator 3.2 Fresh, local produce picked from the garden is served as part of meal and/or snack

Indicator 7.1 Locally grown food (from school garden or local farm) is served family style.

Indicator 7.3 Staff and children discuss where their food comes from, who grew it, how did it get from the field to their plate, how it grows (on a vine, underground) and if it is or is not growing in the school garden

Scale Health practices

Indicators Indicator 5.2 Staff eat fresh, local produce picked from the garden

Indicator 5.3 Children have gloves (and/or aprons) on when working in the garden

Indicator 7.1 Children wash their hands after working in the garden

Scale Safety practices

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Staff put away garden tools when not in use

Indicator 5.2 Safety rules for work in the garden are explained to the children

Indicator 7.1 Small groups of children take turns working in the garden, to avoid many children using garden tools at the same time.

Indicator 7.2 Children demonstrate the safe use of garden tools

SUBSCALE LANGUAGEREASONING

Scale Books and pictures

Indicators Indicator 3.2 Staff selects and reads a seasonallyappropriate gardenrelated book to children.

Indicator 7.1 Rotate books each season through activity centers to feature books that highlight garden related information and stories.

Indicator 7.2 Garden books based on a seasonal theme (planting the garden, insects of the garden, harvesting from the garden, food from the garden, cooking from the garden) are made readily available to children.

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Scale Encouraging children to communicate

Indicators Indicator 7.1 Staff and children talk about what they are experiencing in the garden, balancing time between staff and children

Indicator 7.2 Children dictate a variety of garden topics to staff: garden rules, garden tasks, garden questions to a local farmer, garden discoveries, amount of produce harvested

Scale Using language to develop reasoning skills

Indicators Indicator 3.1 While gardening teachers talk to children about concepts like big/little, alike/different, cause and effect, leaf or root

Indicator 5.1 Take sequence photos (ex. steps of plant growing) and use for games or books

Indicator 7.1 Children are encouraged to connect what they learned in the garden to the food they are consuming at snack or a meal

Indicator 7.2 Children are asked to help figure out how many seeds or transplants to plant, how much space a vegetable needs to grow, how much water is needed for plants in garden

Scale Informal use of language

Indicators Indicator 5.3 Staff help children fill in their understanding of how a plant grows in the garden (ex. What plant comes from what seed, what plants need to grow, what plants grow under or above ground…)

Indicator 7.1 Individually, children explain and show staff their favorite part of the garden or favorite garden task. Teacher could use time working in the garden as a time to have oneonone conversations with children.

Indicator 7.2 Openended questions dominate the conversation in the garden, with children responding to questions such as “why do you think earthworms are helpful in the garden?” or “why do we need to provide water for the plants?”

SUBSCALE ACTIVITIES

Scale Art

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Indicators Indicator 7.2 Children draw pictures about their time in the garden and create a class book about the garden

Indicator 7.3 Children are encouraged and provided space to extend their garden art project (garden mural, seed mosaic, building garden castle, etc.) for an extended period of time

Scale Dramatic play

Indicators Indicator 7.3 Caps, overalls, garden tools, wheelbarrow, hay, cornstalks, buckets, pumpkins/gourds are all props that can be used for “life on a farm” dramatic play outdoors in the garden

Indicator 7.4 A visit to a local farm or garden, in addition to stories and pictures, are used to enrich dramatic play as children pretend to be farmers, gardeners, chefs, cheese makers, spinners, scientists, etc.

Scale Nature/science

Indicators Indicator 3.3 Children bring in materials from their home gardens or yards

Indicator 5.4 –Making observations about what is going on in the garden (weather, seasons, observing insects/birds)

Indicator 7.1 Using the produce grown to do cooking activities, making predictions about what will happen in the garden (how many squash that will grow, how big a watermelon will get, etc.)

Indicator 7.2 Add photo books created and books about gardening topics

Scale Math/number

Indicators Indicator 3.1/5.1 Have materials like scales, measuring tapes for counting and measuring

Indicator 5.4 Counting items that are picked from the garden

Indicator 7.1 Making charts to compare heights, weights, days it take to grow, etc. from items in the garden

Scale Use of TV, video, and/or computers

Indicators Indicator 7.3 Videos about gardens, farms, insects, etc. are used to support garden learning

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Scale Promoting acceptance of diversity

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Include books with images of nontraditional farmers (images of women and people of color); plant fruits/vegetables in the garden that celebrate ethnic diversity of children

SUBSCALE INTERACTION

Scale Interactions among children

Indicators Indicator 7.2 Children are provided opportunities to work collaboratively in the garden (preparing the garden for spring planting or fall harvesting, mulching the garden, watering the garden)

SUBSCALE PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Scale Schedule

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Create a garden calendar with children that can provide flexibility for lengthened activity in good weather

Scale Free play

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Children are allowed time for garden exploration as part of free play

Indicator 7.2 Different materials are added to the garden periodically (magnifying glasses for closer observation, scarecrows, trellis, different plants, etc.); new experiences are added (insect and weed identification cards, signs in the snow, color hunt, etc.)

Scale Group time

Indicators Indicator 3.1 and 3.2 Small groups of children work together in the garden and/or provide opportunity for children to selfselect time in the garden

Indicator 7.2 Staff take time with individual child, small groups, or whole group to provide educational interaction in garden (educational interaction could be looking for different colors in the garden, reading “Tops and Bottoms” book and

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finding tops and bottoms in the garden, sorting leaves, identifying insects, plan next year’s garden)

Indicator 7.2 Gardens provide many opportunities for children to be part of selfselected groups (planting group, weeding group, watering group, harvesting group, weather station group, insect monitoring group)

Scale Provisions for children with disabilities

Indicators Indicator 7.2 Modifications are made in the garden that allow for the easy participation of children with disabilities (bed raised to level of wheelchair, garden paths smooth for wheelchair/walker access, etc.)

SUBSCALE PARENTS AND STAFF

Scale Provision for parents

Indicators Indicator 3.3 and 3.4 Parents and family members are involved in all aspects of the garden; signage in garden (plant identification, garden rules, etc.) are in languages that reflect children’s families

Indicator 5.2 Parents are made aware that garden program is a vital piece of experiential education and that the garden is used as a teaching tool, to bolster creativity and discovery

Scale Opportunities for professional growth

Indicators Indicator 5.2 Staff are provided regular inservice trainings on how to best use the garden as an instructional tool (guest speakers could be area farmers, Cooperative Extension)

Indicator 7.1 Staff are allowed opportunities to attend the National Farm to School Network conference, Children and Youth Gardening Symposium, as well as local and regional farm to school conferences.

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Activity: Farm Field Trips/Farmer Visits with Young Children

SUBSCALE SPACE AND FURNISHINGS

Scale ChildRelated Display

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Photos displayed on walls about current farm field trips or farmer visits. Indicator 5.2 Drawings children created about current farm field trips or farmer visits.

SUBSCALE LANGUAGE REASONING

Scale Books and Pictures

Indicators Indicator 5.1 and 7.2 Create books about farm field trips or farmer visits that are available at all times.

Scale Encouraging Children to Communicate

Indicators Indicator 5.1 and 7.2 Children create drawings about farm field trips or farmer visits and teacher dictates story from children about their experience. Indicator 5.1 Teacher asks open ended questions about what the children learned during their farm field trip or farmer visits. Indicator 5.2 Add farming supplies (hats, shovels, produce, baskets, etc.) to the dramatic play area or things you would see on farm (animals, food, tractors, etc.) to the block area.

Scale Using Language to Develop Reasoning Skills

Indicators Indicator 3.1 During farm field trips or farmer visits teachers talk to children about concepts like big/little, alike/different, cause and effect, leaf or root

Indicator 5.1 Take sequence photos (ex. steps of plant growing) or photos of flowering plants and matching produce item then use for games or books

Indicator 7.2 Children are asked to help figure out how many seeds or transplants to plant, how much space a vegetable needs to grow, how much water is needed for plants in garden

Scale Informal Use of Language

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Indicators Indicator 5.3 Staff help children fill in their understanding of what goes on at a farm (ex. What a typical day on the farm looks like, where the food goes after they grow it, etc.)

Indicator 7.1 Individually, children explain and show staff their favorite part of the farm field trip or farmer visit.

Indicator 7.2 Openended questions dominate the conversation during the farm field trip or farmer visit, with children responding to questions such as “what do you think the farmer does on a typical day?” or “where do you think the food they grow goes?”

SUBSCALE ACTIVITIES

Scale Fine Motor

Indicators Indicator 3.1 and 5.1 Add puzzles, sorting items, beading items and sewing cards that have a farm theme (animals on the farm, items a farmer grows, etc.)

