S1E17: Farm to Early Care and Education: Start Small w. Sarah Meyer and Kyleen Miller
Nebraska Extension Early Childhood Program Area-Emily Manning, Dr. Holly Hatton, Ingrid Lindal, Erin Kampbell, Linda Reddish, Katie Krause, and LaDonna Werth
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04/09/2024
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In this episode, we explore a listener requested topic—Farm to Early Care and Education. Farm to School Specialist Sarah Meyer and Kurious Kiddo’s Childcare owner and director Kyleen Miller join Emily to discuss what is already happening in Farm to ECE in Nebraska, successes and challenges with implementing Farm to ECE, and exciting new opportunities that are available. Sarah sheds light on existing resources and upcoming developments slated for release in fall 2024, while Kyleen shares the delightful experiences she and the children at Kurious Kiddos are enjoying as they discover local Nebraska products and foods.
sarah.m.meyer@nebraska.gov
Nebraska Department of Education Farm to Early Care and Education Webpage: https://www.education.ne.gov/ns/cacfp/farm-to-preschool/
Heartland Farm to School & Early Care and Education Institute Application (Closes April 30th , 2024): https://forms.gle/6qg2GaEGBcC9Vtyf7
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Afterparty Review by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2962-afterparty-review
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
"Wholesome" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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- [00:00:00.079](upbeat music)
- [00:00:08.670]This is "The Good Life in Early Life,"
- [00:00:11.730]a production of Nebraska Extension.
- [00:00:13.890]I'm your host, Emily Manning,
- [00:00:15.570]an Early Childhood Extension educator
- [00:00:17.550]located in Seward County.
- [00:00:19.320]Happy spring, everyone.
- [00:00:21.180]Personally, I am so happy that spring is finally here
- [00:00:25.020]and that the days are lasting longer
- [00:00:27.090]and the weather is warmer 'cause it just makes it
- [00:00:29.550]so much easier and so much more enjoyable
- [00:00:32.340]to spend time outside in my garden,
- [00:00:34.350]which is something that I like to do in my free time.
- [00:00:36.690]This is also the perfect time of year
- [00:00:38.250]to explore the topic of farm to school,
- [00:00:40.890]or in our case, farm to early care and education.
- [00:00:44.490]Huge shout-out to our listeners
- [00:00:46.290]for suggesting that we explore this topic on the podcast.
- [00:00:49.080]Honestly, it's just perfect because Nebraska
- [00:00:51.240]is an ideal place to explore farm
- [00:00:53.640]to early care and education,
- [00:00:55.500]and we have some exciting opportunities
- [00:00:57.780]and resources coming out this year
- [00:00:59.730]that our guests are gonna share about.
- [00:01:01.320]So without further ado, let's get into it.
- [00:01:04.410]Our first guest is a farm to school specialist
- [00:01:07.020]in the Office of Coordinated Student Support Services
- [00:01:09.870]at the Nebraska Department of Education.
- [00:01:11.940]She is a registered dietitian
- [00:01:13.500]with a master's degree in nutrition and dietetics
- [00:01:16.020]from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
- [00:01:18.450]She has worked with the Nebraska Department of Education
- [00:01:21.000]for three years, helping on a variety of projects
- [00:01:23.670]surrounding school wellness policy,
- [00:01:25.560]nutrition and agriculture education, food sovereignty,
- [00:01:28.740]and farm to early care and education.
- [00:01:31.440]Welcome to the show, Sarah Meyer.
- [00:01:33.510]Hi, it's great to be here.
- [00:01:34.620]Thanks for having me.
- [00:01:35.520]Absolutely. We're so happy to have you.
- [00:01:37.590]Our second guest has a bachelor's degree
- [00:01:39.720]in early childhood education from Wayne State College.
- [00:01:42.300]Five years ago, she opened Kurious Kiddo's Daycare
- [00:01:45.000]and is preparing to open a second location.
- [00:01:47.310]She is dedicated to providing
- [00:01:48.750]high-quality early childhood experiences,
- [00:01:51.060]so is a part of the Power of Preschool team.
- [00:01:53.670]She has completed
- [00:01:54.570]the three-year Rooted in Relationships program
- [00:01:57.000]and the Family Style Eating training,
- [00:01:59.100]along with many more learning opportunities
- [00:02:01.710]as she continues to learn how to best serve the families
- [00:02:04.350]in her childcare program.
- [00:02:05.880]Welcome to the show, Kyleen Miller.
- [00:02:07.830]Thanks for having me.
- [00:02:08.670]So excited to have you both today
- [00:02:10.020]to talk about farm to early care and education.
- [00:02:12.840]Let's start off with my first questions
- [00:02:14.850]that I ask all of my guests.
- [00:02:16.860]What is a funny memory about you from your childhood
- [00:02:20.070]or maybe a favorite memory from your childhood?
- [00:02:22.890]Yeah, Kyleen! I would say
- [00:02:24.090]revolving around the pilot course
- [00:02:25.710]that I'm a part of with Sarah.
- [00:02:28.290]I would say my grandparents had berry bushes
- [00:02:30.960]outside of their house when I was younger,
- [00:02:32.550]so my siblings and I used to just always go
- [00:02:34.830]just grab berries whenever we wanted.
- [00:02:36.510]They tried to teach me about gardening as well
- [00:02:38.490]but did not go in my favor. (laughs)
- [00:02:40.950]Love it. I tried.
