Following the success of the inaugural Farm to ECE Institute and thanks to the continued support of PNC Bank, the NC Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Initiative will host its second Farm to ECE Institute for Farm to ECE administrators and teachers, technical assistance providers, farmers and Extension agents. The Institute will take place Oct. 21, 2023, at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
Thanks to a generous charitable contribution from PNC Bank, the NC Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Initiative will host its first Farm to ECE “2.0” Institute for past Farm to ECE Collaborative participants, farmers and Extension agents. This Institute will take place Sept. 10, 2022, at the NC County Extension office in Guilford County.
Read the North Carolina Digital Story on Every Child Thrives, "Building Community-Based, Equitable Food Systems in North Carolina Through Farm to Early Care and Education," about the work, successes and innovation of the Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) initiative. This CEFS initiative works to link early care and education centers to local farmers [...]
We know that caregivers want to offer more fresh vegetables and fruits when it is feasible. We also know how challenging it can be to calculate how many pounds of vegetables or fruits to purchase for children in day care settings. It can also be difficult to know how much to serve participants of different age groups.
The Small Farm Unit at the NCDA&CS Cherry Research Farm is collaborating with East Carolina University (ECU) to establish a vegetable-based clinic program in collaboration with Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, NC.
In collaboration with the Children’s Environmental Health Branch in the Division of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services, the NC Farm to Preschool Network has released “Serving Local Foods in North Carolina Child Care Centers – Guidance on Food Preparation and Gardening.”
On September 30, the NC Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) Initiative hosted the third learning session of the NC Farm to ECE Collaborative virtually. Typically, the final learning session of each Collaborative offers participants a face-to-face opportunity to celebrate their successes, reconnect with other teams, and exchange new ideas. These learning [...]
In collaboration with early educators, CEFS' Farm to Early Care and Education (NC Farm to ECE) Initiative created a series of eye-catching posters for young children that portray farmers and the vegetables they grow for their community - specifically highlighting women farmers and farmers of color.
Last year, CEFS was awarded a two-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to focus on creating connections between farms and early childhood education centers and family child care homes in North Carolina.