Scale Art

Indicators Indicator 7.2 Children draw pictures about their farm field trip or farmer visit and create a class book about the experience.

Scale Music/Movement

Indicators Indicator 7.3 During music/movement time children are encouraged to act like farm animals.

Scale Dramatic Play

Indicators Indicator 7.1 Farm prop box filled with produce items, overalls, baskets, plastic hoes and shovels, gloves, buckets, etc. that can be rotated in center.

Indicator 7.3 Caps, overalls, garden tools, wheelbarrow, hay, cornstalks, buckets, pumpkins/gourds are all props that can be used for “life on a farm” dramatic play outdoors in the garden

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Indicator 7.4 A visit to a local farm or garden, in addition to stories and pictures, are used to enrich dramatic play as children pretend to be farmers, gardeners, chefs, cheese makers, spinners, scientists, etc.

Scale Nature/science

Indicators Indicator 3.3 Children bring in materials from

Indicator 5.1 Add materials like seeds, fruit/vegetable plants, books showing farm experiences (animal, plants, etc.), simple games using real photos of fruit and vegetable plants or farm animals, puzzles with realistic photos of farm animals and plants to nature/science center

Indicator 7.2 Add photo books created and books about farming from farm field trips or farmer visits

Scale Math/number

Indicators Indicator 3.1/5.1 Have materials like scales, measuring tapes for counting and measuring to compare items observed at during a farm visit

Scale Promoting acceptance of diversity

Indicators Indicator 5.1 Include books with images of nontraditional farmers (images of women and people of color); plant fruits/vegetables in the garden that celebrate ethnic diversity of children

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Activity: Local Food Classroom Cooking/Taste Tests with Young Children

SUBSCALE SPACE AND FURNISHING

Scale Childrelated display

Indicators Indicator 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 Taste tests of garden produce (grown by children or by area farmers) is displayed by children, relating to the farm to preschool activities, and displayed at eyelevel This could also be relevant to serving local food in snacks the children display the snack


Scale Meals/snacks

Indicators 7.1, 7.3 Children help set up taste tests during snack times. Conversation is encouraged among the children during the snack/taste test (talk could be about time spent in the garden, where the food came from, etc)

Scale Health practices

Indicators 7.1 Children taught to manage health practices independently (washing hands and putting on apron before a cooking lesson, washing hands before participating in a taste test)

Scale Safety practices

Indicators 5.1 and 5.2 Staff anticipate and take action to prevent safety problems (moving hot dishes out of children’s reach) and staff explain reasons for being safe to children while they are cooking 7.1 Cooking area is arranged to avoid safety problems (food preparation equipment is sized appropriately, younger children prepare food at a separate time from older children)

7.2 Children understand the safety rules regarding food preparation and follow the rules.

Subscale LANGUAGE REASONING


Indicators 7.1 Books and other language materials about food preparation are rotated to

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maintain interest. 7.2 Some books relate to current classroom activities or themes (recipe books with picture instructions, books about children cooking and eating are displayed near the food preparation area)

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Activity: Local Food Served in Meals and/or Snacks


Scale Meals/snacks

Indicators 5.2 Atmosphere at meal times and snack are pleasant and social, children talking about their garden, cooking, farm field trips.

7.3 Children are engaged in mealtime conversations about where their food comes from, how it was grown, if they cook at home with food from their gardens, etc.

Scale Health Practices

Indicators 5.2 Staff model healthy eating habits by highlighting items in their lunch that could be grown nearby, if they grew it themselves or purchased from a local farmers, and engaging children in this discussion.

7.2 Children are taught to wash items from the school garden before they consume it.

SUBSCALE LANGUAGEREASONING


Indicators 7.1 and 7.2 Recipe books featuring foods that could be grown on local farms are rotated to maintain interest.

SUBSCALE ACTIVITIES

Scale Nature/Science

Indicators 5.4 Teachers discuss with children about how local food is grown, harvested and delivered to child care (share how this is different than food coming from other states or countries).

SUBSCALE PARENTS AND STAFF

Scale Provisions for Parents

Indicators 5.2 Handbook includes a statement about purchasing local foods could include information about where they purchase and even how frequently local is served in the menu.

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Growing Minds is a program of ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

306 West Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 236-1282 www.growing-minds.org

Farm to Preschool: Local Food Purchasing Options

Getting fresh food from a local farm or farms has many benefits - you are helping re-connect children (and their families) to where their food comes from, you are keeping your food dollars in your local community, and you are getting the freshest, best tasting food possible.

Models for Farm to Preschool procurement are as diverse as the types of early care options. Below are several models that are being used to source local product for snacks and meals and are reimbursable through CACFP.

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)/Box program: Purchasing a weekly box of local seasonal product from a farm, farm collaborative, or distributor. Models and payment vary, but can include prepaying for the season and pick-up or delivery.

• Cooperative purchasing: Buying in bulk can offer wholesale pricing. Participate in cooperative purchasing with other preschool/child care sites to decrease costs. Think of other community partners that might also be interested – restaurants, churches, senior centers, etc.

• Buy direct from the farm: Collaborate directly with a local farmer or shop at farm stands. Don’t know a farmer in your area? Contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

• Shop farmers markets: Purchase from one or more farmers at your local farmers market. Markets can also act as pick up points for CSA or wholesale purchases. If you are in Western North Carolina, visit buyappalachian.org for tailgate market listings.

• Request local products through your distributor: Contract with produce distributers that purchase from local farms (an option for larger centers or those that utilize a contracted food or nutrition services vendor).

• Look for local at area grocery stores: The demand for local product has encouraged grocery chains to increase their purchasing of local products. Ask produce managers what locally grown products they carry.

Promote what you are doing! Let teachers, children and families know what local products are being served and connect with nutrition education and classroom lessons. Feature a local product of the month or highlight the farms you are purchasing from.

If you buy produce from a farmers market or directly from the farm, be sure to get a receipt that includes the farm name, the items purchased and the total; if you are participating in the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP), you will need such receipts.

22

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DATE: March 13, 2015 MEMO CODE: CACFP 11-2015 SUBJECT: Local Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program with

Questions and Answers TO: Regional Directors Special Nutrition Programs All Regions State Directors Child Nutrition Programs All States The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the incorporation of local foods and agriculture-based curriculum in early childhood education and care settings. The memorandum also clarifies policies in the recently published FNS Instruction 796-2, Revision 4, Financial Management in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) relevant to local food production and procurement. Finally, this memorandum includes questions and answers regarding procuring local food for use in the CACFP, growing food for use in CACFP, and donations. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand the purpose of the CACFP to “provide aid to child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons” [42 USC 1766(a)(1)(A)(ii)]. Further, Section 243 of the HHFKA established a Farm to School Program at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase the availability of local foods in schools and institutions. FNS continues to provide grants and technical assistance to implement Farm to School programs that improve access to local foods in the Child Nutrition Programs, including CACFP. The incorporation of local food and agricultural education into CACFP can play an important role in creating and promoting a healthy environment. There is a well-established and growing public interest in supporting local and regional food systems by purchasing these foods and incorporating agricultural-based curriculum and activities into early childhood education and care. Program administrators and partners are therefore encouraged to use local food as a means to enhance CACFP operations. The recently issued FNS Instruction 796-2, Revision 4, Financial Management of the CACFP, now categorizes costs associated with growing food that will be used in the CACFP, either as part of the meal service or for activities related to nutrition education to

United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service 3101 Park Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22302-1500

23

Regional Directors State Directors Page 2 food service staff, as allowable. These costs may include seeds, fertilizer, labor, plot rental, etc. Institutions are subject to 7 CFR Part 226.22 and therefore must conduct all procurements in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200.317-326. These procurement standards must be followed regardless of dollar amount, meal served or purchasing frequency. Facilities, such as day care homes and sponsored centers are encouraged to purchase in a way that promotes open and fair competition. For more information, see http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/796-4.pdf. State agencies are reminded to distribute this information to Program operators immediately. Program operators should direct any questions regarding this memorandum to the appropriate State agency. State agency contact information is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/StateDirectory.htm. State agencies should direct questions to the appropriate FNS Regional Office.