- [00:02:41.783]Yeah. I tried gardening,
- [00:02:42.810]but it's not, it doesn't go well.
- [00:02:44.460]That's okay. That's okay.
- [00:02:45.750]Berry bushes are so fun.
- [00:02:47.520]Love it. Thanks for sharing that, Kyleen.
- [00:02:49.170]Sarah, how about you?
- [00:02:50.280]Kyleen, ours are very similar.
- [00:02:51.960]My grandparents had a strawberry patch close to their house
- [00:02:55.380]where you could go and pick and fill your barrels,
- [00:02:58.020]and then they'd weigh them, you know,
- [00:02:59.640]and get 'em back to you,
- [00:03:00.780]and you'd decide what you pay.
- [00:03:02.460]And it was really funny, I went there one summer with them
- [00:03:05.010]when I was maybe two or three,
- [00:03:07.380]and we kinda, like, got up to the owner to pay,
- [00:03:10.530]and my mouth was just, like, stained red
- [00:03:13.197](Emily laughing) because I'd been, like,
- [00:03:14.460]eating berries as we went.
- [00:03:16.530]And I think the owners were kind of like,
- [00:03:18.247]"We don't even know how much to charge
- [00:03:20.310]because it looks like she's eaten, like,
- [00:03:23.010]several baskets' worth of berries here." (laughs)
- [00:03:25.830]But yeah, it's always fun and one of my first experiences.
- [00:03:29.850]Kinda getting out in the field
- [00:03:31.470]and getting to just pick your food and eat it as you go
- [00:03:34.170]was always really fun memories
- [00:03:35.820]with my grandparents that I have.
- [00:03:37.410]Oh, I love that.
- [00:03:38.430]Yeah, I'm sure they didn't know how much to charge you,
- [00:03:40.410]but they knew that some strawberries
- [00:03:41.850]had been eaten and taken,
- [00:03:43.980]but (laughs) definitely.
- [00:03:45.750]Right, just some quality control on-site
- [00:03:48.090]happening for them, yep.
- [00:03:49.720](Sarah and Emily laughing)
- [00:03:50.790]Yeah, learning opportunity for them.
- [00:03:52.350]Maybe have some people watching
- [00:03:54.210]and keeping the children away from the berries
- [00:03:57.900]and maybe adults too.
- [00:03:59.130]All right, Sarah, I think I'm gonna ask you first,
- [00:04:01.170]can you tell us about what farm to school is?
- [00:04:04.230]Yeah, absolutely, so farm to school
- [00:04:06.570]is an overarching term,
- [00:04:08.670]but it kind of encompasses, you know, farm to after school,
- [00:04:12.510]farm to early care and education,
- [00:04:14.250]or I usually call it farm to ECE in shorthand.
- [00:04:17.280]It's just base farm to plate, farm to table.
- [00:04:20.010]There's a lotta these terms
- [00:04:21.270]that we kinda use interchangeably in our field,
- [00:04:23.700]but basically there's three core elements
- [00:04:25.650]of farm to school or farm to early care and education,
- [00:04:28.500]and that's gardens, education, and procurement.
- [00:04:32.130]So as my job as a farm to school specialist,
- [00:04:34.680]I connect Nebraska schools and early care
- [00:04:36.897]and education sites with local farmers
- [00:04:40.020]and ranchers and foods that they can serve in their programs
- [00:04:43.589]and that they can grow on their site
- [00:04:45.570]and then also resources so they can educate their youth
- [00:04:49.050]or their littles on agriculture and nutrition
- [00:04:51.780]and how food can play a role in all those areas.
- [00:04:54.720]So that's kind of like the overarching
- [00:04:56.970]of farm to early care and education.
- [00:04:59.490]Great, thanks for that explanation
- [00:05:01.100]for maybe some listeners who aren't familiar with it.
- [00:05:04.020]So both of you, would you tell us
- [00:05:05.580]about the farm to school or farm to ECE work
- [00:05:09.750]that is already being done in Nebraska right now?
- [00:05:12.330]Yeah, so right now is a really big time.
- [00:05:14.610]We have a lot of momentum
- [00:05:15.840]in the farm to early care and education work
- [00:05:18.540]being done right now.
- [00:05:19.680]We've heard in the past that we have a lot of resources
- [00:05:22.530]in our state for kinda the K to 12 audience,
- [00:05:25.650]but we really wanted to focus in
- [00:05:27.309]on that early care and education audience
- [00:05:29.760]and meeting them where they are
- [00:05:31.710]and giving them some resources
- [00:05:33.570]that are really applicable to those littles.
- [00:05:35.910]So we started a pilot program in October of last fall.
- [00:05:39.990]We have 32 sites across the state involved
- [00:05:43.200]in that right now, and it'll run through September,
- [00:05:45.510]and at the end of that pilot,
- [00:05:46.770]we're hoping to kinda launch all of the things
- [00:05:49.530]that came out of it as free resources
- [00:05:52.020]for all the other early care sites
- [00:05:54.120]to access in the future on our website.
- [00:05:56.340]And so Kyleen is one of our sites
- [00:05:58.830]that is currently kinda being involved in that pilot,
- [00:06:01.920]so would you like to tell, Kyleen, a little bit
- [00:06:04.590]about your experience with it
- [00:06:06.090]and what's kind of going on right now in that?
- [00:06:08.280]This month is dry beans, so that was an experience
- [00:06:12.450]because I've never dealt with dry beans.
