Colorado Farm to Child

Eating, Growing, & Learning - Comiendo, Creciendo, & Aprendiendo

October is National Farm to School Month


CDPHE is committed to increasing access to local, seasonal, and nutritious fruits and vegetables for children in care. Join us weekly throughout the month as we highlight the components of Farm to Child and learn how to start adding these activities into your programs.


Week one newsletter - linked here

Week two newsletter - linked here


Three core components of Farm to Child:

  1. Eating - Local procurement - buying local foods.
  2. Growing - Outdoor or indoor gardening; growing plants with children.
  3. Learning - Nutrition and agriculture education - how food is grown and how food helps us grow.

Gardening with Children - Growing


Gardening with children supports physical, social, and emotional development.


Gardening with children also provides real-world context to explore math, science, art, and relationship-building with peers. From conversations about worms to negotiating who will use the shovel next, a garden serves as an extension of the classroom. Shifting the view of the garden as an extra element and instead as an extension of the classroom will help teachers and caregivers see the opportunities it can provide. Speaking of parents and caregivers, what do they think of gardening? Prior to starting a garden, ask your community members for input. From where the garden should go, to what type of beds, to what should be planted? Including the community early on will help encourage active engagement and assistance when the garden is in need of watering, harvesting, and weeding and requires additional hands.


Some questions to consider for your community that can result in greater cultural awareness and inclusion include:

  • What vegetables does your child eat at home?
  • Are there items your family would like to eat that you cannot find at the grocery store?
  • Is there something you are very interested in growing?
  • Do you have experience with gardening?
  • How can we make the garden accessible to your family?


Use the information you gain to increase culturally relevant foods grown and served at your center. Additionally, these questions may help to build involvement and interest in the garden while creating an environment that is welcoming to all abilities.

USDA Farm to School Grant

open for applications


The FY 2023 USDA Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA) is now available here! Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 6, 2023. USDA seeks to award up to $12 million to expand access to local food in eligible schools.


Schools and school districts, CACFP and Summer sponsors, Indian tribal organizations, state agencies, local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and agricultural producers are encouraged to apply. Applicants may apply for grants of up to $100,000 in one of the five grant tracks. State agencies or other eligible organizations proposing projects that are multi-state or national in scope may apply for up to $500,000.


USDA will host webinars Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. MT and Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. MT to help interested applicants learn more about the RFA and how to apply. Note that these webinars will be the same, so please only sign up for one by clicking the link for the date you would like to register for.


Please contact sm.fn.farmtoschool@usda.gov with any questions related to this grant or RFA (and feel free to CC Allison [Alli] Bell at sm.fn.mpro.f2s@usda.gov). You may also contact Britt Martens at brittany.martens@state.co.us for support related to grant writing, assistance with program development, or idea sharing. Britt serves as the Farm to Colorado specialist and is available to support your efforts with or without a Farm to School Grant.

Explore gardening with the CSU Extension Office


While this year’s gardening season is wrapping up, it is never too early to start planning your garden for next year. Watch this recorded webinar “Sustainable Gardens in Colorado” to help decide what garden would work best for your center or home. If you would like assistance with soil tests or planning, consider connecting with your local county Master Gardener.

Colorado Crunch Off video

Mountain Plains Crunch Off Week is October 17-21


Celebrate National Farm to Child Month by participating in the Mountain Plains Crunch Off - a competition to see which state can get the most folks crunching into locally grown produce. People can crunch any time during the week of October 17-21, 2022. School districts, early childhood education providers, businesses, hospitals, community groups, and any other local food enthusiasts can register to participate.

  • Folks who want to participate are invited to register today. It is not too late to choose your date, choose your local item, and crunch with children in care.
  • Learn more about the Crunch Off here.
  • Share on social media to engage others to participate. Use this resource to post in English or Spanish.


Register here for the Crunch Off or watch the Crunch Off video here.


Resource highlight: Colorado Harvest of the Month (HOTM)


The Harvest of the Month program consists of two-page resources that explore one seasonal produce item each month of the year. These quick resources provide inspiration for ways to introduce children to local produce through hands-on activities, recipes, and information on how food is grown. Download the October HOTM resource here, and explore the full year of resources to plan ahead. HOTM is available in English and Spanish. For October, the HOTM featured fruit is Apples.

Next week in Farm to Child


Join us for the final week of Farm to Child Month. We will explore the core component of Learning. The Farm to ECE/Child learning resources are rich with fun and innovative curriculums.

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