Angela Kline Director Policy and Program Development Division Child Nutrition Programs Attachment

24

ATTACHMENT

CACFP 11-2015 March 13, 2015

Page 1

Questions and Answers Related to Use of Local Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

A. General

1. What is Farm to School/Farm to Preschool? The term “Farm to School” encompasses efforts that bring local or regionally produced foods into cafeterias along with hands-on learning activities and the integration of food-related education into the regular, standards-based classroom curriculum. Farm to Preschool, the incorporation of these activities in early childcare and education settings, is a great way to introduce young children to where their food comes from, and help them develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Farm to Preschool encompasses a variety of efforts that might include:

Purchasing local and regional foods for reimbursable meals; Incorporating agricultural education programs into early childcare settings, such

as Grow It, Try It, Like It, (http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-try-it-it); Taste testing with locally-produced foods; Participating in a Harvest of the Month program; Starting and maintaining preschool gardens; and Taking field trips to local farmers markets and farms.

2. How and where can CACFP institutions purchase local foods? There are many ways in which institutions can incorporate local foods into their meals programs, including competitively purchasing directly from a producer, through a distributor or food service management company, or from food hubs, farmers’ markets, and gardens. See USDA’s Guide to Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs for a detailed description of each (http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/F2S_Procuring_Local_Foods_Child_Nutrition_Prog_Guide.pdf). A logical starting point may be for an institution to start asking about the source of the food they are currently purchasing. Some institutions may already be using local foods and not yet know it. Institutions can also communicate to current vendors and suppliers regarding their preference for local products. Also, vendor solicitations may be written with characteristics of products from local sources in mind; for instance specifying a particular variety of apple that is native to your region, or that a product be delivered within 24 or 48 hours of harvest. Products from local sources may be expressed as a preference, but may not be required as a product specification. Geographic preference may be used by institutions to procure locally grown or raised unprocessed foods. The institution making the purchase has the discretion to determine the local area to which the geographic preference option will be applied (7 CFR 226.22(n)(1)). Local area

25

ATTACHMENT

CACFP 11-2015 March 13, 2015

Page 2

is not defined by the USDA. Additional guidance on Geographic Preference can be found in CACFP 02-2013, Procurement Geographic Preference Q&As – Part II, October 9, 2012 (http://www.fns.usda.gov/procurement-geographic-preference-qas-%E2%80%93-part-ii). Note that CACFP institutions must procure all goods and services using the procurement regulations found in 7 CFR 226.22 and 2 CFR Part 200.317-326. Additional guidance on procurement can be found in FNS Instruction 796-2 Rev. 4 (www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/796-2%20Rev%204.pdf). 3. How can CACFP facilities, such as day care homes and sponsored centers, purchase

local foods? CACFP facilities can purchase local foods from any source, such as distributors, farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and food hubs, and are not required but are encouraged to purchase in a way that promotes open and fair competition. Additional guidance on procurement can be found in FNS Instruction 796-2 Rev. 4 (www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/796-2%20Rev%204.pdf). 4. When an institution purchases from a farm stand, farmer’s market, CSA, or directly

from a farm, are handwritten receipts acceptable forms of documentation of purchase? Yes. Handwritten receipts for items purchased are acceptable documentation as long as the receipt includes the date of purchase, name of vendor/farmer, item cost, amount, and total cost. 5. Can food that was donated from local gardens or farms be used as part of the

reimbursable meal? Yes. While the full reimbursement for CACFP meals must be spent on allowable Child Nutrition Program costs, there is no Federal requirement that all of the food components be purchased with Program funds or that a specific percentage of the reimbursement be spent on food. It is an allowable practice for non-program resources to cover food expenses provided that an excessive balance is not present as determined by the State agency (Refer to FNS Instruction 796-2, Revision 4, Financial Management of the CACFP, Section VI, D). CACFP institutions must maintain records of the types and quantities of donated foods received, which will be assessed as part of their food service records during an administrative review. 6. Can State agencies use their State Administrative Expense (SAE) Funds to provide

training and technical assistance on this topic? Yes. FNS Instruction 781-2 includes providing technical assistance, nutrition education, and training as an allowable use of SAE provided that the funds are used to support State-level administrative activities. For more information on utilizing SAE funds to support state-level staff and training activities, see SP 28-2015 (correct number will be provided when memorandum is posted), Questions and Answers Regarding the Use of State Administrative Expense (SAE) Funds and State Administrative Funds (SAF) for Farm to School Related Expenses, March 13, 2015, (website will be updated when memorandum is posted to the public web).

26

ATTACHMENT

CACFP 11-2015 March 13, 2015

Page 3

B. Gardens and Growing Food This guidance for growing food for use in the CACFP meal service is consistent with the guidance provided to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and operating school gardens. For more information, see SP 32-2009, School Garden Q&As, July 29, 2009, (http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP_32-2009_os.pdf) and SP 06- 2015, Farm to School and School Garden Expenses, November 12, 2014, (http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP06-2015os.pdf). 1. Can an institution or facility use funds from the nonprofit food service account to

purchase items for gardens such as seeds, fertilizer, watering cans, rakes, etc, to grow food that will be used in the food service?

Yes. As long as the produce grown in the garden will be used as part of the reimbursable meal –and for nutritional education activities. Centers using garden produce in their CACFP reimbursable meals should document the weight and/or volume of the produce. 2. Can an institution sell food grown in their CACFP garden that was funded using the

nonprofit food service account? Yes. As long as the revenue from the sale of the food accrues to the nonprofit food service account. Institutions or facilities may serve the produce as part of a reimbursable meal or sell it a la carte to parents, at a roadside stand, etc. 3. Can an institution or facility purchase produce from another institution or facility that

is maintaining and managing the garden, such as Future Farmers of America (FFA), which is an agricultural education program for students?

Yes. An institution or facility may purchase produce from a garden run by a school organization such as FFA as long as documentation includes the date of purchase, name of organization, item cost, amount, and total cost. 4. May funds received for serving At-Risk Afterschool meals be used to purchase

seeds/tools/equipment for a garden? Yes. The At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program is a component of CACFP and is subject to the same rules as other CACFP components with regard to foods from local sources. 5. How may excess produce from the garden be used? The institution or facility should first see if the excess food can be used to benefit another program such as the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or NSLP. If that is not possible, the food may be sold or donated in accordance with State and local health/safety regulations. As always, any profits must accrue back to the nonprofit food service account. Please refer to SP 11-

27

ATTACHMENT

CACFP 11-2015 March 13, 2015

Page 4

2012, SFSP 07-2012, Guidance on the Food Donation Program in Child Nutrition Programs, February 3, 2012, for more information on donating food. C. Food Safety

1. Are there resources for handling produce safely in kitchens?

National Food Service Management Institute’s (NFSMI) publication Ready, Set, Go! Creating and Maintaining a Wellness Environment in Child Care Centers Participating in the CACFP (http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=376) provides best practices and assessment tools for the safe handling of food in child care facilities.

In addition, a produce-specific publication has been created for the school environment, and the best practices apply to many child care centers. NFSMI’s publication Best Practices: Handling Fresh Produce in Schools (http://nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=351), developed for FNS, outlines recommendations for handling fresh produce at all steps in the food production process. Best practices address purchasing and receiving, washing and preparation, hand hygiene, serving, storage, and training, and general food safety practices. Specific recommendations for handling melons, tomatoes, leafy greens, and sprouts are also included.

FNS’ Produce Safety University also identifies best practices for selecting, handling, and preparing produce for use in Child Nutrition Programs (http://www.fns.usda.gov/food-safety/produce-safety-university).

2. Is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and/or Good Handling Practices (GHP) going to be a requirement for producers who sell to CACFP institutions?

No. GAP/GHP certifications are required when selling fresh fruits and vegetables directly to USDA and if State and local governments require it. Local distributors, retailers, institutions, or facilities may have individual GAP/GHP related policies. However, including GAP/GHP certification as part of the terms and conditions in the solicitation process is encouraged.

3. Is there a specific amount of liability coverage that farmers or others providing local foods products for CACFP must carry?

No. There is no specific amount of liability coverage required of farmers by USDA to sell to CACFP institutions or facilities. Institutions, facilities, States, distributors, retailers and food service management companies may all have different liability coverage requirements provided the requirements are not excessive which may potentially restrict competition. It is best to contact these entities for further information.

4. What other rules or regulations must farmers meet in order to sell to institutions or facilities?

Farmers must meet all Federal, State and local regulations to sell their products within the Child Nutrition Programs. Local distributors may have additional requirements, such as third party audits or product liability insurance limits. Farmers and purchasers should check with their local health departments to ensure that local and State requirements are met.