- [00:06:15.000]But Sarah basically gives us the food item
- [00:06:18.180]that we're going to be trying for the month,
- [00:06:20.280]and then we go out and find local farmers or producers
- [00:06:24.090]to purchase those items from.
- [00:06:26.340]Has it been difficult to find those local farmers?
- [00:06:29.940]Dry beans were a little bit rougher,
- [00:06:31.650]so I reached out to Sarah,
- [00:06:33.810]and so we ended up getting those from Hy-Vee.
- [00:06:35.760]But everything else, we have a local country market store
- [00:06:38.760]here in town in Norfolk,
- [00:06:40.260]and so they've had majority of everything that we've needed.
- [00:06:44.310]And then, there is Wolff Farms here.
- [00:06:46.860]They're just 10 minutes out of town,
- [00:06:48.210]so we've gotten some things from them as well.
- [00:06:50.250]So for me, it has not been difficult so far.
- [00:06:52.977]Yeah, yeah, keep going.
- [00:06:54.150]Tell us more about the pilot,
- [00:06:55.620]and so right now, you're doing dry beans,
- [00:06:57.600]and what else is happening?
- [00:06:59.550]Sarah sends us a packet
- [00:07:00.900]with information about the product.
- [00:07:03.180]There's also lesson plans that we can follow,
- [00:07:05.370]but we can find our own as well.
- [00:07:07.110]So, like, last week, we made hummus with the kids.
- [00:07:09.750]They got to help with the process of soaking the beans,
- [00:07:12.780]and then it was the process of cooking them
- [00:07:14.910]and measuring everything out,
- [00:07:16.800]so it turned into a math lesson,
- [00:07:18.270]and then, they also got to taste-test that,
- [00:07:20.070]which was actually a huge hit.
- [00:07:21.720]So we'll probably keep it. Really?
- [00:07:23.070]Yes, the hummus was.
- [00:07:24.540]The beans by themselves, they did not care for,
- [00:07:26.520]but the hummus, they loved.
- [00:07:27.870]That's surprising to me. So.
- [00:07:29.130]That's awesome, though.
- [00:07:30.060]Way to introduce them to a new food
- [00:07:31.530]that they wouldn't maybe have tried.
- [00:07:32.823]Yep, yeah. Yes.
- [00:07:33.930]So it's been fun watching them grow
- [00:07:35.910]and be more okay with trying new items.
- [00:07:38.730]Yeah. As they keep going.
- [00:07:40.320]Absolutely; what other highlights have you seen
- [00:07:42.210]with the kiddos?
- [00:07:43.440]They actually ask to do it now.
- [00:07:45.120]Like, when they see our packet come
- [00:07:46.680]and us get it outta the mail,
- [00:07:48.000]they actually ask when we get to do it,
- [00:07:49.800]and so it's been fun there, holding us accountable
- [00:07:51.990]because they enjoy it just as much as we do.
- [00:07:54.210]I love that.
- [00:07:55.560]That's so cool that they're anticipating it.
- [00:07:57.900]Yeah, and they know what's coming next.
- [00:07:59.550]We discuss it.
- [00:08:00.383]We're like, "Okay, this is this time,
- [00:08:01.560]and the next month, this is what we're gonna talk about."
- [00:08:03.510]So they're getting super-excited for eggs
- [00:08:06.030]because we have a couple of families that have chickens,
- [00:08:09.000]so we actually get all of our eggs
- [00:08:10.560]from our daycare families,
- [00:08:11.760]so they're real excited to learn about that
- [00:08:13.620]and how that whole process happens
- [00:08:15.600]to get from their house to our house.
- [00:08:17.250]Yeah, and they have that local connection too,
- [00:08:20.010]so it's kind of more grounded in their reality, right?
- [00:08:22.770]Yeah. 'Cause they can drive
- [00:08:23.880]by that farm and be like, "That's where our eggs come from."
- [00:08:26.343]Yes, yes. Yeah,
- [00:08:27.510]and we've been getting local beef
- [00:08:29.670]for the last couple of years,
- [00:08:30.930]so our kids are used to the local beef,
- [00:08:33.060]but they never understood that it actually came
- [00:08:34.980]from a farmer within a 30-minute radius,
- [00:08:37.080]so that was fun to explain to them too.
- [00:08:39.450]It's not by anywhere where we drive by,
- [00:08:41.370]but for them to understand, like,
- [00:08:42.930]it's only a little bit of ways before the farm is,
- [00:08:44.910]and then, this is where they process it.
- [00:08:46.367]And so that was a fun process to teach them as well.
- [00:08:49.410]So it sounds like it's made up
- [00:08:50.730]of lesson plans, resources, materials,
- [00:08:54.060]and the different kind of focused changes over time
- [00:08:57.810]and kind of over the seasons, is that correct?
- [00:08:59.640]Yes. Yeah.
- [00:09:00.473]Sarah, do you wanna chime in more?
- [00:09:01.658]Yeah, the program is built,
- [00:09:04.320]the pilot program was kinda based around,
- [00:09:06.180]we had this existing program called Harvest of the Month.
- [00:09:09.030]And what that is is we have
- [00:09:10.560]different Nebraska-grown products.
- [00:09:12.354]We have about 20 on our website right now,
- [00:09:14.790]but we're expanding to add seven more soon in the summer.
