Guest blog contributor Morgan Chapman
Morgan Chapman is the Nutrition Education Specialist at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL).
In recognition of Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education Month, the Nutrition Services Division of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) visited a site in Ware County, GA to celebrate Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) efforts.
A happy Head Start start student digs into their yummy taste test! All images courtesy of the author.
On Thursday, Oct. 20, the Nutrition team visited Ware County Head Start Center. There, we learned about Georgia Organics’ Waycross Family Farm Share Pilot — funded through a Community Transformation Grant that DECAL awarded — to address childhood food insecurity for children ages birth to five in Waycross, Georgia.
The Head Start staff and Georgia Organics team showed parents how to plant spinach and Swiss chard seeds, all while discussing food education. Both teams encouraged families to register for the Family Farm Share.
As a pilot program, Family Farm Share delivery lasts six weeks and responds to community needs and preferences for fresh food. Participating families receive a low-cost bag of locally-grown produce each week. This support is possible through a partnership between WayGreen, Georgia Organics, and local farmers.
Parents and DECAL staff connect over seed planting, meal prep and conversation.
Staff members were happy to connect with parents and engage their children through food education and taste-testing of blueberries and watermelon. DECAL staff visited Head Start, Early Head Start and Inclusion classrooms led by Ms. Carol Clarke.
Classroom educators welcomed Clarke, who serves as the training and literacy specialist with Action Pact. The children were thrilled to engage through food-based learning, taste-testing plump blueberries, and sharing their opinions. Staff members also took a tour of the Head Start Center’s garden beds and rooted for the children participating in a bean bag race!
After the taste test, students were encouraged give their opinions about the locally-sourced foods.
To wrap up the visit, DECAL staff had the opportunity to see how the Family Farm Share was sorted and packaged.
The week’s share box included eggs, Satsuma oranges, Fuyu persimmons, collard greens, corn, microgreens (sunflower), red kale, mini sourdough bread, and North Georgia apples.
Our visit confirmed that the Farm to ECE and the Family Farm Share is a win-win for the Head Start community, local farmers, and the youngest learners.
DECAL, WayGreen, and Georgia Organics team members have successfully partnered to support Ware County’s Farm to ECE efforts.
Learn more about Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) at decal.ga.gov.
You can also follow them on Instagram (@brighfromthestart), Twitter (@GADeptEarlyCare), and Facebook (@georgiaDECAL).
Contact their Nutrition Education Specialist Morgan Chapman through their website instructional supports directory.
Visit georgiaorganics.org to see all of what we do and follow us on social media @georgiaorganics for updates and weekly happenings.