28




Incorporating Local Food Into Your Food Service

Define local- Develop a clear definition of what local means within your organization and effective ways to communicate that to your suppliers and customers. ASAP defines local as within our Appalachian Grown region, an area approximately 100 miles around Asheville. Many large distributors define local as anywhere within a state or larger geographical region, and your definition may be narrower. Ask for specific farm names and locations of products identified as local by your distributor. Begin where you are- Communicate to your group purchasing organizations or distributor your preference for local foods. It’s possible that you’re already purchasing local food and simply need to identify it. Encourage your vendors and/or food management companies to tell you what is local and to source more locally produced foods. Start small- If you plan to work directly with farmers, take time to talk to growers and clearly communicate your needs. Be patient and flexible; building new relationships takes time. Network- Develop a network within your community to support your local food initiative. Work with local farmers, community-based organizations, and local food suppliers to increase the availability of locally sourced food. Create buy in- Encourage kitchen staff to visit farmers markets as a way to meet local farmers, look at product quality, and familiarize themselves with what is in season. Train staff-With the increased use of precooked and highly processed foods in institutional kitchens, a switch to fresh local foods could be challenging. Offer trainings on how to prepare and serve meals made using fresh ingredients. Seek assistance from local chefs and/or culinary departments if you don’t feel comfortable providing the training yourself. Learn about seasonality- You may be used to getting a consistent supply of food from one vendor throughout the year. Products such as meats and dairy are potentially available year-round, but keep in mind that other products are only available at certain times of the year. Design menus around local seasonal availability if possible. Work within your budget- Depending on the product, sourcing local can sometimes be more expensive than purchasing from a traditional distributor who deals in higher volume. Sometimes passing on the food costs to the consumer is possible. Try incorporating local food into catering, workshops, or meetings where budgets might be larger and compare prices on unprocessed seasonal products you could purchase in wholesale quantities. Promote what you’re doing- Communicate your commitment to local food to your clients and to the general public. Gaining support for the work you’re doing will be helpful in sustaining your efforts.

29




Questions to ask your produce provider

1. Do you carry local products?

2. How do you define local?

3. Can you provide me farmer profiles and other promotional materials for my cafeterias?

4. Can you identify local product through your system? Will they be labeled on your weekly availability

sheets?

5. Does your company put specific farm names next to products on your list?

6. Can I request items from specific farms when I order?

7. When locally grown foods arrive at my loading dock, are the boxes or bags clearly labeled with the

farm of origin?

8. Can you provide me a list of local farms from which products have been procured in the past, and a

sense of what local products will be available when?

9. Are you willing to look for specific products locally?

10. Can I recommend farmers to sell to you?

30

How to Start the Conversation A Food Service Director & Farmer Conversation Guide

1. What do you grow and when is it available?

2. What is the cost?

3. Do you have a price and/or availability sheet?

4. How far in advance can you tell me what product you will have and when it will be available?

5. Can you sort by size and can you supply me with the cup serving size I need?

6. Do you have the ability to pack at your facility?

7. If you do pack, what type of pack style will it be: box size, weight, volume fill vs. tray pack etc?

8. Can you deliver directly to the school sites?

9. Do you already sell directly to schools or other institutions?

10. Can you deliver to our food distributor?

11. Do you currently work with any distributors?

12. Is your produce organically grown?

13. Do you use pesticides and if so, what are they?

14. How much lead time do you need for my orders?

15. How much ripening time does the produce need that I ordered?

16. Has the produce I ordered been washed before packing?

17. What is the best temperature for storage of my produce order?

18. What is the shelf life of my produce order?

19. Do you have a way to communicate via email?

20. What is your preferred method of communication, phone, fax, email, other? 21. Do you have someone that will answer calls during business hours or a voice mail that you check regularly?

22. Do you have refrigerated trucks for my delivery?

23. How do you communicate if there is a delivery problem, or product quality is not what it should be etc?

24. Am I required to buy your produce if you cannot deliver at the specified day and time? 25. If there is a problem with the quality of the produce, will you give me a credit for the amount I couldn’t use?

26. Does the USDA inspect your produce?

27. Do you conduct any farm tours for students and/or food service directors?

28. Would you be willing to consider planting product specifically to sell to our district?

Developed by the California Farm to School Taskforce

www.farmtoschool.org

31

LOCAL PROCUREMENT FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS

GROWING STRONGER TOGETHERThe National Farm to School Network is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into school systems and early child care settings.

Stay InformedJoin our network: www.farmtoschool.org


Facebook http://on.fb.me/nfsnf2s

Farm to preschool enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education

practices in early care and education programs. Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as edible gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips. Farm to preschool empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities.

Options for purchasing local foodThere are many different types of farm to preschool activities. One option is to serve local food in meals and snacks. Spring is the best time of year to begin planning food purchases since summer and fall are peak harvest seasons for farmers. Child care centers can most easily buy locally-grown food in the following ways:

1 Through your food distributor or food service management company: Many distributors and food service management companies (FSMCs) can supply locally

grown food. If you are already purchasing from a distributor or working with an FSMC, start by asking them where their food comes from and requesting local items. You can also think about incorporating local foods in future contracts.

2 Directly from a local farmer: When purchasing directly from a farmer, delivery can often be arranged. Your National Farm to School Network State Lead can help you

find farms in your area. Find your State Lead at www.farmtoschool.org

3 Your local farmers’ market: If you only need small quantities, you can shop at a farmers’ market or arrange with a farmer in advance to pick up a larger order at the

market. Find a market near you: http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

4 A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program: Food purchased through a CSA is often paid for up front. Weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables are

delivered or available for pick-up all season long. A CSA provides a good chance to try new foods. If using a CSA, speak to your farmer for ideas and recipes so that you’re able to use the variety of produce that you will receive. Or, ask the farmer if your box can contain less variety but more quantity of the items you want to serve. Also consider asking your families if they’d like to receive CSA boxes to take home with them. If so, the farmer might be willing to make weekly deliveries to your site.

5 An edible garden: Edible gardens are perfect for smaller amounts of produce. Fun, easy foods to start with include snap peas, radishes, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers and

squash. If you are unsure about your soil quality or have limited space to grow, consider growing food in pots or containers. Contact your county’s Cooperative Extension for advice on starting, maintaining and harvesting from a garden in your region: www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

32


Tips for Child Care CentersServing local food in meals and snacks is rewarding, but there can be a learning curve. Here are some things to think about:

• Start small! Begin by deciding which local foods you want to serve. It works well to start in the summer or fall when lots of local food is available. Or, start with one local item each month.

• Define “local.” You get to decide. Local can mean from in your county, in your state or in your region. Consider your area’s growing season and the types of foods that grow near you.

• Ask questions. It’s okay to ask farmers questions about their products. Things you might want to ask about include pricing, available quantities, delivery, food safety and liability insurance.

• Fruits and vegetables are an easy place to start. Purchasing local milk can be easy, too. Other options for local foods include: flour, meat, eggs, beans or seafood.

• Make a monthly calendar. It’s helpful to decide in advance which foods you want to serve in which months since different foods are available at different times of the year. Prioritize serving fresh items when they are available.

• Start by purchasing items that can be used in their whole form or that can be easily cut up and prepared. For example, small apples or pears, berries, sweet peas or potatoes that can be left whole for baking are all good places to start. Some products that can be easily sliced/chopped and ready to serve are: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and broccoli.

• Farmers are often willing to offer discounts on large purchases. If you have room for storage, think about buying larger quantities of foods that keeps well, such as: apples, carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, frozen berries, beans and grains.

Farm to preschool in action: IATP and NHA in MinnesotaThe Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and their childcare partner, New Horizon Academy (NHA), launched their Farm to Childcare pilot in Minnesota in the summer of 2012 (see the photo on the front page). Together, IATP and NHA designed a set of practical, on-the-ground strategies to connect young children in their centers to local foods, including: age-appropriate curriculum, parent outreach, a rigorous evaluation program and procuring locally grown foods to include in childcare meals.

One of the primary goals of the Farm to Childcare program was teaching participating children where their food comes from and giving them a connection to the local produc-ers who grew the foods highlighted in the program. Because NHA has a centralized food distribution system for all their centers and an exclusive purchase agreement with their prime distributor, they were not able to purchase from farms directly. However, NHA’s distributor was able to identify which of their local, Minnesota producers could supply fruits, vegetables and wild rice for the program and worked closely with their planning group to determine when each local product would be available. NHA was then able to order those products and have them delivered to centers through their regular distribu-tion process.

To make sure they were building relationships with farmers even though the connection with the centers was indirect, IATP visited each of the farms that supplied food for the program. These farm visits were a great opportunity for them to learn more about the farms and for the farmers to hear first-hand about the Farm to Childcare initiative and how their foods would be used. They also took photos of the farmers and vegetables in their fields to share with children and their families to reinforce the connection with where the foods were grown.

After seeing great success in 2012, in 2013 the Farm to Childcare program expanded to all 62 New Horizon Academy Centers throughout the Metro area and greater Minnesota, reaching 7,500 children.

