All Alabama Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition programs are empowered to successfully source healthy local foods, build gardens, and offer food and agriculture activities that enrich the quality of early learning experiences for children and support the Alabama food economy.
The Alabama Foods from A to Z Toolkit can be used in various early childhood settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start programs, Pre-K classrooms, and more. This toolkit is a collection of resources and information for providing food and farming education to young children.
A visit to the farmers market is full of excitement, colors, smells, and people bustling about. For young children, it’s more than a field trip, it’s a lesson in community, food, and culture.
August gardens are awash in color: deep reds of tomatoes, golden kernels of corn, and the dark green of okra pods. In the ECE classroom, we can harness that bounty to spark curiosity, fine-motor skills, and early science exploration.
The Alabama Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition enriches early learning experiences by fostering the implementation of gardens, food education, and farm education activities. The Coalition also works to provide access to healthy foods by supporting local economies and purchasing locally.
The Coalition focuses providing opportunities that consider populations with varying socioeconomic statuses, abilities, and backgrounds.
Coalition members engage different sectors throughout the state to work together to address barriers faced by child care providers in Alabama.
The Farm to ECE Coalition seeks input and guidance from the individuals and groups directly affected by their work.
By utilizing a strengths-based approach, the Coalition keeps the needs and assets of community members a priority when making recommendations and thinking through solutions.
Members of the Coalition will strive to be transparent and communicate clearly about their work with the populations and communities they impact.
The Alabama Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition core values are a vital component of the Coalition’s work. By rooting their work in these core values, the Coalition strives to bring education and resources to every table in the child care field.
