Nebraska Farm to Preschool Toolkit
- Farm to Preschool Fact Sheet: Farm to Preschool – Local Food and Learning in Early Child Care and Education Settings
- What is Farm to Preschool: http://www.farmtopreschool.org/whatisfarmtopreschool.html
- Getting Started With Farm to Preschool: http://bit.ly/1syXKSx
- Getting Started with Farm to Early Childhood Education: http://goo.gl/BHdEjS
- Farm to Early Childhood Programs; A Step-By-Step Guide: http://foodsystems.msu.edu/uploads/files/Farm_to_Early_Childhood_Guide_2015_Feb.pdf
- Grant Funding Available: http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-school-grant-program
- Find Farmer’s Markets/Produce Vendors near you (Nebraska Farmer’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: https://cdn.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Buying-Local-Guide_FINAL_August-2015.pdf
- Nebraska Produce Availability:
- 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/
- Seasonal Food Guide by State: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/
- Agrilicious – All things Local Food and Handmade Goods:http://www.agrilicious.org/home
Sweet Potatoes
Produce Pick Spotlight – Sweet Potatoes are a root vegetable and are in season in Nebraska September through December but they are available year round.
Sweet Potato Fun Facts – Did you know…?
- Sweet potatoes have been rising in popularity – consumption increased 42% between 2000 and 2016.
- Sweet Potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and Vitamin B6 as well as, rich in manganese, calcium, potassium, iron, and fiber.
- You can eat the whole plant including the root, leaves, shoots, and stems.
- There are over 400 varieties of sweet potatoes
- Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same type of root vegetables but the name is often used interchangeably.
- George Washington grew sweet potatoes in his garden in Virginia and made more than 100 different products with them
- When baking sweet potatoes you should not wrap them in foil because the sugar in the skin will caramelize.
Store is a cool dry place, preferably 55- 65 degrees, away from other vegetables. They can be stored 4 to 6 months but if they begin to sprout and grow, they should be used. Rinse and scrub before cooking. They do not need to be peeled.
Resources:
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11202/10-fun-facts-about-sweet-potatoes.html
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/vegetable-of-the-month-sweet-potatoes
https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/the-different-types-of-sweet-potatoes
Produce Pick Spotlight Recipes and Serving Ideas
Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Chile
Sweet Potatoes and Apples, USDA
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Weekly Menus/Sample Menus
Sample Menu with Produce Pick Sweet Potatoes recipes in bold
Sweet Potato Pancakes w/ pumpkin spice: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a29178562/sweet-potato-pancakes-recipe/
Sweet Potato Hummus: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sweet-potato-hummus
Roasted Sweet Potatoes: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-sweet-potatoes-garlic-chili
Sweet Potato Apple Bake: https://healthyschoolrecipes.com/recipes/baked-sweet-potatoes-apples-usda/
Crispy Sweet potato fries: https://cookieandkate.com/baked-sweet-potato-fries/
Bake sweet potato: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/baked-sweet-potato/
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
- USDA CACFP Recipes: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp-recipes
Curriculum
- Grow It, Try It, Like It! Nutrition Educational Tool Kit (Team Nutrition Resource Library):https://pueblo.gpo.gov/TN/TNPubs.php?PubID=15038 Or download available: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/grow-it-homes
- National Farm to Preschool Network – Curricula: http://www.farmtopreschool.org/curricula.html
- Safety in the Little Gardener’s Garden: https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3905-07.pdf
- ASAP Growing Minds a program of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project: https://growing-minds.org/farm-to-preschool/
- A Guide to using the Creative Curriculum for Preschool to Support Farm-to-ECE Models: http://www.farmtoschool.org/Resources/FarmtoECE_CreativeCurriculumGuide.pdf
Lesson Plans
- Nebraska Department of Agriculture Kids page: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/kids/index.html
- ABC Fruit and Veggie Fact Cards
- Farm to Table Curriculum & Activity Sheet
- Harvest for Healthy Kids- Free Activity Kits: http://www.harvestforhealthykids.org/?page_id=291
- 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
- Farm to Preschool: Local Food and Learning in Early Child Care and Education Setting: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-to-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/
- The Dirt: Farm to Preschool e-letter: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/e-letter-archive