- [00:09:18.180]But basically, it's just a lotta Nebraska-grown products,
- [00:09:21.060]so, you know, squash and potatoes and apples,
- [00:09:24.720]and all over the place in Nebraska,
- [00:09:27.270]we have such a wide range of things that we grow here
- [00:09:30.480]in different seasons.
- [00:09:31.530]And so our Harvest of the Month celebrates those months
- [00:09:34.800]that those different foods are in season.
- [00:09:37.380]And we have resources that correspond
- [00:09:39.780]with each of those items.
- [00:09:40.980]So every item has coloring pages
- [00:09:43.650]and newsletters with more facts
- [00:09:45.570]and activities they can do at home.
- [00:09:48.120]There's trivia. There's posters.
- [00:09:50.460]There's stickers that the kids can wear
- [00:09:52.920]when they try a new food.
- [00:09:54.540]There's recipes that revolve around all those items,
- [00:09:57.780]and then as Kyleen mentioned, we have lessons
- [00:10:00.930]that are actually aligned
- [00:10:01.950]with the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines,
- [00:10:04.170]and so those lessons are one of the main things
- [00:10:06.390]that we're piloting in this program
- [00:10:08.340]and that will be released to the public
- [00:10:10.020]at the end of the year,
- [00:10:11.430]and so we'll have 12 of those lesson packets.
- [00:10:15.180]Each of 'em has about five or six different activities
- [00:10:18.240]and a calendar that you can follow
- [00:10:20.460]on how to kinda integrate them.
- [00:10:22.170]It has a book list for suggested books around those topics.
- [00:10:25.710]So hopefully, those will be released
- [00:10:27.450]in the fall, if not at the end of the year in 2024
- [00:10:31.080]for free on our website.
- [00:10:32.400]And, like you all mentioned, you know, Kyleen's seen it,
- [00:10:35.340]but we know that the more kids are involved
- [00:10:38.190]in the growing process or the cooking process,
- [00:10:41.340]the more likely they are to try those foods
- [00:10:43.440]and like them and ask for them again,
- [00:10:45.300]so really, that's the goal, is to have healthy kids
- [00:10:48.330]at the end that are just excited about agriculture
- [00:10:51.030]and nutrition and where they come from in Nebraska
- [00:10:54.030]and be able to connect their food back to, like you said,
- [00:10:57.540]right down the street and be able to see it.
- [00:10:59.820]Yeah, wow, what a neat pilot,
- [00:11:01.680]and I'm so excited for that to be available
- [00:11:04.020]to the wider public for free.
- [00:11:05.880]That sounds amazing, like, all the resources
- [00:11:08.490]that they're gonna get and all the things
- [00:11:10.050]that they're gonna learn.
- [00:11:10.883]I love it.
- [00:11:11.716]What are some challenges that you have had
- [00:11:13.980]as you've been developing the pilot, Sarah,
- [00:11:16.350]and then, Kyleen,
- [00:11:17.820]as someone implementing this pilot program,
- [00:11:20.160]what challenges have you had, if any?
- [00:11:22.350]One of the first challenges that we really ran into,
- [00:11:25.620]I think is the best challenge to have,
- [00:11:27.480]is that we had so many applicants for the project,
- [00:11:30.150]and we could only select a certain number.
- [00:11:32.430]And so what a great ask, I guess, in our community,
- [00:11:35.610]that we know that people are interested
- [00:11:37.470]in farm to early care and education,
- [00:11:39.360]and so overcoming that barrier, of course,
- [00:11:41.940]is, you know, getting through this year
- [00:11:43.830]and really taking the feedback we've gotten
- [00:11:45.840]from these sites to make it the best resources we can
- [00:11:49.530]to share out with other folks in the state
- [00:11:52.110]that want to do this work in their sites.
- [00:11:54.150]And I think the second big challenge,
- [00:11:56.520]and Kyleen spoke to this a little earlier,
- [00:11:58.830]is local procurement can be really hard.
- [00:12:01.290]Like I mentioned, we're a big state,
- [00:12:03.000]so sometimes, the resources are what's in season
- [00:12:07.050]over in Southeast Nebraska, where they have arbors,
- [00:12:09.450]and they have apples.
- [00:12:11.820]Might not be what Western Nebraska
- [00:12:13.440]really has the same access to,
- [00:12:15.330]so it can be difficult to kinda help folks transition
- [00:12:18.900]that mindset of, "I go to the store
- [00:12:20.880]to purchase all these things," to kinda shift
- [00:12:23.340]to seeing what's in season, what's in their local stores,
- [00:12:27.210]what's at their farmer's markets,
- [00:12:28.950]and then in the off-season here in Nebraska,
- [00:12:31.680]how can we really use, you know, products
- [00:12:34.440]that have been stored properly or frozen
- [00:12:36.930]that we can bring back out to still have local foods
- [00:12:40.380]on the table?
- [00:12:41.213]So helping connect sites with farmers
- [00:12:44.640]or ranchers or producers in their area
- [00:12:46.800]that can help them kinda bridge that gap
- [00:12:49.200]to be able to get the right foods at the right time,
- [00:12:52.470]and kinda that new mindset of where you look
- [00:12:54.600]for your food in your community.
- [00:12:56.220]But the sites have been doing a great job,
- [00:12:57.990]and they're really inventive, and lots of people,
- [00:13:00.900]you know, finding different things,
- [00:13:02.490]and we're kinda growing our knowledge base
- [00:13:04.770]of where people are in the state
- [00:13:06.900]and where we can send people to find the foods
- [00:13:09.600]that they want to eat, which is great.
