“My husband and I run a family child care in southern Maine. We made the commitment to Maine’s pilot ECE to farm program which uses Go NAPSACC for the learning assignments and assessment. When taking the course we made a pledge to introduce the children in our care to local foods. We have done this in multiple ways.
We joined a local CSA which will provide fresh fruits and vegetables from late May through October that we plan to serve to the children as often as possible either with meals or snacks. Being part of the CACFP (Catholic Charities Food Program), fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods and milk are key parts of every meal. Our CSA farm also encourages field trips to visit the gardens and orchards throughout the seasons.
In addition to the CSA, we have planted blueberry bushes, a raised bed of strawberries as well as started introducing the children to the process of planting seeds and caring for a raised bed of vegetables in hopes of teaching them more about locally grown foods.
It has been great watching the excitement on the children’s faces as they see the seeds grow into tiny plants and the strawberry plants get bigger over the past few weeks.”
— Maine Family Child Care Provider, , Farm to ECE Pilot Program Participant, 2021
Educator Success Stories
“Because of my participation [in the Farm to ECE pilot] we have built 2 garden beds, pledged to participate in the Harvest of the Month Program, learned about companion planting, and purchased our fruits/vegetables and herbs from a local nursery. We are incorporating GARDEN Time into our weekly (daily) schedule. This has been an amazing experience for me and the children that I serve. I have also modified my CACFP menu to reflect our commitment to providing locally sourced produce, protein, and dairy when available. In addition, I have adopted policy language that communicates our commitment to supporting local farmers.”
— Maine Child Care Provider, Farm to ECE Pilot Program Participant, 2021
“The Farm Box was a surprising delight! A wide variety of options to choose from, and pictures to accompany. I asked my children to help pick things they would like to try. For the younger children who haven’t quite mastered verbal language, the pictures were a fantastic aide to giving them the opportunity of exploring choice! The pricing was very fair, and the pick-ups incredibly easy! We greatly enjoy the ability to customize our boxes, and see beforehand their originating locations. The website was also very easy to use and navigate, even on a mobile device.
That there were specifically allergen-friendly options is huge to me personally, but my children as well. It allows them to explore (affordable!) options, different-than-average textures and tastes, and to have a positive experience with those options without the negative views wider society may have. (Such as some true-allergy diet needs widely regarded as a ‘fad’). I am very grateful to have had this opportunity to have my program participate in the Farm Box, as I honestly wouldn’t have had a clue most of these farms existed otherwise!”
— Maine Child Care Provider, CSA Box Pilot Program Participant, 2022
“I just wanted to Thank You for this opportunity to be able to participate with the farm box. I used this time to encourage my family and I to eat healthier. I've never done this before. I'm glad that I was able to help support local farmers. I also enjoyed meeting other childcare providers. I liked that we were able to earn childcare credits. Especially with covid going on we didn't have to sit in a class. My childcare parents got to enjoy this opportunity also because I shared my produce (eggs, big delicious apples, blueberries, potatoes etc.) with them. The owner of the home was very pleasant.”
— Maine Child Care Provider, CSA Box Pilot Program Participant, 2022