Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 15 - Feast_Vol3
P. 15

    PINT  SIZE PRODUCE

     Farm to Early Care & Education: raising healthy, local food lovers

     By Grace Brogan
     Photos by Anita Schuckert & Ihsan Yaseen
     Illustration by Olivia Olson Joannides

           Under the management of  Angela Pfaff, The Kids at Play Center in Stoddard, Wisc., has created raised beds, which the children use to grow vegetables.
           Through the Farm to ECE program, they’ve also taught their young students about composting, soil health and land stewardship.

           kitchen skills and see how meal planning can be easier, quicker,   organizations have developed tools, systems and even small
           and more affordable.                                    grants to help early care providers adopt engaging and
              Ihsan Yaseen has become a champion of Farm to ECE, too,   enriching food and farming activities.
           adopting what she can at AlRazi Academy in West Des Moines, a   The Parenting Place—a childcare resource organization
           childcare center for over 70 children. AlRazi’s program originally   with offices in LaCrosse, Sparta and Tomah—works with over
           included children bringing their own meals from home, but the   20 early care sites on Farm to ECE. They help these sites with
           more Ihsan learned about Farm to ECE, the more she felt it   their gardens and access to fresh food from local farms. Amanda
           was a great fit. “Most of our families are low income,” she says.   Bee, Farm to ECE Coordinator at The Parenting Place shares,
           “We noticed many of the kiddos didn’t have the background or   “The earlier we can get a variety of fruits and vegetables into the
           education to learn about healthy choices.”              hands of kids, the better their chances are of growing up with a
              As Ihsan has seen the children respond to the activities, she’s   healthier eating pattern.”
           become more and more passionate about preparing fresh meals   In Madison, Rooted works to feed families in need and
           for them with food from the garden and local farmers. She’s now   provide agricultural experiences including summer camps, field
           in the middle of a kitchen upgrade and has a wealth of ideas   trips and Farm to ECE activities. They have a plethora of free
           about family and community engagement for when it’s complete.  Farm to ECE resources on their website, including how to buy,
              Because her staff also lacked this experience, everyone   prepare and serve local foods, hands-on learning activities, and
           has been learning together. “We want to teach the children   tips for gardening with young children.
           about their environment and where food comes from,” she    The work of these resource organizations is helping grow
           says. “We want to introduce gardening and local food to   Farm to ECE across the state, benefiting both families and
           families and the kids.”                                 communities. As more and more childcare sites adopt these
                                                                   practices, systems are being put in place to monitor program
           Digging into Wisconsin                                  performance: are standards and goals being met? And if not,
                                                                   what assistance is needed? These measures create accountability
                                                                   so providers can tailor and grow their programs to their
           In Wisconsin, a network of partners across the state is   community’s needs.
           working to reach as many young eaters as possible. With
           funding in part from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, these                         PINT-SIZE PRODUCE continued on page 16
                                                                                                             local-feast.org  15

| 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |