Farm to ECE Procurement Pilot Expansion

Dear ECE Provider:  

  

Looking to continue or expand farm to ECE at your site? Apply for a farm to ECE Procurement Pilot grant!  

  

PURPOSE of Procurement Pilots  

Farm to ECE procurement pilots will help ECE staff obtain locally-grown, healthy foods from a variety of sources – farmers, farmers markets, food hubs and/or distributors - to serve in meals, snacks, and/or educational activities. Through these pilots, we seek to develop collective local food sourcing solutions driven by the unique needs and goals of each community. One example of this is creating clusters of institutional buyers to increase buying power, in part for the benefit of smaller ECE sites. This is an expansion of the existing procurement pilot, funded by the Farm to ECE Implementation Grant (FIG). All ECE sites in Michigan are encouraged to apply. 

   

BENEFITS of Participating  

Staff from ECE sites (partners) who choose to engage in these procurement pilots will receive:  

• Up to $500 mini-grant (see specific funding parameters with application);  

• Access to online self-assessments using Go NAP SACC and the opportunity to set and track goals for their site;  

• Farm to ECE training on local food procurement, with professional development credits available through the MI Registry;  

• Technical assistance from a team comprised of community and state partners;  

• Invitations to networking events and community meetings; and  

• Farm to ECE resources, including a local food procurement guide.  

  

ELIGIBILITY and EXPECTATIONS of Participating  

Eligible ECE sites include family-based sites, child care centers, Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Early Head Start, Head Start, private preschools and/or public preschools within a school district. . Sites must provide care for children ages birth through age five. Sites may not be limited to after school care. Programs do not have to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) but may receive training and technical assistance to do so as part of the participation in the pilot.  

  

Visit our website for more information and to download the application. If you have questions, please email Meagan Shedd at mshedd@msu.edu. Applications are due by 5 pm Eastern Time on Monday, November 22, 2021. Please note late applications will not be considered due to shortened timeline for implementation.  

 

This opportunity is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of cooperative agreement number NU38OT000279-04. This specific project, along with many other projects, is funded through this cooperative agreement that totals $3,245,000. One hundred percent of this project is funded by the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO)/ National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) /CDC/HHS. The contents of this letter and other FIG materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, DNPAO/NCCDPHP/CDC/HHS, or the United States. 

 

Meagan K. Shedd, PhD
Assistant Professor, Farm to Early Care and K-12 Education
Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University
Department of Community Sustainability | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
480 Wilson Rd, Room 309 | Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
517.432.4525 | mshedd@msu.edu

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu