Nebraska Farm to Preschool Toolkit

• Find Famer’s Markets/Produce Vendors near you (Nebraska Famer’s Markets/Produce Vendor Search): https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-ag-farmers-market/

• Nebraska Food Cooperative: https://www.nebraskafood.org/

• Where Can I buy Drinks and Food that is Nebraskan (Nebraska Access): http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/nebraskafoods.asp

• Food and Meat Directory (Nebraska Department of Agriculture): http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/publications/promotion/food_meat_directory.html

• Local Procurement for Family Child Care Providers: http://www.farmtoschool.org/Resources/Preschool%20procurement_home%20fact%20sheet.pdf

• Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs: http://1.usa.gov/1PkMaQq

• Nebraska Produce Availability: http://www.ourbesttoyou.nebraska.gov/consumers.html

• Find a Farmers Market or Produce Vendor: https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-ag-farmers-market/

• Seasonal Produce Guide (USDA): https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/nutrition-through-seasons/seasonal-produce

• Seasonal Food Guide in Your Area:  http://www.sustainabletable.org/seasonalfoodguide/

• Argrilicious – All things Local Food and Handmade Goods:http://www.agrilicious.org/home

Photo credit: http://tinyurl.com/n4rxzup In season locally: June through October. Health benefits of carrots: Carrots are a root vegetable rich in antioxidants (cancer prevention), fiber and beta carotene.  They are also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B8.  Carrots are a good source of pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.  They are low in calories and high in fiber (good for digestive health). Nutrient Health Benefit Fiber Promotes digestive health Beta Carotene /Vitamin A Vision health Vitamin C Strengthens immune system Vitamin K Bone and heart heath B8 Cognitive function, blood pressure, metabolism, Folate Skin health, cell development, cancer prevention Potassium Anxiety/stress relief, health heart & blood pressure Iron Hemoglobin formation, oxygen carrier, muscle function Copper Aids metabolic process for a healthy existence You can find carrots at local farmers markets nearly all summer in Nebraska. Find local farmers who grow carrots on a great website called Agrilicious: http://www.agrilicious.org/local/fresh-carrots/nebraska Sources: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/carrots.html http://www.naturalnewsblogs.com/top-5-health-benefits-good-sources-vitamin-b8/http://tinyurl.com/mlltzxg

Produce Pick Spotlight Recipes and Serving Ideas

Fresh Hummus with Rainbow Carrots https://welldoing.org/article/recipe-hummus-rainbow-carrot

Carrot Fries http://www.food.com/recipe/oven-baked-carrot-fries-413832

Perfectly Cooked Carrots http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/perfectly-cooked-carrots

Carrot Soup with Parmesan Crisps http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-soup-with-parmesan-crisps

Weekly Menus/Sample Menus
*RFHK = Recipes for Healthy Kids cookbook
*PPS = Produce Pick Spotlight recipe
*ISL = In Season Locally

Recipe Resources

• USDA What’s Cooking: http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/search/solr-results

• USDA Harvest Recipes:  http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/featuredlinks/HarvestofRecipes.pdf

• USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook for Homes:  http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/featuredlinks/cookbook-homes.pdf

Curriculum

• Grow It, Try It, Like It! Nutrition Educational Tool Kit:   http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-try-it-it

• Farm to Childcare Curriculum: http://www.iatp.org/files/2014_07_16_F2CC_Curriculum_f.pdf

• Farm to Preschool Curriculum (Stacey Sobell Williams, MPH): http://www.agri.ohio.gov/public_docs/FarmToSchool/Farm%20to%20Preschool%20Curriculums.pdf

• National Farm to Preschool Network – Curricula:  http://www.farmtopreschool.org/curricula.html

Lesson Plans

• Nebraska Department of Agriculture Kids page: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/kids/index.html

• USDA – Preschool/Child Care Garden Resources:  http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/school-and-preschool-gardens/preschool-child-care-garden-resources

• Harvest for Healthy Kids- Free Activity Kits: http://www.harvestforhealthykids.org/?page_id=291

• Farmers Market Fun: http://freshbaby.com/files/uploads/pdfs/FarmersMarketFun-Side1.pdf

• If I Was a Farmer I would Grow, classroom Book: http://freshbaby.com/files/uploads/pdfs/Fresh-Baby-Farmer’s-Market-Preschool-Classroom-Book.pdf

• Farmer’s Market Counting Graph: http://freshbaby.com/files/uploads/pdfs/Fresh-Baby-Farmer’s-Market-Preschool-Lesson-Plan-Graphing-Counting.pdf

• Farm to Preschool on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janamarie76/farm-preschool-theme/

Taste Test Activities

• Farm to Preschool Harvest of the Month Curriculum: (Materials provided by the Center for Food & Justice- UEPI Occidental College Materials modified by permission from the Network for a Healthy California-Merced County Office of Education) http://www.farmtopreschool.org/documents/F2P%20Curriculum.pdf

• Local Foods in CACFP Policy Memo: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/f2s/CACFP11_2015_Local%20Foods%20in%20CACFP_03%2013%202015.pdf

• USDA – Community Food Systems: http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-preschool

• National Farm to School Network – Farm to Preschool Advocacy: http://www.farmtoschool.org/policy

• USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Final Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/04/25/2016-09412/child-and-adult-care-food-program-meal-pattern-revisions-related-to-the-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act

• National Farm to School Network: http://www.farmtoschool.org/our-work/about-preschool

• USDA FNS Farm to Preschool: http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-preschool

• Center for Rural Affairs Farm to School: http://www.cfra.org/f2s

• USDA FSN Community Food Systems:  http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-school

• Nebraska Agriculture: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/publications/ne_ag_facts_brochure.pdf

• For more information on the benefits of Farm to School: http://www.farmtoschool.org/Resources/BenefitsFactSheet.pdf

• University of Nebraska Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: UNL Foods: https://food.unl.edu/

• Institute of Child Nutrition – Farm to Preschool Helps Healthy Habits Take Root Early: http://news.theicn.org/farm-to-preschool-helps-healthy-habits-take-root-early/
• Farm to Childcare: Opportunities and Challenges for Connecting Young Children with Local Foods and Farmers: http://news.theicn.org/farm-to-preschool-helps-healthy-habits-take-root-early/