Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) is always a joy to see in action. It is often difficult to convey the excitement and impact of getting children involved in gardening with words alone. For this reason, we are very excited to have the opportunity to film and create videos highlighting some of the amazing work that is being done in child care programs in Alabama while allowing providers to tell their own stories.
We hope these videos will highlight the work that is being done by child care providers across the state as well as inspire other child care programs, parents, and communities to bring farm and gardening activities to the children in their lives.
We’d like to introduce our first Farm to ECE video highlighting Lit’l Bit of Fun Child Development Center in Calera, Alabama.
They have been participating in Farm to ECE activities since early 2022 when they first participated in a Farm to ECE Learning Collaborative. Filming the teachers and children at Lit’l Bit of Fun CDC was such a joy!
We saw children “sneak” cherry tomatoes off the plants to eat during the filming. During our time together, we got to take part in reading garden-themed books and even shared a fresh fruit and veggie snack. There was such excitement on their faces when they would run up to us and the film crew showing off the okra or tomato they just picked.
Please take a few minutes to see Farm to ECE in action and hear Vickie McGiboney, the center owner, explain why she participated in Farm to ECE and the impact it has made on the children who attend Lit’l Bit of Fun. We hope this inspires you as much as it has us!