After over a year of piloting Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE), we’re thrilled to share the progress we’ve made across community, regional, and state levels. This past summer, we launched community-supported agriculture (CSA) distributions for families with children in Early Head Start, and began our second season this October at New Berlin Head Start. During our CSA launches, kids explored farm share contents through taste tests, while parents received hands-on recipe demonstrations to match what’s in their shares. With support from Greater Opportunities for Broome and Chenango Head Start and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, we’re providing nutritious food and resources to families in need. Feedback gathered through upcoming focus groups will help us improve these services.
Our collaborations have also extended to statewide systems work. This year, we convened the New York State Farm to Early Care and Education Network, bringing together organizations such as the New York State Department of Health and Hunger Solutions New York. Through FARMWISE, an initiative of the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, we’re working to make local food purchasing more accessible for early care providers statewide. Just last week, we launched a Community of Practice to connect early childhood programs with resources for integrating local foods.
Locally, we’re expanding Farm to ECE through initiatives like the Broome County Food Council’s Food Access Plan, where our Farm to ECE Coordinator is leading efforts to make early childhood nutrition a priority. We’re also working with Broome Tioga BOCES and local childcare providers to introduce Farm to ECE principles, with the goal of embedding these practices in New York’s early care landscape. As we grow Farm to ECE into a sustainable model, we’re grateful to the New York Health Foundation for their support of this work. We also thank our dedicated partners who share our vision of making healthy, local food a standard in childcare. Through these efforts, we’re sowing the seeds of a healthier future for our communities.