Early Childcare and Education

The farm to early care and education (ECE) movement aims to increase access to healthy, locally-grown foods, gardening opportunities and food-based activities in preschools, child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start/Early Head Start, and all educational programs for children ages 0-5. The goals of our farm to ECE program are to:

• Promote health and wellness

• Expand fresh and local food access

• Offer hands-on experiential learning for young children

• Encourage family engagement

• Provide additional economic opportunities for farmers

• Build community connections

At Mississippi Farm to School Network, our team works to help ECE programs get their Farm to ECE programs off (and in!) the ground and create connections between ECE spaces and local farmers. Our team is here to answer any questions you may have. For more information, please contact Farm to ECE Programs Coordinator Edy Dingus at Edy@mississippifarmtoschool.org.

Schedule virtual professional development for your ECE team.

MFSN believes that regular professional development is vital for equipping early childhood educators with the tools to foster healthy, holistic growth in young children. The following professional development opportunities are available to you and your team. Contact us to learn more!

Farm to ECE Trainings Certificates are available for up to 2 hours of training on Farm to ECE-aligned topics, including:

• Engaging Your Community in Farm to ECE

• Farm to ECE-Aligned Class Activities

• Fundraising for your Farm to ECE program

• Gardening with Young Children

• Harvest-Centered Menu Planning

• Local Food Safety and Storage for Nutrition Staff

• Local Food Sourcing and Procurement

Physical Activity Learning Sessions (PALS) PALS is an out-of-the-box training package for those working with children ages 0-5 on the best practices for physical activity. PALS combines content learning with facility-level self-assessments, policy development opportunities, resources, and materials designed to support practice change in ECE programs — leading to healthier, more active children.

PALS workshops examine the best practices for physical activity across eight areas and address the challenges ECE providers face in supporting active play. 

• Staff at your ECE program can earn certificates for 8 or more hours of professional development related to Physical Activity Best Practice in Early Childhood.

  • Email MFSN’s Farm to ECE Programs Coordinator at edy@mississippifarmtoschool.org to find a PALS trainer in your area.

• FREE Physical Activity Resources (PALS)

• FREE Physical Activity Self-Assessment for your ECE program:

  • Physical Activity Self-Assessment (ENGLISH)

  • Evaluación de la actividad física (ESPAÑOL)

• FREE Sample Physical Activity Policy Template for ECE Programs (PALS)

Mississippi PALS Coaches

If you are a trained PALS Coach in Mississippi, click here to access the password-protected resource page below, including self-assessments, certificates, and more.