- [00:13:11.220]So definitely learning a lot, which has been a great time.
- [00:13:14.880]Yeah, that's exciting.
- [00:13:16.050]So it sounds like just helping people shift that mindset
- [00:13:18.810]of, like, "Go local, go local,"
- [00:13:20.430]and getting them connected with somebody
- [00:13:22.290]who is in their area who provides that.
- [00:13:24.390]And then, maybe once that transition phase
- [00:13:26.790]works its way through,
- [00:13:27.780]then they do a really good job of implementing it
- [00:13:31.080]and don't have any troubles
- [00:13:32.340]because they have those connections,
- [00:13:34.110]and they can fall back on 'em and know
- [00:13:36.150]who their suppliers are for those types of foods.
- [00:13:39.030]Yeah, absolutely, and like you said,
- [00:13:41.010]those connections are the most fun to watch.
- [00:13:43.140]Like Kyleen said, you know, she had beef forever,
- [00:13:46.110]and they've been sourcing theirs,
- [00:13:48.120]and it does seem like once you form that initial connection,
- [00:13:51.600]you really do have a system
- [00:13:53.730]where you can just text that person or call them
- [00:13:57.060]when you need what you need and kinda form that relationship
- [00:14:00.510]and let it continue to blossom,
- [00:14:02.070]which is a great thing to watch.
- [00:14:03.750]Yeah, that's so beautiful.
- [00:14:05.190]Awesome. Thanks, Sarah.
- [00:14:06.083]Kyleen, how about you?
- [00:14:07.410]Have you had any challenges implementing the program?
- [00:14:11.190]I would say at the beginning, it was finding,
- [00:14:13.440]like, the contacts for the local producers or farmers,
- [00:14:17.220]but since then, I mean, it hasn't been as difficult
- [00:14:20.430]because the things that I can't find from someone specific,
- [00:14:23.940]I can go to Kuper Farms downtown and get that from them,
- [00:14:27.596]which they normally will tell me where it's from
- [00:14:29.547]and that kind of stuff when I ask.
- [00:14:32.070]That way, I can pinpoint more for the kids
- [00:14:33.780]of, like, "This is where this is from,"
- [00:14:35.670]which makes it a lot less hectic on my end
- [00:14:38.483]of trying to find someone to get those products from.
- [00:14:42.000]But I would say recently, I've not had any challenges.
- [00:14:44.760]And is gardening a component
- [00:14:46.830]of this pilot program as well?
- [00:14:48.600]Yep. Yeah, how has that gone?
- [00:14:50.340]Because gardening can be challenging
- [00:14:52.110]'cause it takes constant work and upkeep
- [00:14:55.470]to keep a garden up and running,
- [00:14:56.940]and sometimes, our Nebraska summers
- [00:14:58.980]get really hot and dry,
- [00:15:00.690]and it's very difficult to keep things alive. (laughs)
- [00:15:03.561](laughs) I will plant a garden with the kids
- [00:15:06.300]probably towards the end of April
- [00:15:07.800]or beginning of May, but we will start the process
- [00:15:10.320]of getting the garden ready at the beginning of April
- [00:15:13.380]just to make sure we have all the gross weeds out
- [00:15:15.600]from last year and all of the dirt is ready until then.
- [00:15:19.230]It's a long process, and some of that,
- [00:15:21.120]we don't necessary do when the kids are here
- [00:15:23.100]for safety reasons,
- [00:15:24.540]but we will incorporate them as much as we can.
- [00:15:27.450]They always get to help us plant the seeds.
- [00:15:29.910]They get to help dig the holes for the seeds,
- [00:15:32.190]which is something that I've done
- [00:15:33.210]for the last three or four years now.
- [00:15:35.340]So having it with them as well through the pilot course
- [00:15:38.850]will help hopefully my knowledge,
- [00:15:40.620]and maybe we can grow a little bit more
- [00:15:42.120]than we have in the past. (laughs)
- [00:15:43.890]Very good. Thanks, Kyleen.
- [00:15:45.699](Kyleen and Emily laughing)
- [00:15:47.280]Yeah, gardening isn't a required component of the program
- [00:15:50.970]just because, as you mentioned, it's really difficult.
- [00:15:53.550]And we know some sites don't have the capacity,
- [00:15:57.900]whether it's staff or space to kind of expand that,
- [00:16:01.740]but we are offering resources for those
- [00:16:04.380]who do want to pursue gardening.
- [00:16:06.750]And we know that gardening is so beneficial
- [00:16:09.510]when you get the kids involved,
- [00:16:10.980]and like Kyleen mentioned, there's so many lessons
- [00:16:13.350]that you can do within a garden.
- [00:16:15.090]So we are working on a gardening guide
- [00:16:17.970]that'll kind of encompass that piece
- [00:16:19.800]that we'll release to the public as well
- [00:16:21.630]for free in the fall.
- [00:16:23.130]That'll just kinda talk about, you know,
- [00:16:24.870]how to be creative with the space that you do have.
- [00:16:27.960]I think some people get really overwhelmed with gardening
- [00:16:32.100]when we say it because they picture, like,
- [00:16:34.650]this in-ground, huge backyard garden space
- [00:16:38.940]when really, there are a lotta start-small options
- [00:16:41.910]and things that you can do even indoors with kids
- [00:16:44.630]or in planters, or it doesn't have to be it.
