We’ve gathered all of the farm to ECE resources developed in 2022 by the National Farm to School Network in one place. If you’ve developed farm to ECE resources this year and would like to share them with the farm to ECE community, please send them to Sophia@farmtoschool.org. 

Enhancing Children’s Access to Local Foods and Farm to ECE: Federal Funding Opportunities (Guide)  

This guide provides functional descriptions of actionable and timely funding streams, including an overview of the funding eligibility requirements, allowed uses, timeline, flow of funds, and strategies for action. The guide also highlights case examples of how entities across the country are creatively leveraging funding streams for farm to ECE. The purpose of this guide is to prepare and position farm to ECE partners to effectively apply for funding.

Farm to Early Care and Education Shared Metrics: Outcomes, Indicators, and Measures for Farm to ECE Evaluation (Toolkit & Guide) 

National Farm to School Network (NFSN) and The Policy Equity Group's (PEG) Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Shared Metrics resource is intended for farm to ECE practitioners and evaluators to guide planning, implementation, research, evaluation, and reporting efforts. The resource consists of a resource guide, a library of metrics specific to farm to ECE, and an orientation video. With a focus on metrics related to equity, this resource can move our collective farm to ECE work forward under shared priorities and language. This alignment of priorities can also guide and improve decision-making for policymakers and funders who will be able to make better-informed decisions on the growth and direction of the farm to ECE movement.

‍Aligning Farm to Early Care and Education with Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (Fact Sheet) 

Integrating farm to early care and education (ECE) into Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) standards can help expand the reach of and reduce barriers to farm to ECE programming. Farm to ECE strategies align with a variety of QRIS domains, such as professional development, family engagement and community partnerships, and learning environment. This fact sheet explores strategies states can take to integrate farm to ECE into their QRIS, including case studies and sample language. 

2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey (Research Briefs & Fact sheet) 

In 2021, the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems surveyed early care and education (ECE) providers across the country to better understand current initiatives, motivations and challenges in applying farm to ECE activities in early care and education settings. More than 2,900 providers in 26 states and Washington, D.C. responded and shared the benefits and challenges of connecting young children to healthy, local foods, gardening, and food and agriculture education through farm to ECE.

Blog Post: How Hawai‘i is Improving Its Farm to Early Care and Education Landscape with Its First Farm to ECE Coordinator (Blog Post) 

Learn about how Hawai’i advocated for their first Farm to ECE Coordinator and his goals for Hawai’i’s farm to ECE movement. 

Farm to Early Care and Education State Resource Directory

We have compiled farm to ECE resources developed by state partners across the country. We hope this directory will help the larger farm to ECE community and celebrate the amazing resources available to us.