Resources

For the Classroom

Alabama Foods: A to Z

Learn about the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown right here in Alabama, from A to Z!

Farm to Table Activities

Created by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, this handout provides activities and information about bringing healthy foods from the farm to your table! Included in this guide is a fact sheet and coloring pages in English and Spanish.

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Recipe

Grab some local fruits and make these delicious fruit and yogurt parfaits! This recipe was created in collaboration with Childcare Resources.

Harvest Fun Feast: Fall-Themed Snacks

This resource includes recipes for fun snacks to serve in November to celebrate the fall harvest. Children are more likely to try fresh vegetables and fruits when served in these fun ways!

Farm to Fright: Halloween Snacks Using Fresh Produce

This resource includes fun and spooky snack ideas for kids to make in the classroom or to serve for parties or during snack time.

Gardening in ECE Settings

Looking to start a fruit or vegetable garden at your center/home? Check out the Alabama Seasonal Produce Guide for guidance on the peak seasons for your favorite fruits and vegetables!

Alabama Produce seasons

This graphic shows the many vegetables that can be grown in Alabama, and the best times to grow them!

Alabama Fruits and Vegetables

Looking to start a fruit or veggie garden? Check out this guide for the harvest seasons of your favorite produce!

Dig In! Gardening Guide

Learn how to start gardening in your child care program with this helpful guide from Team Nutrition!

Local Food Purchasing

Double Up Food Bucks

Check out this flyer and learn about how you can purchase locally grown foods from farmer’s markets using EBT!

Harvest Calendar

This calendar from the Alabama Farm to School program shows the best months for purchasing fruits and vegetables from local farmers!

Farm to Preschool – Local Food and Learning

Looking to purchase locally while following the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines? Check out this factsheet for more information on bringing local foods into your program!

Local Food Purchasing for Family Child Care Providers

Looking to purchase fresh local foods to serve in your family child care program? Check out this resource from the National Farm to School Network for tips on getting started!

Local Procurement for Child Care Centers

Fresh local foods are the perfect addition to your center’s weekly menu! Check out this resource from the National Farm to School Network for tips on purchasing locally.

Family and Community Engagement

What is Farm to ECE? For Families

This resource created by the Alabama Farm to ECE Coalition is great for introducing families in your early childhood program to Farm to ECE. Now available in English, Spanish, and Korean!

What is Farm to ECE? Farmers & Food Producers

Looking to share about Farm to ECE with a farmer, gardener, or food producer? This handout shares the benefits of Farm to ECE for agriculture professionals!

Introduction to Farm to ECE for Farmers and Food Producers

This resource provides an introduction to early care and education (ECE) programs as a valuable market opportunity for farmers, food producers, and agriculture professionals.

Health Benefits from Fall Fruits and Veggies

This resource offers nutritional details about popular produce harvested in the fall – a great resource to share with families and communities during the fall season!

Assessing Your Program

The Farm to Early Care and Education Self-Assessment Tool, created by the National Farm to School Network and the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, is designed for childcare providers to evaluate and enhance their Farm to ECE activities.

How to Use It:

Get Your Team Together: Gather your team, including teachers, kitchen staff, family engagement coordinators, and administrators. For smaller centers or family childcare homes, this may be just one or two people.
Review and Record: Go through each item in the assessment as a group. Mark the option that best describes what you’re currently doing and write any extra comments if needed.
Set Goals: Pick one area where you want to make changes and choose up to three goals to focus on.
Set a Date to Reassess: Schedule a date to review your progress and update your goals.

This tool is valuable for documenting and enhancing Farm to ECE efforts, which in turn helps to support access to nutritious food and engagement of families and communities within the food system.

Acknowledgment: The Alabama Farm to ECE Coalition attributes the resources listed to the following organizations: National Farm to School Network, the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, the United States Department of Agriculture, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative.