As a mom, developmental specialist, and nutrition educator working with early childhood programs across the state of Alabama, I spend a lot of time talking about the importance of exposing children to healthy foods, creating positive mealtime experiences, and giving children opportunities to learn where their food comes from. This year, my family had the chance to put many of those ideas into practice in our own kitchen.
At Village Group Home Daycare, we believe that some of the best learning happens outdoors. One of our favorite activities is spending time in our garden, where children discover how plants grow and why gardens are so important.
With support from the CDC-funded Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program, led by Nemours Children’s Health, in partnership with the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, Alabama Healthy Kids, Healthy Future hosted the first Alabama Farm to ECE Summit.
With April being National Garden Month, there is no better time to get children outside, let them explore, and show them where food really comes from. Not a store, but the ground, through care, patience, and purpose.
On Monday, March 30, 2026, Boots on the Farm had the pleasure of visiting Greene County Head Start, where we worked alongside Pre K students, ages 4, to plant raised bed gardens as part of our Farm to ECE efforts.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs provide families and childcare programs with regular access to fresh, locally grown foods while supporting local farmers and strengthening the community food system.
This week, through Farm to ECE, I had the opportunity to bring Taste of the Farm to the Livingston
Early Head Start Center in Livingston, Alabama. Serving children ages birth to three, this visit was a powerful reminder that agricultural education begins earlier than many people realize.
December invites a gentle shift in the rhythm of early childhood classrooms. The air becomes cooler, the daylight fades earlier, and many outdoor gardens begin their winter rest. Yet even as the soil quiets, children’s natural curiosity remains wide awake. Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) continues during the winter months, it simply takes on a new, more reflective form.
In our Farm-to-ECE work, we often focus on planting and harvesting, but this month I’d like to pause and celebrate thankfulness in the garden. Even with our youngest learners, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, the lesson of gratitude can be taught through simple experiences: touching soil, watering a plant, or feeding a worm to the compost pile.
The farmer’s market is one of my favorite classrooms. Not the kind with walls or desks, but one filled with color, sound, and discovery. When small children visit the market, something amazing happens. Every sense comes alive!
