Farm to ECE

Encouraging Local Foods and Gardening Experiences with Professional Development

Alabama Healthy Kids, Healthy Future provides resources, professional development, and technical assistance to early childhood educators to increase local food purchasing, nutrition and agriculture education, and gardening experiences in ECE settings.

Alabama Farm to ECE Learning Collaboratives

AL HKHF provides the Farm to ECE Learning Collaboratives each year for early childhood programs throughout the state. 

What is a Learning Collaborative? A Learning Collaborative (LC) is a community of early childhood educators that gathers monthly to learn, share ideas, and explore best practices in Farm to ECE. 

Participants of a Farm to ECE LC work together for about 6 months, receiving free professional development hours, resources, and technical assistance, and can apply for implementation funds to start their Farm to ECE activities.

Farm to ECE Virtual Gardening Training Series with Bionca Lindsey

Many questions can arise while maintaining a garden. AL Healthy Kids, Healthy Future provides a monthly training series in partnership with Garden Educator Bionca Lindsey, focused specifically on starting and sustaining ECE-based gardens. Participants of the series have the opportunity to learn about a variety of gardening topics, including:

• Planning for a Spring or Fall Garden

• Seed Starting Activities

• And more!

Participants also have the opportunity to network with other early childhood educators across the state to discuss challenges, successes, and ideas for implementing Farm to ECE activities into their program.

Gardening & STEM in the Classroom Training

AL Healthy Kids, Healthy Future offers training that introduces early childhood educators to hands-on gardening and STEM experiences designed specifically for young learners.

Hands-On, Play-Based Learning Activities
The training includes interactive activities that are aligned with early learning standards. Educators will gain strategies for teaching key STEM concepts in fun and accessible ways, including:

• Pollination Exploration – Learn how to guide children through the pollination process using examples and child-friendly models.

• Parts of the Flower – Use fun activities to introduce children to the anatomy of flowers and plant life cycles.

• Where Food Comes From – Help children make the connection between food and how it grows, fostering curiosity, healthy eating habits, and a respect for nature.

• Gardening Basics – Learn ways to involve children in planting, watering, harvesting, and observing plant growth while integrating science and math skills.
  

Connecting STEM and Nutrition
This training bridges nutrition education and science by showing how gardening can be a natural extension of healthy eating habits. Children are more likely to try fruits and vegetables they’ve helped grow, making the garden a powerful tool for promoting wellness and curiosity. By training educators to bring gardening into their learning environments, Farm to ECE nurtures both children’s development and their connection to food and nature.