- [00:16:48.150]I love the ones that I've toured
- [00:16:49.860]that are huge, you know, and so immersive,
- [00:16:52.500]but gardening can really be a simple start,
- [00:16:55.560]and just getting the kids involved.
- [00:16:57.210]It's funny; I've toured a couple elaborate gardens,
- [00:17:00.300]and they're like, "Do you see that, like,
- [00:17:02.010]bin of dirt over there?
- [00:17:03.570]That's our kid's favorite part."
- [00:17:05.408](laughs) Like, they just like to go
- [00:17:07.200]and play in the dirt and get their hands dirty
- [00:17:11.490]and mess around with the tools
- [00:17:13.410]and just kinda have that sensory experience
- [00:17:15.990]and that social experience when they're outside.
- [00:17:18.150]So if you're intimidated by gardening,
- [00:17:20.070]I hope our gardening guide will kinda help show you
- [00:17:22.350]that sometimes, it really is really simple to start
- [00:17:25.860]and doesn't have to be as intense as some people think
- [00:17:29.070]that it is.
- [00:17:29.903]And sometimes, even just a bin of dirt
- [00:17:32.070]can do the trick to get your kids at least started
- [00:17:34.590]and engaged outside.
- [00:17:36.780]Yeah, and even if the garden doesn't make it,
- [00:17:40.350]that's still a learning opportunity.
- [00:17:42.240]I think that taking care of it is a huge lesson
- [00:17:44.970]because I don't think that kids understand
- [00:17:46.950]how hard it is from the watering to the weeding
- [00:17:50.820]to the picking the stuff when it starts coming up,
- [00:17:53.160]and it's a lot of work, and my kids love it,
- [00:17:55.800]but it's a lot of work,
- [00:17:58.050]so it's nice for them to have that knowledge
- [00:17:59.910]of how much it actually takes
- [00:18:01.230]because a lot of ours don't have gardens.
- [00:18:03.270]Yeah, learning that appreciation
- [00:18:04.830]for where their food comes from
- [00:18:06.150]and how much time and effort it takes
- [00:18:09.120]to make it happen, absolutely.
- [00:18:11.460]So one question that I had for both of you
- [00:18:13.620]is why do you think that Nebraska
- [00:18:17.160]is uniquely poised to support the farm to school
- [00:18:20.520]and farm to ECE educational effort?
- [00:18:23.700]I think there's a lotta reasons
- [00:18:25.080]that kinda put us in this great position to support it.
- [00:18:28.290]It's really interesting to see
- [00:18:30.150]when you get into even, like, the political side of things.
- [00:18:33.510]Farm to school and farm to early care
- [00:18:35.220]has just across-the-board support.
- [00:18:37.350]It just makes sense to a lot of people
- [00:18:39.660]that, you know, we're an agriculture state,
- [00:18:41.970]and we have all this bountiful food around us,
- [00:18:45.060]and we wanna keep our youth healthy
- [00:18:46.890]and in the state and engaged.
- [00:18:48.630]And farm to school and farm to early care in education
- [00:18:51.000]really just fits that bill perfectly.
- [00:18:53.400]One in four jobs in the state of Nebraska
- [00:18:56.010]are related to agriculture in one way or another,
- [00:18:58.440]so kinda setting our kids up for the success
- [00:19:01.230]really early on to be, you know, great Nebraska citizens
- [00:19:05.010]and understand what their state is contributing
- [00:19:07.830]and wanna stay in the place and, like, we mentioned,
- [00:19:10.680]appreciate the work that it takes
- [00:19:12.630]and love the place where they live.
- [00:19:14.460]And I think it also really shows, you know,
- [00:19:17.100]we have the interest and all these really motivated
- [00:19:20.610]and energetic, you know, early care educators
- [00:19:23.400]like Kyleen across the state
- [00:19:24.960]that are just really interested in filling that space
- [00:19:27.720]and meeting that need for their kids.
- [00:19:29.910]So in the time when, you know,
- [00:19:31.950]you hear about all this burnout
- [00:19:33.510]and lots of people, you know,
- [00:19:35.580]falling away from teaching and educating
- [00:19:38.160]and wanting to be with kids,
- [00:19:39.810]I think it's great that we have
- [00:19:41.010]so much motivation and interest and enthusiasm in this space
- [00:19:44.970]and wanna capitalize on that
- [00:19:46.680]with such a great cause behind it,
- [00:19:48.450]so just really helping those folks
- [00:19:51.030]as much as we can with resources
- [00:19:53.280]to support what they're doing on the ground
- [00:19:54.990]because really, what they're doing is just influencing
- [00:19:57.810]these lifelong habits in our young Nebraskans,
- [00:20:00.780]and why would we not wanna grow
- [00:20:02.640]that next generation to be these healthy kids
- [00:20:06.210]that are active in their food systems?
- [00:20:09.030]So I think Nebraska has a lot of motivation
- [00:20:12.210]and energy and enthusiasm around that area,
- [00:20:14.850]and just wanna continue to play off of that
- [00:20:17.700]and support it the best that we can right now.
- [00:20:19.980]Yeah, I love that positive and uplifting message
- [00:20:23.070]about Nebraska and our food systems
- [00:20:24.930]and the people within it,
- [00:20:26.070]and I also just wanted to lift up a piece
- [00:20:28.830]of what you said when you were saying that.
- [00:20:30.420]We're changing their lifelong habits.
