2025 Farm to CACFP

Farm to ECE improves children’s access to produce using three fundamental components: local food buying, experiential learning through gardening, and food and agricultural education integration. As modeled by programs with sustained impact, discover how to gather tools to identify partners, policies, programs, and funding to assist educators working with your sponsoring organization or state agency.

Straw bale gardening can be a fun and affordable way to create a garden, even on paved surfaces or in areas with poor soil. It also offers several advantages over traditional gardening methods. Learn an enjoyable and environmentally conducive way of growing your vegetables with versatility that won’t break the bank.

Are you interested in finding resources and ideas to engage kids in exploring and learning about new foods? Discover how Harvest of the Month resources can help you discuss exploring local foods and incorporate Farm to CACFP concepts in your child care setting.

Do you feel as if the food you serve is bland and lacks appeal? Is serving fresh fruits and vegetables hard to implement? Learn why indoor gardening is Farm to CACFP together with which essential ingredients you can use to keep sodium down, sugar low and still add tons of flavor while staying within the CACFP guidelines.

Do you feel your messages to children aren’t making their way home? See how you can host Farm to ECE family engagement events focused on getting families excited about eating healthy, learning where food comes from, and applying this knowledge at home. Also, learn how to budget for different nutrition events and how to incorporate culturally responsive education.

Whether you’re new to Farm to Early Childhood Education (ECE) or have engaged in it for years, examine key takeaways developed over nearly a decade of experience with a nine-state Farm to ECE community of practice. Get a formula for building a successful program, a roadmap, and learn how it can help you create systematic change in spreading Farm to ECE knowledge.

Unlock the power to transform your food service operations and champion local agriculture. Discover dynamic strategies to streamline procurement, craft vibrant farm-to-table menus, and forge impactful partnerships with local farmers. Empower yourself to serve fresh, community-driven foods while reclaiming precious time, by learning to elevate your operations and celebrate local agribusiness.

Explore a dynamic, healthy food collection featuring seasonal, fresh, and nutritious CACFP meals and snacks for young children. Learn how to efficiently bring these simple and wholesome recipes with freshness into your classroom kitchen or home while promoting healthy eating habits to deepen nutritional understanding.