When working to improve the health of the community and strengthen the local food system, all the pieces of the puzzle are needed. While each part is crucial, the system will not change in any meaningful or lasting way unless all components are present and working together. Without awareness, policies will not be examined. Without policies, actions will not be sustained. Without access, change is not an option. Without education and relationships, access is futile. Families, Farmers and Educators United (FFEU) aims to address all of these components in order to sustain positive change. We spread awareness about the growing childhood obesity issue, we work toward policy change within child care settings, we provide access to nutritious and local food through Community Supported Agriculture and gardening, and we emphasize education and relationship-building through educator trainings and family farm field trips.
In past articles, we have shared photos and stories about Community Supported Agriculture, gardening and cooking with kids. Over the past year and a half, we have also hosted a number of trainings for early educators that provide information about nutrition, local foods, food preparation and gardening. Recently, FFEU organized a weekend family field trip to Maggie's Farm where young children and families got to meet farmer, Barbara Clark and her sheep. Children also got a chance to dig potatoes and plant their own gourds to take home. Through education and family outreach, we hope to change the minds and habits of the early educators and families in a positive way. Children learn from the adults in their lives. By increasing the awareness of adults, we hope that children's lives and health will be improved along the way.
We love being a part of the Lawrence and Douglas County community where community members are making a difference in the health and lives of children. On the same morning as our Maggie's Farm field trip, the Garden Incubator (a child-centered community garden next to Ballard Community Services) partnered with Dads of Douglas County and the 2012 Summer Fun Hunt for a kids hunt in the veggie maze. This Saturday, Growing Food, Growing Health will host a 5K to support their school gardens. The FFEU program is just one of the amazing groups working toward similar goals, and we are grateful to be a piece of the health and gardening puzzle here in Douglas County. Perhaps together, the solution to childhood obesity will no longer be so puzzling!
Finding delicious pears at Maggie's Farm orchard! by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Maggie's Farm Field Trip by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Farmer, Barbara Clark shows the group how she spins her sheep's wool into yarn by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Digging potatoes! by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Finding treasures beneath the dirt! by Families, Farmers & Educators United
So, THAT'S where beans come from! by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Look what I found! by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Staring contest by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Introduction to Gardening and Local Foods Training by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Chef, Rick Martin conducts a Local Food Tasting and Preparation training by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Root for Food Curriculum Training by Families, Farmers & Educators United
At a What's On Your Plate training, early educators partake in the Little Red Hen story by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Early educators learned all about whole grains at the What's On Your Plate Training by Families, Farmers & Educators United
Tagged: health, wellness, local food, obesity, childhood obesity, farm, children, CSA, early education
Comments
Marilyn Hull 9 months, 4 weeks ago
Targeting the little ones is such a good strategy.
I would love to see a post about the types of policy solutions you think are worth pursuing.
DCCDA 9 months, 4 weeks ago
That's a great idea. We will continue posting about our progress, and as we get further into the policy realm, we would love to share what we find!
charliebryan 9 months, 3 weeks ago
In your work to improve the health of young children, have you considered examining the written policies used by childcare centers in Douglas County?
The following report might be a useful reference document for better understanding the impact childcare center policies have on the health of preschool-aged children:
http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/communities/WellnessChildCareAssessmentTool_JADA_12.11.pdf
Here's a quote found near the end of the article:
"The Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool is, to our knowledge, the first instrument developed to quantitatively assess both the strength and comprehensiveness of written policies on nutrition and physical activity at child-care centers. This instrument provides a means through which written policies can be compared across programs and will be useful for studying predictors or consequences of child-care wellness policies."
DCCDA 9 months, 3 weeks ago
We plan to begin work toward written wellness policies at child care centers in the fall. We also hope to encourage child care centers to participate in WorkWell Lawrence. Thank you for the link to this document, Charlie--it looks like it will serve to be very helpful in this process!
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