Florida Farm to Early Care and Education

Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), also known as Farm to ECE, is a national movement to bring more local, nutritious food to child care programs and to encourage healthy habits, such as healthy eating and outdoor play, among children in early care settings. Early care settings serve children ages 0 to 5 and can include preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start or Early Head Start programs, and school-based child care programs. Farm to ECE efforts include serving and sourcing more locally produced foods, providing hands-on learning experiences through school gardens or farm visits, and incorporating food and nutrition education into child care program curriculum.
Farm to ECE efforts support local food systems and can provide affordable means to accessing healthy food, particularly in communities where families struggle to access fresh and affordable food otherwise. You can learn more about the Farm to ECE movement from the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) at the link below.
Florida Farm to ECE Workgroup
Vision
The Florida Farm to ECE Workgroup is composed of a broad spectrum of members with a passion for promoting healthy eating and gardening practices among children ages 0 to 5 and families in ECE settings across Florida.
Our vision is to serve as a hub for Farm to ECE and to provide collective information, resources, and technical assistance support for ECE providers in Florida.
We bring together leaders in Florida Farm to ECE efforts to collaborate, create, and implement Farm to ECE initiatives across the state.
Mission
Our mission is to promote and support implementation of Farm to ECE initiatives that serve all children ages 0 to 5 and families engaged in early care and education settings across the state of Florida.
Workgroup Goals
- Create a statewide coalition of Florida Farm to ECE leaders.
- Create a PDF document where all ECE providers can easily access farm to ECE information and connect with local farms for collaboration opportunities.
- Create a state where all ECE providers have access to and engage with ongoing farm to ECE technical assistance.

Interested in getting involved with the Florida Farm to ECE Workgroup? Email [email protected] to learn more.
How to Get Involved

Begin Let's Be HEROs Technical Assistance

Sign-Up for the Florida
Farm to ECE Newsletter

Join the Florida
Farm to ECE Workgroup
There are many ways to get involved in the Florida Farm to ECE movement. Whether you’d like to participate in the Let’s Be HEROs Technical Assistance Program for help starting a garden or incorporating nutrition and hands-on learning opportunities into your curriculum or you’re involved with an organization that would like to join the Florida Farm to ECE Workgroup, we want to hear from you! We also have a Florida Farm to ECE quarterly newsletter if you’re just interested in learning more.
If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact us using the link below.