IATP and NHA’s Farm to Childcare work has been funded in part by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

The National Farm to School Network has compiled additional resources on this topic and others. Find more information and join our network at: www.farmtoschool.org

CACFP and local foodDid you know that if you participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), you can use those funds to do things like buy food from farmers’ markets and plant edible gardens? For more information, see pages 111 (gardens and nutrition education) and 152 (procurement) of the CACFP Finan-cial Management guide: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/796-2%20Rev%204.pdf

33

LOCAL PROCUREMENT FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

Stay InformedJoin our network: www.farmtoschool.org


Facebook http://on.fb.me/nfsnf2s

Farm to preschool enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education

practices in early care and education programs. Young children gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as edible gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips. Farm to preschool empowers young children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities.

Options for purchasing local foodThere are many different types of farm to preschool activities. One option is to serve local food in meals and snacks. Spring is the best time of year to begin planning food purchases since summer and fall are peak harvest seasons for farmers. Family child care providers can most easily find locally-grown food in the following ways:

1 Your local farmers’ market. You can shop at a nearby farmers’ market, or

arrange with a farmer in advance to pick up a larger order at the market. Find a market near you at http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/

2 Your local grocery store or food co-op. Many grocery stores and co-ops

carry locally-grown food. Look for signs or labels that say where the food came from, or if it’s not labeled, ask!

3 A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Food purchased

through a CSA is often paid for up front. Then, weekly boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables are delivered or available for pick-up all season long. A CSA provides a good chance to try new foods and to learn what’s in season and when. If using a CSA, speak to your farmer for ideas and recipes so that you’re able to use the variety of produce that you receive.

4 An edible garden. Edible gardens are perfect for smaller amounts of produce. Fun, easy foods to start with include snap peas, radishes, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers and

squash. If you are unsure about your soil quality or have limited space to grow, consider growing food in pots or containers. Contact your county’s Cooperative Extension for advice on starting, maintaining and harvesting from a garden in your region: www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

GROWING STRONGER TOGETHERThe National Farm to School Network is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into school systems and early child care settings. 34


Tips for child care providersServing local food in meals and snacks is rewarding, but there can be a learning curve. Here are some things to think about:

• Start small! Begin by deciding which local foods you want to serve. It works well to start in the summer or fall when lots of local food is available. Or, start with one local item each month.

• Define “local.” You get to decide. Local can mean within your county, in your state or in your region. Consider your area’s growing season and the types of foods that grow near you.

• Ask questions. It’s okay to ask farmers questions about their products. Things you might want to ask about include pricing, available quantities, delivery, food safety and liability insurance.

• Fruits and vegetables are an easy place to start. Purchasing local milk can be easy, too. Other options for local foods include: flour, meat, eggs, beans or seafood.

• Make a monthly calendar. It’s helpful to decide in advance which foods you want to serve in which months since different foods are available at different times of the year. Prioritize serving fresh items when they are available.

• Start by purchasing items that can be used in their whole form or that can be easily cut up and prepared. For example, small apples or pears, berries, sweet peas or potatoes that can be left whole for baking are all good places to start. Some products that can be easily sliced/chopped and ready to serve are: tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and broccoli.

• Farmers are often willing to offer discounts on large purchases. If you have room for storage, think about buying larger quantities of foods that keep well, such as: apples, carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, frozen berries, beans and grains.

Farm to preschool in action: Highland Park, California Maria Elena “Mini” Gonzalez is the owner of Mini Family Child Care in Highland Park, Calif. She has operated her center for over 14 years, serving 12-14 children per day, ages 6 weeks to 8 years old. Last year, Mini joined the farm to preschool program at Occidental College as a pilot site and has been implementing the program ever since. With the encouragement of a strong parent base of supporters, Mini continues to source fresh fruits and vegetables—and even chil-dren’s books—from the local farmers’ market down the street on Tuesday evenings. Mini routinely purchases anywhere between $80-$120 of fresh fruits and vegetables to serve as breakfast, lunch and snacks to children the entire week.

Prior to the farm to preschool program, Mini purchased all her produce from Food4Less, a local grocery store. Now, she routinely sources her produce from the farmers’ market because it reminds her of growing up in her hometown in Mexico, where she’d always go to the weekend tianguis with family and friends to buy necessities and socialize. Mini likes providing nutritiously delicious food that is pesticide-free to her students; she likes trying new things; and produce is often cheaper than at the local grocery store or even Costco. At first, her biggest challenge was storing all the produce and making sure that she didn’t forget anything; she has since dedicated a refrigerator to storage, buys ripening produce so it will last longer, and takes her weekly menu and recipes to the farmers’ market so she doesn’t forget anything.

CACFP and local foodDid you know that if you participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), you can use those funds to do things like buy food from farmers’ markets and plant edible gardens? For more information, see pages 111 (gardens and nutrition education) and 152 (procurement) of the CACFP Finan-cial Management guide: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/796-2%20Rev%204.pdf

The National Farm to School Network has compiled additional resources on this topic and others. Find more information and join our network at: www.farmtoschool.org

Mini Family Child Care in California

35


306 West Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 236‐1282

www.Growing‐Minds.org

Building Positive Experiences with Healthy Food

Farm to Preschool

Good eating habits and a love of learning both start early, and what better way to instill both in children

than with a garden? Gardening with preschoolers not only engages children in hands‐on learning, but

begins to build positive experiences with healthy food. This is why school gardens are a key component

of effective Farm to School programs. Farm to School can include local food included in school meals,

farm field trips, school gardens and cooking local food, but the goal is to

rebuild connections between children and the food they eat. Proving

positive social reinforcement for healthy eating, Farm to School offers

children the opportunity to grow their own vegetables, learn about

farms in their community and have first‐hand experience preparing

fresh local food. The more connections and positive experiences

children have with fresh healthy food, the more likely they are to eat it.

This is the philosophy (and the experience) of Appalachian Sustainable

Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) Growing Minds program.

School gardens, farm field trips, and cooking with young children are three of the strategies we enlist to

build positive relationships with fresh, healthy local foods. As an educator, these strategies can

simultaneously be powerful tools to enhance language development, literacy, mathematics, science,

creative arts, social and emotional development, as well as physical health and development. The key to

successful Farm to School programming is integrating local food and farms throughout curriculum areas,

offering students real life context for learning and discovery.

Many teachers are intimidated by the thought of gardening with young children because they have not

gardened themselves. Yet, someone who has never grown food in a garden may be the ideal person to

garden with children because they are able to authentically model the learning process. Observing

teachers take risks in trying something new, handle mistakes, and problem solve are valuable learning

experiences for all children. Some adults that have been gardening for years have the misconception

that young children won’t be able to “do it right”. A children’s garden should be focused on the

experience of gardening rather than the result. While it is important for the garden to produce

something, maximum production and neat rows can be sacrificed to give children the opportunity to

participate in all steps of the process. Just as it takes some time, flexibility and creativity to allow for

child directed and inquiry based learning, this is also true for gardening with young children.

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Strategies for gardening with young children

Planning – Young children can be involved in every stage of planning a garden from where to put it, to

what is planted. Planning is wonderful learning opportunity as well as important step in building

ownership of the garden.

Have children discuss what plants need to grow and try to identify a garden site that would meet those needs.

Students can experiment with different measuring tools, counting how many “feet” long the bed will be, or using rulers and tape measures.

Flag or rope off the garden area so students have a visual of where the garden will be.

Seed catalogs can help students start thinking about all the different things they could grow and are great materials for making collages of their dream garden.

Read garden related children’s literature to “research” what types of plants children could grow.

Preparing the beds – This is a hard piece for preschoolers alone, but is a great way to engage parents

and community members.

Have students brainstorm all the people in the community that could help and organize a garden work day.

Although adults will do most of the work, make sure students are still involved and get to “help”.

Planting – Have a plan before you plant. Try to let children do as much of the planting as possible.

Use baking flour to mark places for children to plant.

Smaller groups works best.

Planting itself won’t take very long, engage other children with watering and soil exploration.

Labeling – Marking and labeling plants can help create a language rich environment.

Make sure the materials you use will hold up to the elements.

Child created signs will help build ownership of the garden.

Structures – Children of all ages love garden structures. From bean tee‐pees to

scarecrows, garden structures are a wonderful way to create opportunities for dramatic play.

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Care – Caring for a garden is a great way to teach responsibility and basic needs.

When establishing new seeds and plants, water is the most important piece to successful growth.

Integrate garden maintenance and observation into your daily routines.

Sprinkle baking flour on garden plants and let children pull up everything else.

This is a perfect opportunity to create charts, make predictions and track growth.

