Abstract
Although there is a wealth of research on farm-to-school programs (FTS), less has been published about farm to early care and education programs (ECE). This paper examines the results of participating in a farm-to-ECE procurement pilot program on provider practices across the three core elements of farm to ECE: (1) purchasing, (2) gardening, and (3) nutrition and education activities. In order to address the geographic and funding constraints of an existing procurement pilot, Michigan offered an expansion of this model so that ECE sites could take part in a learning collaborative. They did this by examining the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in obtaining locally grown foods from a variety of sources among ECE sites, for statewide replication. Participation included self-assessment of learning environments using a nationally available, validated instrument to determine pre- to post-test changes in farm-to-ECE practices and what, if any, changes in practices might have occurred for those participating in the procurement pilot, with the goal of sharing what was learned statewide. Key findings include improvements of statistical significance from pre-test to post-test and changes in best practices among participants using Go NAPSACC, with the top three most improved practices involving garden-based practices. The role of self-assessment, funding, and limitations are discussed, along with implications for practice and further research.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
