Photos courtesy of the National Farm to School Network On March 1, 2019, The National Farm to School Network started a series of blogposts that recognized the work that early learning sites are doing to ensure the children and families in their care have access to healthy, locally-sourced foods. One such blogpost focused on The … Continued
In 2016, The Food Trust and the Pennsylvania Head Start Association formed a task force with partners from all over the state of Pennsylvania to identify strategies for furthering farm to ECE practices in PA while doing so through a racial equity lens. The Ready Set Grow Report is available to see the goals and … Continued
Image Courtesy of fns.usda.gov Looking for ways to incorporate professional development opportunities in nutrition for your programs? The third Thursday of each month brings Thirty on Thursdays Training Webinars from the USDA’s Team Nutrition. These webinars focus on topics that relate to the CACFP Meal Pattern requirements. They are offered in both English (2-2:30PM) … Continued
Our March 21st blogpost (see here), asked the question, “Will a home-cooked meal solve all problems?” People are quick to say that cooking a good meal at home would make families healthier. However, they overlook the fact that not all families are created equal – they do not all have the same time and resources … Continued
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Moss You bought seeds and starter plants (did you know you can use your SNAP benefits for that purchase?), so now what? When do those seeds need to be started and transplanted? When should those starter plants be planted? The state of Pennsylvania lies within three growing zones (5, 6, and … Continued
In school, children love to celebrate holidays or birthdays with a class party. Most of the time, this means a lot of unhealthy junk food like cupcakes and juice boxes. Consider incorporating a new policy that would make these celebrations healthier. For example, if food is necessary for the party, require more of the provided … Continued
Image courtesy of amazon.com A common theme that seems to be coming back around is that if we spend more time in the kitchen cooking meals for our families, we will be healthier and stronger. Is it really that “simple”? In their book, “Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won’t Solve Our Problems and What We … Continued
Photo courtesy of USDA Snap-Ed USDA Snap-Ed has done it again!! Irish comfort food at its best (and healthy, too!). For recipes to go with your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, visit the Snap-Ed recipe webpage to see dishes like Shepherd’s Pie, Cabbage Comfort, and, for a vegetarian option, Vegetable Stew. Finish the meal off with Banana … Continued
Photo courtesy of SNAPgardens.org Did you know SNAP benefits can be used to buy seeds and food-producing plants? It’s true! According to the USDA, “For every $1 dollar spent on seeds and fertilizer, home gardeners can grow an average of $25 worth of produce. Growing food from seeds and plants makes SNAP benefits last longer, … Continued
The USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) has an excellent Farm to Preschool resource page on their website. Included on this page, is a Local Foods in CACFP Policy Memo that explains how to include local foods and agriculture-based education in early care and education (ECE) settings. At the end of the memo is a … Continued