Farm to School & Early Care and Education (ECE)
improve access to local foods in school and ECE environments and provide educational opportunities to encourage healthy eating behaviors.
Participation in Farm to School has been shown to increase student intake of vegetables, as well as nutrition knowledge and willingness to try new fruits and vegetables (Adv Nutr; 2020;11; J School Health; 2026; 96). In addition, communities experience economic benefits, with each dollar invested in Farm to School generating as much as $2.16 in local economic activity (Farm to School Network, 2020).
Farm to School and ECE can encompass a variety of different activities, tailored to the needs of the local community, from garden-enhanced nutrition education to tastings of local produce to school district policy or system changes that increase local foods in schools or at ECE sites.
The resources on this webpage were developed to help school and community partners implement farm to school strategies.
Resources
Browse these resources to learn more about Farm to School & Early Care and Education.
- Digging In: Farm to School Activities, Case Studies, and Resources
- The Digging In Toolkit, developed by the Center for Ecoliteracy in partnership with CalFresh Healthy Living, UC, is a supportive resource for advancing farm to school programs. Whether a school is launching a new initiative or strengthening an existing program, this toolkit offers hands-on activities, real-world case studies, and adaptable strategies to expand farm to school programming.
- Farm to School Marketing Materials
- These farm to school marketing materials include posters, customizable templates for social media posts, flyers, and stickers, and fruit and vegetable images.
Quick Links
Rethinking Farm to School
Evaluation Resources
View CalFresh Healthy Living, UC-recommended taste test evaluation tools.
Trainings
Explore recorded webinars and training resources for Rethinking Farm to School and other program topics.