Details of Benefits

Farm to Early Care is good for kids

  • Kids participating in Farm to Early Care programs are more willing to try new foods (1, 2) eat more fruits and vegetables per day and eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables(3).  

  • Early care is a great setting, since young children are in a key window for development of taste preferences (4, 5)

  • Kids in Farm to Early Care programs develop a deeper understanding of where food comes from and a sense of connection to their communities. (6) 

  • Reaching kids can also indirectly influence the food and nutrition behaviors of their school staff, family and community members, as well as at-home consumption (7) . 

  • Farm to Early Care fits perfectly with the hands-on learning techniques already used in early care environments.

Farm to Early Care is good for farmers

  • Farm to School and Early Care programs open up an additional market for farmers to sell into, giving them another income stream in a diversified business model.  

  • Selling to early cares can be a stepping stone to sell to additional wholesale markets.

  • Sales to early cares can offer reliable, predictable sales.

  • Farm to Early Care programs build farmer relationships with community members, strengthening support for buying local and highlighting farmers’ vital role in the community.

Farm to Early Care is good for communities

  • Farm to Early Care programs build authentic relationships and strengthen community ties. 

  • For every $1 spent on Farm to School, $2.16 of local economic activity is generated. Money is invested into the local economy, supporting local jobs and businesses and helping communities thrive.

Where is Farm to Kids happening?

Farm to Kids is growing across a wide variety of settings, from early care centers and in-home family daycare to charter and public-school districts.

Why is Farm to Kids so beneficial?

Kids gain access to nutritious, high-quality, local food so they are ready to learn and grow. Classroom education can be enhanced through hands-on learning related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition. Farmers gain access to new markets to sell their items and benefit from being able to plan ahead and potentially make larger, more consistent sales than they could through traditional selling channels.