- [00:20:32.430]Early childhood educators are changing those lifelong habits
- [00:20:35.580]and setting people on a path to stay in our state.
- [00:20:37.980]That's not a small task.
- [00:20:39.055]That is not a small task.
- [00:20:40.710]It's amazing what our early childhood educators are doing,
- [00:20:43.530]so I just wanted to shout out
- [00:20:44.640]to all the early childhood educators who are listening.
- [00:20:47.160]You guys are doing great work right now,
- [00:20:48.630]and keep doing what you're doing.
- [00:20:50.340]And another question that I had for you
- [00:20:52.710]was what are some of the benefits
- [00:20:54.480]of the farm to school and farm to ECE movement?
- [00:20:57.660]Like, locally, environmentally, educationally?
- [00:21:00.930]I would say for me personally,
- [00:21:02.220]it's just even my knowledge 'cause I don't know much
- [00:21:05.093]about farming and that type of culture and environment,
- [00:21:09.000]so for me, it's the knowledge of getting to learn more
- [00:21:12.180]while teaching the kids at the same time.
- [00:21:14.190]So it's really made me go out of my comfort zone,
- [00:21:17.310]so that's been fun and interesting.
- [00:21:20.010]Yeah, I think- Yeah, sounds like it's.
- [00:21:21.150]Yeah, go ahead, Sarah. Go ahead.
- [00:21:22.530]Yeah, our local economies really benefit from it
- [00:21:25.440]when we keep those dollars in our state
- [00:21:27.570]and going right back to our farmers.
- [00:21:29.700]More than that, though, I think the benefits
- [00:21:31.680]of gardening or being in the kitchen,
- [00:21:34.140]there's so many different ways
- [00:21:35.520]that we can teach kids all of these lessons
- [00:21:38.670]that they need to learn but through such hands-on learning.
- [00:21:41.790]I mean, in gardening, you can talk
- [00:21:43.920]about, you know, weather patterns
- [00:21:45.750]or what plants need to grow.
- [00:21:47.430]They learn patience and kinda that delayed gratification
- [00:21:50.820]to watch something grow and have to, like Kyleen mentioned,
- [00:21:54.210]take care of it every day and what that takes
- [00:21:56.700]while they're practicing a lotta fine
- [00:21:58.500]and gross motor skills.
- [00:22:00.090]Same in the kitchen.
- [00:22:01.110]We see a lot of, you know, opportunities
- [00:22:03.180]for kids to learn those skills which we're seeing decline
- [00:22:06.870]being passed from generation to generation.
- [00:22:09.390]Less kids are knowing more about the kitchen,
- [00:22:12.750]and so teaching them, you know, measuring
- [00:22:14.772]and reading recipes, and even little ones
- [00:22:18.030]can help with washing or peeling or cleaning up,
- [00:22:21.480]and just giving them those opportunities,
- [00:22:24.210]like we mentioned, to set up lifelong benefits for them.
- [00:22:27.480]You know, they're consuming more nutritious food.
- [00:22:30.030]They know where it's coming from.
- [00:22:31.680]When they grow it, they're more likely to try and eat it,
- [00:22:34.560]or when they prepare it, they're gonna try
- [00:22:36.270]and eat it and ask for it again.
- [00:22:37.830]So I think the benefits just go so far
- [00:22:41.790]beyond, you know, what we can cover in the surface,
- [00:22:44.250]but yeah, there's so many benefits for them
- [00:22:46.680]just getting out in the garden or helping in the kitchen
- [00:22:49.230]or just learning more about their food.
- [00:22:51.606]And so if a program or provider wants
- [00:22:54.510]to explore farm to ECE,
- [00:22:57.120]but they've never had any experience with it before,
- [00:22:59.700]what would you tell them, Kyleen?
- [00:23:01.260]I would just say, "Take the leap."
- [00:23:02.850]'Cause I was real nervous about joining this course,
- [00:23:06.027]and it has been one of the most fun things
- [00:23:08.940]that we've gotten to do with the kids.
- [00:23:10.440]I would say that even just making new stuff
- [00:23:14.010]and realize how many products you can get locally
- [00:23:17.070]is very beneficial for yourself, for your kids,
- [00:23:19.560]for the families because a lot of my families,
- [00:23:21.930]they've tried some of the recipes at home.
- [00:23:23.760]They've done, you know, we always send home the newsletter
- [00:23:26.610]so that they know what we're learning about
- [00:23:28.290]and what we're talking about.
- [00:23:29.340]And I think even just having that background knowledge
- [00:23:32.430]of where to send them if they need help
- [00:23:35.130]is beneficial for you as a provider
- [00:23:37.560]and allowing our families to learn with us.
- [00:23:39.600]It may sound like a really big leap and really scary,
- [00:23:42.330]but once you do, it sounds like there's a lot of benefits,
- [00:23:46.140]a lot of payoff, so once you get into it,
- [00:23:48.810]it's kinda really a rewarding experience.
- [00:23:50.534]So do it. Take the leap. Yes. (laughs) Take the leap.
- [00:23:53.766](Kyleen and Emily laughing)
- [00:23:54.870]Sarah, how about you?
- [00:23:55.703]Is there anything else you would add to what Kyleen said?
- [00:23:58.230]I love what Kyleen said about take the leap.
- [00:24:00.300]We kinda have a campaign or a saying, "Start small."
