Head Start Farm to ECE Overview and Resource Guide
Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) & Nemours Children's Health
September 25, 2025
Our partners at the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) and Nemours Children’s Health are pleased to share the Head Start Farm to ECE Overview and Resource Guide. This guide was organized by ASPHN and Nemours Children’s Health with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support Head Start (HS) staff interested in Farm to ECE programming. Listed resources can help HS staff find Farm to ECE ideas, gather inspiration, or accelerate efforts to improve young children's health and wellness.
The resources are categorized into Farm to ECE content areas. They have selected the best Farm to ECE resources for HS, with key resources for each HS staff position, separated by a tab. You can explore the full HS Farm to ECE Resource Library or find your staff area and look at the select resources under that tab.
Background
Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) is an evidence-based program, offering young children increased exposure and access to local produce, opportunities to learn about nutrition and agriculture, and hands-on learning through gardening. Farm to ECE is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is a strategy that is easily adapted to varied ECE settings, geographic locations, ages, and abilities of children. The core elements of Farm to ECE, increasing access to local foods, gardening, and food-based education, can be implemented in different ways depending on the needs and resources of each ECE program.
Want more Farm to ECE support?
- Explore further Farm to ECE ASPHN Farm to ECE Resource Catalog.
- Have your Farm to ECE questions answered.
- Sign up for ASPHN's Farm to ECE newsletters.
- Explore Nemours Children's Health Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program, including the Farm to ECE Learning Collaboratives. Reach out for more information and support.
- Explore USDA's Farm to CACFP Site for additional background and resources.