Odoms-Young, A., A. G. M. Brown, T. Agurs-Collins, & K. Glanz. 2023.“ Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Health Disparities: State of the Science, Research Gaps, and Opportunities.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 119( 3): 850 – 61. doi. org / 10.1016 / j. ajcnut. 2023.12.019.
OSSE( Office of the State Superintendent of Education). 2025.“ Healthy Tots Act.” osse. dc. gov / page / healthy-tots-act.
Purkait, T. 2024.“ Farm to Preschool Programs and Its Impact on Children’ s Dietary Health: Evaluation Through Bronfenbrenner’ s Socio-Ecological Model.” Ecology of Food and Nutrition 63( 3): 191 – 203.
Rains, C. B., K. C. Giombi, & A. Joshi. 2019.“ Farm-to-School Education Grants Reach Low-Income Children and Encourage Them to Learn About Fruits and Vegetables.” Translational Behavioral Medicine 9( 5): 910 – 21.
Rural Health Information Hub. 2025.“ Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.” ruralhealthinfo. org / topics / food-and-hunger.
Rymanowicz, K., C. Hetherington, & B. Larm. 2020.“ Planting the Seeds for Nature-Based Learning: Impacts of a Farm- and Nature-Based Early Childhood Education Program.” The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education 8( 1): 44 – 63.
Samur, A. Ö. 2018.“ A Comparison of 60 – 72 Month Old Children’ s Environmental Awareness and Attitudes: TEMA Kids Program.” International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education 10( 4): 413 – 19. iejee. com / index. php / IEJEE / article / view / 315 / 336.
USDA FNS( United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. 2025b.“ Procuring Local Foods.” fns. usda. gov / f2s / procuring-local-foods.
USDHHS( United States Department of Health and Human Services). 2025.“ One-Time Supplemental Funds for Nutrition and Healthy Eating for Head Start Children and Families ACF- OHS-PI-25-02.” Head Start Policy and Regulations. headstart. gov / policy / pi / acf-ohs-pi-25-02.
VT FTS & EC Network, Policy & Demand Action Team( Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network, Policy & Demand Action Team). 2025.“ 2025 Legislative Updates: Good News for Our Local Food & Farm to School Efforts.” vermontfarmtoschool. org / 2025-legislative-updates-goodnews-our-local-food-farm-school-efforts.
Williams, P. A., S. C. Cates, J. L. Blitstein, J. Hersey, V. Gabor, et al. 2014.“ Nutrition-Education Program Improves Preschoolers’ At-Home Diet: A Group Randomized Trial.” Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 114( 7): 1001 – 1008.
Wong, M., & M. K. Shedd. 2023.“ Farm to Early Care and Education... What Is It?” Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. March 20, 2023. groundworkcenter. org / farm-toearly-care-and-education-what-is-it.
Zenk, S. N., A. J. Schulz, B. Israel, S. A. James, S. Bao, et al. 2011.“ Neighborhood Racial Composition, Neighborhood Poverty, and Proximity to Supermarkets and Fast Food Restaurants in Detroit.” American Journal of Public Health 101( 1): 99 – 107.
Sharma, S. V., A. M. Hedberg, K. A. Skala, R.-J. Chuang, & T. Lewis. 2015.“ Feasibility and Acceptability of a Gardening-Based Nutrition Education Program in Preschoolers from Low- Income, Minority Populations.” Journal of Early Childhood Research 13( 1): 93 – 110.
Shedd, M., & R. Kelly. 2023.“ More Than Procurement: Examination of a Farm-to-Early-Care and Education Pilot.” Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development( 1): 175 – 95. doi. org / 10.5304 / jafscd. 2023.131.007.
Smith, D. 2025.“ Cultivating Connections— Community, Family, and Farmer Engagement in Food Education: Strategies and Benefits and Food of Education Across Stakeholders.” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 57( 8): S47 – S48.
USDA SNAP-Ed Connection( United States Department of Agriculture SNAP-Ed Connection). 2023.“ Farm to Early Care and Education.” snaped. fns. usda. gov / library / intervention / farm-to-early-care-and-education.
USDA ERS( United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service). 2025.“ Food Access Research Atlas.” ers. usda. gov / data-products / food-access-research-atlas.
USDA FNS( United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service). 2024.“ Child and Adult Care Food Program.” fns. usda. gov / cacfp.
USDA FNS( United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service). 2025a.“ Farm to School.” fns. usda. gov / f2s / farm-to-school.
Photograph: © Getty Images Copyright © 2025 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.
Winter 2025 Young Children 67