Seeking childcare providers, farmers, and families for farm to ECE focus groups

Good afternoon, MIFARMTOSCHOOL! 

 

See below for a focus group opportunity you or your networks may be interested in. Please feel free to share.

 

Best,

Lindsay

 

 

You are invited to participate in a focus group discussion about farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) with the Michigan Farm to ECE Network. Participants will be compensated for their participation.

 

We're asking childcare providers, farmers, and families to join us for virtual on the topics of local food, nutrition education, and gardening with children between the ages of 0-5 in childcare settings. We are interested in talking with people who have experience with farm to ECE as well as those who have not had a chance to use farm to ECE.

 

Farm to ECE is a group of strategies and activities that childcare providers can use to increase children's access to healthy local foods, gardening opportunities, and education about food, nutrition, and agriculture. Classroom taste tests, farm field trips, and including local foods in menus are some examples of farm to ECE that you may be familiar with.

 

The Michigan Farm to ECE Network is a collaboration between organizations, ECE providers, farmers, and families that seeks to improve access to healthy food, increase nutritional awareness and health outcomes, and support ECE providers as they work to improve children's learning environments.

 

Would you be interested in joining us? Visit https://j.mp/3tAXmE4 for more information, including dates and times for discussions, as well as a brief questionnaire to help us learn more about potential participants.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Meagan Shedd at mshedd@msu.edu.

 

 

--

Lindsay Mensch (she/her)

Outreach and Communications Specialist

Michigan State University

Center for Regional Food Systems

Department of Community Sustainability

Natural Resources Building

480 Wilson Road

East Lansing, MI 48824

email: menschli@msu.edu

phone: 517-432-0264

 

CSUS Office Hours (Room 147C):

Monday 2-5 p.m.

Wednesday 1-5 p.m.

Friday 2-5 p.m.

 

In response to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems team members are working remotely and refraining from travel or attending in-person meetings. Our response time may be a bit slower than normal due to family and community responsibilities.