The Food Trust is working to develop statewide strategies to encourage the advancement of sustained farm to early childhood programs and practices. Farm to ECE activities can include local food purchasing for meals and snacks, on-site gardening and agriculture and nutrition education. These strategies help sites meet their goals of providing quality care and educational experience while supporting the consumption of Pennsylvania-grown foods in early childhood settings.
The Food Trust incorporates farm to school into SNAP-Ed nutrition education with ECE sites in Pennsylvania through a farm to ECE train the trainer program, which includes resources and technical assistance to help sites build farm to ECE strategies into their operations. Additionally, the organization leads the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network along with the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health; Project PA; and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council. This network is a collaborative partnership that advances and promotes farm to school/ECE by leveraging collective resources across the Commonwealth. The Food Trust also serves as the Pennsylvania Core Partner to the National Farm to School Network, an information, networking and advocacy hub that works on farm to school at the national level.
STAR 2, 3, and 4 programs that successfully implement farm to ECE initiatives are eligible to earn Keystone STARS bonus points. You can learn more about documentation and eligibility for these bonus points.
To learn more about farm to school/ECE, visit PA Ready, Set, Grow and sign up for their monthly newsletter.
The Food Trust incorporates farm to school into SNAP-Ed nutrition education with ECE sites in Pennsylvania through a farm to ECE train the trainer program, which includes resources and technical assistance to help sites build farm to ECE strategies into their operations. Additionally, the organization leads the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network along with the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health; Project PA; and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council. This network is a collaborative partnership that advances and promotes farm to school/ECE by leveraging collective resources across the Commonwealth. The Food Trust also serves as the Pennsylvania Core Partner to the National Farm to School Network, an information, networking and advocacy hub that works on farm to school at the national level.
STAR 2, 3, and 4 programs that successfully implement farm to ECE initiatives are eligible to earn Keystone STARS bonus points. You can learn more about documentation and eligibility for these bonus points.
To learn more about farm to school/ECE, visit PA Ready, Set, Grow and sign up for their monthly newsletter.