Have children make a list of questions about the garden as they arise. Have a “Garden Expert” visit the class to answer questions or help problem solve.

Harvesting – Everyone’s favorite part of gardening.

Establish rules/guidelines about harvesting, such as everyone can pick one thing each day or creating a special “harvest time". This ensures there will be enough for everyone and that things won’t be harvested prematurely.

When there is not enough for everyone to harvest, supplement with product from a local farm.

Putting to bed for the winter – Fall clean up and preparing a garden for the winter is another great time

to enlist community help. Cleaning out the garden beds and planting a cover crop will make your garden

more aesthetically appealing through the winter months and make spring bed preparation a lot easier.

You can even plant an edible cover crop, such as Austrian winter pea, for children to nibble on

throughout the year.

Incorporating the garden into the classroom – Think about ways to integrate farms and gardens into

centers throughout your classroom.

Make sure food, farm and garden children’s literature is available in the classroom to answer children’s questions and inspire new ideas.

Try to include fruit and vegetables that grow locally or are growing in the garden in the dramatic play/housekeeping area.

Include garden discoveries in the science center.

Use old seed or garden materials in art projects.

Enlist students to help brainstorm ideas.

Cooking is a natural connection and an important next step in reconnecting students with where their food comes from. This can be as simple as a taste test or as complex as having a parent or chef come into the classroom to facilitate an activity.

Gardens are an engaging outdoor learning environment for children. Offering multi‐sensory experiences

and opportunities for inquiry, we know that gardening is good for physical, social‐emotional and

cognitive development. The challenge for us as educators is designing these areas well and learning how

to use them as developmentally appropriate teaching tools to meet our classroom goals and objectives.

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Plant List for Pre-K Gardens

Author: Sarah Pounders and Barbara Richardson (www.kidsgardening.com)

Choosing the right plants is always important, but it’s especially crucial for gardens designed for young children. This list includes annual and perennial plants considered safe for wee ones. You’ll find two main categories – cool season and warm season plants – so you can plan to have something blooming or ready to harvest for most of the gardening year. These are subdivided into which to purchase as established plans rather than start from seed. Generally, seeds are more economical, but some is small and hard to handle, a challenge to germinate, or the resulting plants may take a long time to mature.

Plants to Avoid Although every child needs to learn that some plants are not good to eat or touch, it is best to avoid poisonous plants or those with irritating characteristics like thorns. Online databases of poisonous plants are available here:

NC State University Poisonous Plants (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm) Cornell University Poisonous Plants (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/alphalist.html)

What's an Annual? For those of you new to the gardening world, it's helpful to become familiar with a few plant terms to help you navigate through the myriad choices.

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle during one growing season; that is, they sprout from seed, blossom, set seed, and die within a short time. In this list, we divide them into cool-season and warm-season annuals. Cool-season types, such as lettuce and spinach, grow best when daytime temperatures are 60° to 70° F. Warm-season annuals, including beans and corn, grow best when daytime temperatures in the mid-70's through the 90's.

Biennial plants live for two growing seasons. During the first season they build up reserves that they use during the second to blossom and produce seed, after which they die. Common biennial plants include carrots and onions. (Gardeners don’t grow these two crops for flowers or seeds, but you may wish to let some specimens complete their life cycles just to illustrate the biennial cycle to children -- just be aware that the roots will no longer be palatable!)

Perennials live for three or more years. Lifespans vary, with some lasting just a few years and others living for decades.

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http://www.kidsgardening.com/

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/alphalist.html

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/alphalist.html

Cool-Season Plants

Grow from Seed Beets are grown for their nutritious roots. To kids, harvesting root crops is like digging for buried treasure! Colors include red, orange, yellow, white, pink and striped. Leaves are also edible. Harvest roots while fairly young – they can become tough and fibrous when they grow too large. Beets can be eaten boiled, baked, or pickled. Biennial.

Carrots are packed with health-promoting nutrients and taste great fresh from the garden! Varieties range in size from baby carrots to foot-long roots. Although orange carrots are most common, yellow, white, orange, and maroon varieties are available. All have attractive, feathery leaves. Carrots are fairly easy to grow in well-drained, well-tilled soil. Keep soil evenly moist to ensure even germination of seed. Biennial.

Calendulas, sometimes called pot marigolds, look more like daisies, with bright flowers in a range of yellows and oranges. They prefer cool temperatures but do not tolerate frost. Some gardeners grow them as companion plants to vegetables because they repel certain pests. Annual. Dill can grow up to five feet tall with airy foliage and beautiful yellow flowers. This herb is used to flavor dill pickles, dressings, fish, and dips. The flowers attract butterflies, and the leaves are a food source for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. In hot climates it grows best during the spring and fall months, but it thrives all summer in cooler climates. Annual.

Lettuce grows quickly and forms the foundation for fresh classroom salads. Dozens of varieties are available in many different colors (reds, purples, and all shades of green). Heading lettuce forms a tight mass of leaves that you harvest all at once. Loose-leaf lettuce can be harvested by the leaf throughout the growing season. An excellent crop for both spring and fall. Annual.

Radishes germinate in 3 to 7 days and many are ready for little hands to harvest 30 to 45 days. Like beets and carrots, the roots are the prize, and they come in a wide variety of shapes (round to oblong), colors (including red, white, pink, purple, yellow), and sizes. Most are eaten raw to add a spicy flavor to salads. Annual.

Peas come in several different types from snow peas to field peas, some with edible pods and others dried and used for soups. Most have a vining habit and need support in order to yield a good crop. Try growing them on a trellis, fence, or bamboo tepee. Peas are a good source of protein, minerals, and vitamins, and they’re great fun to pick. Annual.

Spinach leaves are packed with powerful nutrients such as Vitamins A, C, iron and calcium. It grows easily and very quickly, and prefers the cool temperatures of spring and fall. You can start harvesting as soon as plants have five or six leaves. Annual.

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Swiss Chard is grown for edible petioles (leaf stalks) and leaves. The variety 'Bright Lights' is popular with kids because its stems and leaf veins come in a range of bright colors, including yellow, pink, red, orange, purple, white, and green. Like spinach, it’s high in vitamins and iron. Annual.

Obtain Established Plants Broccoli, grown for its green, immature flower buds, is a tasty treat that is also high in nutritional value. When you offer kids the opportunity to “eat flowers,” they’re sure to be intrigued! Broccoli can blossom prematurely (called bolting) in hot weather, so plant seedlings when the weather is cool to ensure a good harvest. Annual.

Brussels Sprouts as you may guess from their appearance, are related to cabbages. They are a fun size for small children, especially when they grow alongside a cabbage for size comparison. Annual.

Cabbage forms an edible head of tightly clustered leaves. They come in a variety of sizes and colors (red, purple, and white). Eat it cooked or raw. Annual

Onions are a universal seasoning. Grow and taste both the edible bulbs and green tops. Plant onions seedlings or “sets” (small onion bulbs), available from garden centers and catalogs in the spring. They vary in skin color (white, brown, yellow, red, or purple), shape, and flavor (from sweet to spicy). The tops grow quickly for student sampling. Biennial.

Pansies, with their happy “faces” and wide array of colors, are definitely kid-pleasers. They’re also easy to grow. The flowers are edible and great for pressing to use with craft activities. They grow and blossom best in cooler temperatures. Annual.

Parsley is high in Vitamin A and by weight has more Vitamin C an orange! The curly variety has a tight, mounding growth that resembles a bed of soft moss, making it a nice “touch plant”. Parsley is also a food source for black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Biennial.

Snapdragons come in a range of sizes (from dwarf to tall) and in every color except true blue. Kids love pinching their velvety, tubular flowers to make the “dragon’s jaws” snap! Annual.

Warm-Season Plants

Grow from Seed Bean seeds are large enough for kids to handle easily and plant, and they grow quickly, some maturing in as few as 45 days. Both bush and pole varieties come in a wide array of types and

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colors include yellow, green, and purple. Pole beans are great for creating child-friendly structures like tepees and tunnels. Kids can harvest snap, string, or French beans for eating raw or cooked. Types meant for drying, such as pinto, kidney, and black beans, stay on the vine until the pods become brown – they make an exciting package for curious kids to open, with shiny, colorful seeds inside. Annual. Cantaloupes provide sweet, refreshing fruit and are a wonderful source of Vitamins A and C. These vining plants require lots of room to spread (leave at least 5 feet between standard plants, and 3 feet between compact “bush” varieties). Children will enjoy monitoring the growth of these ball-shaped fruits. Annual.

