Farm to ECE: Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Education

One of the main components of farm to ECE is food, nutrition, and agriculture education. Experiential food education can be very influential in the development of lifelong eating habits and is viewed by many providers as one of the simplest ways to start engaging in farm to ECE. During educational activities, children learn how food grows, what food feels and looks like, where it comes from, what it tastes like, and how to cook it. This can be achieved through a wide variety of activities, such as:

  • Reading books related to food or farming
  • Arts and crafts
  • Singing songs
  • Taste tests
  • Field trips and farmer visits
  • Cooking classes

Below are resources to get started or expand your farm to ECE educational activities.


Classroom Focused Curriculums and Activities

Field Trips and Farmer Visits

Other Activities and Education Resources

  • NFSN Creative Curriculum Guide  A guide to using the creative curriculum in the preschool setting. Includes ideas by classroom interest areas, intentional teaching cards and their Farm to ECE adaptations, questions, props, poems, and more to seamlessly adopt Farm to ECE
  • Food Talk! Conversation Cards for Mealtimes Washington State Department of Health’s conversation cards with questions meant to foster conversation between children while helping them to understand and appreciate healthy food and where it comes from. Also available in Spanish
  • Washington State Taste Test Signs Hang these signs outside classroom doors to promote and celebrate your taste test activities. Available in English and Spanish
  • Multicultural Collection of Farm to ECE Books The Food Trust’s multicultural book collection of books featuring underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including many bilingual and Spanish books
  • Growing Minds Farm to School Bookshelf hundreds of books related to Farm to school that can be read during story time
  • Taste Test Guide Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s comprehensive guide to performing taste test activities
  • Growing Minds Recipes Recipes with seasonal ingredients and some lesson plans. Also available in Spanish
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