- [00:24:03.390]We have a lotta sites that start with, you know,
- [00:24:05.587]"Just serve one food a month.
- [00:24:07.950]See if that's something that you can try."
- [00:24:10.080]Just one time, 12 times a year,
- [00:24:12.000]just see if you can try it,
- [00:24:13.410]or if it's something that, you know,
- [00:24:15.150]comes to you at a farmer's market
- [00:24:16.710]or your local grocery store, just try it and see.
- [00:24:20.070]It's not about changing the plate all at once
- [00:24:22.290]or growing a huge garden your first day,
- [00:24:24.420]but just start small.
- [00:24:25.860]And I would also encourage people
- [00:24:28.860]to check out our farm to school and ECE websites
- [00:24:32.190]on Nebraska Department of Education.
- [00:24:34.230]We have a lotta resources available,
- [00:24:36.000]and if anyone is ever stuck on where that start small
- [00:24:38.940]or that leap starts, they can always reach out to me
- [00:24:41.430]and get more information,
- [00:24:42.960]and I can kinda help 'em navigate that road
- [00:24:45.660]for how to start.
- [00:24:46.710]A great resource we have right now
- [00:24:48.960]that's open for application
- [00:24:50.820]is called the Heartland Farm to School
- [00:24:53.040]and Early Care and Education Institute.
- [00:24:55.620]What a mouthful, but it's three states working together:
- [00:24:59.100]Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri, to put on this opportunity.
- [00:25:02.880]And basically, we're asking for applications
- [00:25:05.910]from teams, farm to ECE teams,
- [00:25:08.850]so it's kind of you, your staff at your site,
- [00:25:11.820]some community members, maybe some admin.
- [00:25:14.400]And you'll basically be supported
- [00:25:16.830]through a year-long project where you action plan.
- [00:25:19.740]You'll have a coach, and you increase
- [00:25:21.810]your farm to ECE programming at your site,
- [00:25:24.510]however that looks best for you
- [00:25:27.030]with just a lotta support along the way.
- [00:25:28.980]So those applications opened March 15th.
- [00:25:33.030]They're open until April 30th.
- [00:25:35.430]You can find all the information on our website
- [00:25:37.677]at Nebraska Department of Education.
- [00:25:39.900]But please look into that and consider applying
- [00:25:42.476]if, you know, you really wanna dig in to a year-long program
- [00:25:45.810]and have some additional support in the action planning
- [00:25:48.900]for your site.
- [00:25:49.733]And then, the rest of our resources are available there too,
- [00:25:52.350]and look in the fall this year
- [00:25:54.150]for our lessons that'll come out.
- [00:25:56.610]I think those are another great way
- [00:25:58.590]you can kinda start with some easy classroom application
- [00:26:01.443]and diving into it.
- [00:26:03.210]But start small, take the leap, do all the things,
- [00:26:06.442]and just try it out at your site
- [00:26:08.430]and see if it works for you.
- [00:26:09.780]That's great.
- [00:26:10.613]Thanks for sharing that resource, Sarah,
- [00:26:12.300]and we'll be sure to put that link
- [00:26:14.010]into the show notes for this episode
- [00:26:16.230]so people can access that really quickly.
- [00:26:18.270]Don't miss out on your opportunity
- [00:26:20.160]to sounds like a great way to get support
- [00:26:22.170]in starting to offer this in your program in your area.
- [00:26:26.610]So be sure to click on that link and check it out,
- [00:26:29.550]and apply before April 30th.
- [00:26:31.320]Well, that's unfortunately all the time we have
- [00:26:34.140]for this episode today, but I wanna thank you both
- [00:26:36.660]for this lovely conversation
- [00:26:38.610]about farm to early care and education.
- [00:26:41.250]It was really positive, really uplifting,
- [00:26:43.740]and highlighting all the great things
- [00:26:45.480]that we have going on here in Nebraska.
- [00:26:47.190]So thank you, Kyleen, and thank you, Sarah.
- [00:26:49.380]Yeah, thank you. It was great.
- [00:26:51.060]Thank you.
- [00:26:51.893]Next up, we're gonna have two Nebraska youngsters
- [00:26:55.260]tell us their experiences with gardening.
- [00:26:58.380]What is your favorite center here?
- [00:27:00.480]That is garden 'cause it has carrots.
- [00:27:04.788]And lots of carrots.
- [00:27:06.090]And we can grow tomatoes, cucumbers.
- [00:27:09.300]Watermelon and squash. Squash.
- [00:27:12.210]No. No, we don't.
- [00:27:13.860]Last year, we did. Oh, yeah.
- [00:27:16.590]This has been an episode of "The Good Life in Early Life,"
- [00:27:20.430]a Nebraska Extension Early Childhood production
- [00:27:23.040]with your host, Emily Manning.
- [00:27:24.690]For more information on early childhood,
- [00:27:26.700]check out our website at child.unl.edu.
- [00:27:29.820]If you liked this show, subscribe
- [00:27:31.350]and tell your friends to listen.
- [00:27:32.640]The show production team is Emily Manning,
- [00:27:35.010]Dr. Holly Hatton, Erin Kampbell,
- [00:27:37.380]Ingrid Lindal, Linda Reddish, Kim Wellsandt,
- [00:27:39.983]LaDonna Werth, and Katie Krause.
- [00:27:42.060]See you next time, and thanks for listening.
- [00:27:44.730]Bye bye!
- [00:27:46.024](upbeat music)
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