Sweet Corn, with its tall stature, can offer a structural as well as edible element to a preschool garden. Because it is pollinated by the wind, in order to get edible ears you need to plant it in blocks of several rows (at least 3 by 3 feet) or in tight “hills” of at least 3 stalks. After you harvest, leave the stalks in place and let kids play hide-and-seek in the patch, and use the stalks to make decorations. Annual.

Cosmos has fine, delicate foliage and bright daisy-like flowers in orange, yellow, red, pink, white, and purple that attract butterflies. It’s very easy to grow, even in poor soil. Different varieties grow from 16 inches to 4 feet tall. Annual.

Cucumbers can be eaten fresh, added to salads, or turned into pickles. Like its cousin the cantaloupe, it’s a vining plant. Let it sprawl across the ground, or if you’re short on space, or train it up a trellis or choose compact “bush” varieties. Annual.

Gomphrena blossoms are made up of papery bracts (modified leaf structures) that make them easy to dry for play and for craft projects. Globe-shaped flowers come in purple, red, and white. Annual.

Gourds are vining plants with fruits that come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Bottle gourds can be used to make birdhouses, luffa gourds for sponges, and ornamental types for creating table displays or even to use as playthings. Gourds have been used for thousands of years for decorative purposes and also used as early bottles, storage containers (the first Tupperware), utensils (spoons), and musical instruments. They produce vigorous vines that need support from a fence or sturdy trellis and lots of space to produce well. Annual.

Hollyhocks are tall, old-fashioned garden favorites that are fairly drought tolerant and easy to grow. The large showy flowers come in a rainbow of colors that can be fun for young children to play with. Biennial or perennial.

Nasturtiums are available as compact plants or trailing varieties with edible lily-pad-shaped foliage and velvety blossoms. Flowers range from white through yellows and dark red. Blossoms are sweet with a peppery watercress flavor and contain Vitamin C. They’re beautiful on salads and sandwiches. Annual.

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Peanuts are perky green plants with bright yellow flowers. They have a fascinating growth habit: After pollination the flower stalk stretches down to touch the soil, and fruits (peanuts) develop underground. Annual.

Pumpkins are a children’s favorite – kids love to grow their own Halloween pumpkins. Although orange pumpkins are the most common, they also come in red, white, and gray. Pumpkin plants need lots of room for their vines to spread. Miniature varieties may only need 6 to 8 square feet, but large types need between 50 and 100 square feet for healthy growth. At harvest time, pumpkins can be turned into jack-o-lanterns and their seeds roasted for a tasty and nutritious snack. Annual.

Strawflowers, like gomphrena, have papery bracts that make them excellent dried flowers. They come in a variety of colors including shades of red, orange, yellow, pink and white. Brighten up a winter classroom with flowers the children have helped grow.

Sunflowers are universally loved by children. They’re easy to grow and produce cheerful, vibrant, flowers. You can grow dwarf varieties no taller than your students or giants that tower to 8 feet tall. Flowers are also variable in size, from dwarfs that would fit in the palm of your hand to giants that are as large as your head. Colors include white, yellow, orange, and burgundy, and some bicolors. They’re known for their edible seeds and seed oil, but the unopened buds and flower petals can also be eaten and taste like a mild artichoke. Flower petals are bittersweet. Annual.

Tithonia, also known as Mexican sunflower, has red, orange, and yellow flowers that attract butterflies. The plants can grow tall and a bit wild looking, but they are heat and drought tolerant. Annual.

Watermelons are a summer time favorite and rewarding for kids to grow. Like cantaloupe, plant them in hills and give them need lots of space (7 to 10 feet between hills). Annual.

Zinnias come in hundreds of varieties, ranging from dwarf plants up to 3 feet tall, and in a rainbow of colors, some of which are specked and striped. Flowers may have a single layer of petal-like ray flowers or may have more layers for a fuller look. They are hardy and grow well in hot, dry conditions. Zinnias make great cut flowers and attract butterflies. Annual.

Obtain Established Plants Basil, like other culinary herbs, is a stimulating sensory plant for children to smell and taste. Aside from traditional basil, there are also lemon, lime, anise, and cinnamon flavored types. Leaf color and shape also varies, from tiny, pale green leaves to deep purple ruffles. They also come in different sizes, but classic basil can reach 2 feet at maturity. Basil grows best in full sun. Basil plants also produce attractive flowers, although if you are harvesting leaves for cooking it is best to remove flower buds and encourage vegetative growth. Annual.

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Petunias grow well during cooler months in the far south, but throughout the summer in cooler climates. The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom prolifically and come in a wide range of colors, some with interesting patterns including stripes and speckles.

Pineapple Sage, another plant for sensory exploration, derives its name from the pleasing pineapple-like odor of the crushed leaves. As an extra bonus, the foliage adds sweet flavor to teas and salads. The scarlet flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Perennial in zones 8-10; annual elsewhere.

Rosemary is an evergreen woody shrub that produces pine-scented leaves used in cooking and potpourri. Flowers are white or blue flowers and you can choose varieties with upright growth or with trailing branches. It is also commonly used in cooking with breads, meats and vegetables. Perennial in zones 8-10; annual elsewhere (bring it inside for the winter).

Stevia, also known as sugarleaf, is another good sensory plant for children. The leaves taste 10 to 15 times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar! It grows slowly at the outset, but can reach 2 to 3 feet. Pinch off the flowers if you wish to maximize the sweetness of the leaves. Perennial in zones 8-10; annual elsewhere.

Perennial Plants

You'll find both flowering and fruiting perennials in this list. You can plant most perennials throughout your growing season, although each variety may have an optimum planting date for your area. The most flexible planting time in most areas is in the spring after chance of frost has passed, but many will also thrive if planted in summer or fall. If you do plant them in the heat of summer, monitor water needs frequently. If you plant in fall, allow enough time for roots to become established before cold weather hits. Seeds of many perennial are challenging to germinate, and most do not blossom during their first year, so start with small transplants or mature plants so you can enjoy the benefits sooner.

Black-eyed Susan is a cheery, daisy-like flower that has a long bloom period. They make great cut flowers and also attract butterflies.

Blueberries not only provide fruit early to mid-summer, they are attractive, low-maintenance shrubs with good fall color. Bush varieties range from four to seven feet tall, and “wild” blueberries stay low to the ground. All require acidic soil, but they have few pests other than hungry birds.

Butterfly Bush (buddleia) can grow into a large shrub (up to 12 feet) and produces beautiful, fragrant, cone-shaped flower clusters in whites, purples, pinks and reds. As the name suggest, it attracts a number of butterflies and other insects. Once established, it is a very hardy and drought tolerant plant.

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Catnip is a member of the mint family, is easy to grow, very fragrant, and has attractive flowers. Young children enjoy growing this plant as a special treat for their feline friends.

Chives are normally grown for their flavorful leaves, which can bring a mild onion/garlic-like flavor to dishes like salads and baked potatoes. Chive flowers are also edible and come in white, lavender, or purple.

Coneflower is a North American native wildflower. New flower colors are being developed, but the most common are purple, white, or yellow. The ray-like petals surround a pincushion center. They’re excellent cut flowers that also attract butterflies.

Coreopsis has attractive yellow flowers that bloom throughout the summer. It’s easy to grow and can tolerate poor soil and hot weather.

Coral Honeysuckle is an evergreen to semi-evergreen vine with beautiful, tubular coral flowers that attract hummingbirds. Whether you grow it in the ground or in a container, provide a trellis for it to climb. Although it is easy to grow, it doesn’t become invasive like Japanese honeysuckle (yellow blossoms).

Lamb's Ear has soft, woolly, blue-green leaves that kids love to pet. This low growing, clumping perennial grows vigorously, so it can take the attention. Plant it along borders where small hands can reach it easily.

Lemon Balm has attractive green foliage with a refreshing citrus flavor. Let children smell and taste the leaves, and add them to tea and fruit salads. Grows to 2 feet tall. Perennial in zones 4 to 9.

Mints of all kinds are a sensory treat. The most common are peppermint and spearmint, but there are others to try, such as ginger mint and chocolate mint. Plants grow from 8 inches to 3 feet tall. All spread quickly by underground rhizomes, so if you don’t want them to take over other plants, plant mint in a pots or a separate bed.

Monarda (bee balm) attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees, providing lots opportunity for exciting observation. Flower colors include red, pink, white, and purple. It’s a mint, so make sure it doesn’t take over the garden. It will grow in part shade, but flowers best in full sun.

Oregano is a compact herb plant with attractive pink and purple flowers. The herb is a favorite in Greek, Italian, and Mexican cooking. Plant it in full sun. Perennial in zones 5 to 9.

