Created by Green Mountain Farm-to-School and NEKCA (Northeast Kingdom Community Action) Head Start, this resource offers lesson plans, recipes, and information about implementing farm-to-preschool programming at your early education center.
The lesson plans in this guide are written to follow the Vermont Harvest of the Month calendar. Harvest of the Month is a statewide campaign to promote local food in the cafeteria, classroom, and community. While the lessons follow this program’s calendar, you can implement lessons seasonally. Each lesson follows a similar format: an opening with a story and discussion about the featured harvest, an interactive cooking activity, and a supplemental art/educational activity related to the featured harvest. These activities emphasize concepts such as the lifecycle of a plant and the different plant parts we eat. The dishes that students help prepare are intended to be served during lunch or snack. Although students are more likely to try new foods after taking part in the preparation, it is important for teachers and adults to model positive eating habits. Seeing grownups eating cabbage will encourage children to do the same. These activities are only a guide for bringing farm-to-school programming to your early education center. You may decide to lead all or part of the lessons, or modify them to meet your center’s needs. For those looking to expand upon their program, we have provided additional suggestions for implementing farm-to-school activities.