Public Resources » Grants & Cost Share Programs

Our Earliest Eaters: Bringing the Farm to Kansas Licensed Early Child Care Facilities

Program Overview

In partnership with the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the Kansas Department of Agriculture is increasing child nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops by providing Kansas licensed early child care facilities with age-appropriate curriculum about Kansas specialty crops and reimbursements for purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables. The program titled “Our Earliest Eaters: Bringing the Farm to Kansas Licensed Early Child Care Facilities” is made possible by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service.

Program Purpose

Establishing healthy eating habits in early childhood is vital for a person's physical growth and cognitive development. For children ages six months to five years old receiving care outside of the home, over half of their daily calories are consumed at an early child care facility. Early child care facilities have a significant influence on learned eating behaviors and are an important setting for nutritional interventions. Serving local foods and offering related hands-on learning activities can increase a child's fruit and vegetable intake and willingness to try new fruits and vegetables.

Agriculture Education Curriculum

The Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom has developed age-appropriate agriculture education curriculum for this program that includes activities and resources for lessons in all four growing seasons. Each lesson features a specialty crop that is seasonally available in Kansas during that time of the year. The lessons are available for free at the following links:

By showing children how specialty crops are grown in Kansas, letting them engage their senses to see, feel, smell, and taste specialty crops in their raw form, and teaching basic culinary skills like peeling and slicing, the project is increasing children's willingness to try fruits and vegetables and improving their nutritional behaviors to have a lasting impact on their diets, while helping them learn about the origins of their food.

Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables

Through this program, 50 facilities are receiving reimbursements of up to $250 per growing season to cover the costs of purchasing fruits and vegetables grown by Kansas farmers and producers used in the provided educational activities as well as served in their meal programs. The Kansas Department of Agriculture is helping facilities find farmers and producers in their communities to purchase fruits and vegetables from.

The reimbursements offered through this project are a way to incentivize local food purchases to benefit our state's specialty crop farmers and producers and will help foster long term purchasing relationships to be sustained after the project concludes.