Salvia is available in many different shapes, sizes and colors, with varieties adapted to different climates and growing conditions from very wet to very dry soils. The red, pink, white, purple, and blue flowers are borne on spikes and attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Remove spent blooms to encourage new flowers

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Strawberries are usually the first fresh fruit of the growing season, making them a children’s favorite. Typically flowers are white, but there are some with pink blossoms. It makes an excellent ground cover or border plant because of the long stems, called “runners,” that trail and sprout new plants.

Thornless Blackberry shrubs have long canes that grow to heights of five to 10 feet tall. Fruit matures in mid to late summer. Great picking for little hands!

Thornless Raspberry shrubs range from 4 to 6 feet tall. Summer and fall-bearing varieties are available. Children enjoy wearing the berries like thimbles on their fingertips before popping them in their mouths.

Verbena comes in varieties with white, pink, red, or purple flower clusters that attract butterflies and other insects. Some have an upright growth habit, while trail. They grow well in sunny locations and well-drained soil, and established plants are fairly drought tolerant.

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Cooking with Preschool Children

Cooking to Promote Development and Learning Cooking is not only a fun, engaging activity for children, but one that has been used for years as an important teaching and development tool for all ages.

Social-Emotional Development – Hands-on cooking activities help children develop pride and confidence in their skills and abilities. The act of following a recipe can encourage self-direction and independence, while also teaching children to follow directions and use thinking skills to problem solve.

Physical Development – Chopping, squeezing, spreading, and mixing are all cooking skills that help develop a child’s small muscle control and eye-hand coordination. It’s impossible to separate hands-on cooking activities from physical development for young children.

Cognitive Development – Cooking inspires children’s curiosity, thinking, and problem solving, offering new opportunities to make predictions and observations. Additionally, cooking offers authentic opportunities for students to understand and apply their knowledge of measuring, one-to-one correspondence, numbers, and counting. As they follow a recipe, children organize ingredients, follow a sequence, and carry out multiple directions.

Language Development – With its own vocabulary, cooking is a great opportunity for language development. Take advantage of opportunities for children to match pictures to words and articulate questions inspired by their new experiences.

Connections to Content Areas

Mathematics

• Number concepts • One-to-one correspondence • Simple addition • Patterning (layered salads, kabobs) • Measurement • Data collection, organization, and representation

(voting on who wants a particular recipe or ingredient)

• Simple fractions (half, whole, quarter)

Arts

• Drawing/painting fresh seasonal products • Pictorial recipes • Edible art

Science

• Life science (growing food in the garden) • Physical science investigation (changing forms –

liquids, solids, gases) • Making predictions and observations

Social Studies

• Share family recipes • Discover the important role of farmers in

communities

Literacy

• Vocabulary and language development • Children’s literature • Recipe cards

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Tips for Cooking with Preschool Children

The Teacher’s Role

• Engaging children in conversation • Verbalizing and describing what children are doing • Discussing where foods come from • Posing questions to encourage children to articulate what they are doing • Making observations • Posing questions for children to analyze and solve • Modeling positive attitudes and behaviors.

Selecting Recipes for Young Children

• Are the hands-on skills age/developmentally appropriate? • Do you have access to needed appliances? • Do you have adequate supervision? • Does the recipe connect with children’s interests or classroom projects? • Does the recipe promote healthy food choices? • Does the recipe feature seasonal and local products children can find in the garden or on a local farm? • Is the recipe culturally relevant? • Is the recipe affordable for all families, and does it use familiar ingredients they have at home?

Introducing Recipes to Children

1. Prepare a simple recipe chart with illustrations of each step 2. Have examples of ingredients in their raw form 3. Have all necessary equipment and ingredients prepped and available 4. Read the recipe aloud, discussing each step 5. Discuss rules and/or safety considerations and have children identify these for specific steps 6. Include all children in the clean-up process

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Recipe Ideas for Preschool Children

• Veggies and fruit with different dips or sauces – Allow children to cut fruits and veggies when possible and mix their own dips.

• Layered yogurt parfaits with local fruits – Children create their own parfaits and practice sequencing. • Garden “roll ups” (lettuce, Napa cabbage, tortillas) – Filled with child’s choice of veggies, sauces, herbs, etc. • Boats – Cucumber, bell pepper, or summer squash – children hollow out their own boat and fill with cream

cheese, herbs, other veggies, etc. If you have access to an oven, you can take this recipe to another level and fill hollowed veggies with rice, beans, cheese, etc. and bake. Make sure each child’s boat is labeled as their own.

• Fruit and veggie insects – Similar idea to boats, but inverted. Apple lady bugs (1/2 apple, cream cheese to

hold on raisin spots), cucumber caterpillars (small pickling cucumbers sliced lengthwise, children decorate with finely chopped veggies, using dip or cream cheese as “glue”).

• Mashed potatoes or winter squash – Pre-cook potatoes or winter squash so that children can cut and mash

them easily. As a class, everyone can participate in making butter (heavy cream and salt in a plastic, well-sealed jar. Take turns shaking until solid separates from liquid).

• Number or rainbow Salad – Children use counting skills to build their own salad. Children can rip lettuce or

spinach leaves, cut cherry tomatoes/cucumbers/green pepper/summer squash, etc. and make their own dressing. Some harder veggies such as carrots can be made into “ribbons” using a peeler. The more choices children have the better, so offer them a variety of ingredients for their salad. For a rainbow salad, have a variety of colorful veggies and ingredients for children to choose from.

• Spinach Bread – If you have access to an oven, this is a fun recipe. Have a piece of pre-made dough (pizza

dough works well) for each child. Make sure to talk about how it was made and where the ingredients came from. Each child can knead and roll their own dough. Encourage the use of hands so that you don’t have to sterilize rolling pins and tools between uses. Spread dough as flat as possible and top with spinach, cheese, a small amount of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Children can roll up or fold the dough as they choose to “hide the secret ingredients.”

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Cooking Abilities of Young Children

Two-year-olds are learning to use the large muscles in their arms. Try activities such as:

• scrubbing vegetables and fruits • carrying unbreakable items to the table • dipping foods • washing and tearing lettuce and salad greens • breaking bread into pieces

Three-year-olds are learning to use their hands. Try activities such as:

• pouring liquids into batter (you measure first) • mixing batter or other dry and wet ingredients together • shaking a drink in a closed container • spreading butters or spreads • kneading dough • washing vegetables and fruit • serving foods • putting things in the trash after cooking or after a meal

Four and five-year-olds are learning to control small muscles in their fingers. Try activities such as:

• juicing oranges, lemons, and limes • peeling some fruits and vegetables (bananas and even onions) • mashing soft fruits and vegetables • scrubbing vegetables (potatoes, mushrooms) • cutting soft foods with a plastic knife (mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs) • pressing cookie cutters • measuring dry ingredients • cracking open/breaking eggs • beating eggs with an egg beater • setting the table • wiping up after cooking • clearing the table after a meal

Source: California WIC, Cooking Abilities of Young Children, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks.

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http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks




Best Practices for Cooking with Children in Licensed Child Care

Cooking has always been an important teaching tool in early childhood, but many teachers are intimidated by the rules and regulations around cooking with children in a licensed child care setting. This list of best practices should help take some of the mystery out of licensing and environmental health rules and regulations. General guidelines for having children prepare food in the classroom:

• Ensure proper hand washing.

• Clean, rinse and sanitize all surfaces used for food prep and eating.

• Each student should prepare their own individual serving.

• If children are sharing utensils or tools, they should be cleaned and sanitized between uses.

• Adults cutting/preparing ingredients or food in the classroom should use a designated food prep area in the classroom that consists of a cleanable counter or table and a sink. If the sink is used for any other purposes than food prep it needs to be cleaned and disinfected with a 500-800 ppm bleach solution before being used.

• Children should not handle sharp utensils.

• If adults are using sharp utensils, such as knives, they need to keep them on their person.

• Water for drinking or cooking needs to come from an approved kitchen or a sink that is designated solely for potable water (no hand washing).

• Cooking over heat in the classroom is not allowed because of fire code.

• In child care centers, children are not allowed in the kitchen.

• Children should be prepared ahead of time on what to expect and what is expected of them. For questions, contact: Carissa Moore, REHS Environmental Health Program Specialist Buncombe County Department of Health 30 Valley Street Asheville, NC 28801 Ph: (828) 250-5024 Fax: (828) 250-6161 [email protected]

Luanne Roberts, Licensing Supervisor Division of Child Development and Early Education PO Box 636 Mars Hill, NC 28754 Ph: (828) 680-9307 [email protected]

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tel:%28828%29%20250-5024

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farm to preschool toolkit · farm to early care and education (farm to ece) is a natural extension...

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