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:

• 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/

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

Beets

Photo credit: https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide/beets

Beets are a popular root vegetable garden item in Nebraska. They come in a variety of shades of red, orange, yellow and white.  Beet tops are edible and are an excellent source of vitamin-A and vitamin-C.  The tops can be cooked or served fresh as a green for a salad. The roots are a good source of vitamin B complex, vitamin-C, and minerals such as iron, manganese and potassium. The roots can be boiled, steamed or roasted whole or cut into pieces.  Pickled beets for salads is a popular serving method.  Raw beets can be chopped or grated for salads, or used to make smoothies or juice.

When purchasing beets look for fresh leaves and smooth round hard bulbs. Smaller beets have more flavor. If you are purchasing them with the top greens intact, they should be removed and stored separately as they will continue to extract moisture from the root. When cutting the green tops off leave about an inch of the stalk.

Sources:

http://extension.illinois.edu/veggies/beet.cfm

https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/beets

https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html

Produce Pick Spotlight Recipes and Serving Ideas

Rosemary Beet Fries

Find the recipe at https://www.holleygrainger.com/rosemary-beet-fries/

Red Beet and Apple Salad

Find the recipe at https://eatfresh.org/recipe/side-dish/red-beet-and-apple-salad

Roasted Root Vegetables

Find the recipe at https://eatfresh.org/recipe/side-dish/roasted-root-vegetables

Beets, Beans, & Greens

Find the recipe at https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/beets-beans-greens

Roasted Beet Hummus

Find the recipe at https://minimalistbaker.com/roasted-beet-hummus/

Beet Pancakes

Recipe and How to Video at https://weelicious.com/2011/06/28/red-beet-pancakes/

Weekly Menus/Sample Menus

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