Growing Change: Arlington Area Childcare at the Farm to School Institute

🌱 Growing Together: Our Journey at the Northeast Farm to School Institute

This June, a passionate team from Arlington Area Childcare had the opportunity to attend the Northeast Farm to School Institute at Shelburne Farms a transformative, hands-on professional development retreat that brought together early childhood and school-based teams from across the region. Representing our center were Kayla (Assistant Director), Susan (board member), Cecille (Pre-k Lead Classroom Teacher), Nicole (cook), and I, Ginelle (Executive Director). Together, we explored how to deepen our farm-to-early childhood practices in meaningful and lasting ways.

Over three days, surrounded by the beauty and bounty of Shelburne Farms, we reflected on our program’s goals, connected with other educators, and most importantly, built a shared Farm to Early Childhood Action Plan rooted in the 3Cs: Classroom, Cafeteria, and Community.

✨ Our Values: Grounded in Nature, Growth, and Nourishment

As part of our action planning, we created a new Farm to Early Childhood Values Statement to guide our work moving forward:

Values Statement:
At Arlington Area Childcare, our Farm to Early Childhood mission is to cultivate lifelong healthy habits and a meaningful connection to the natural world through joyful, play-based experiences rooted in community and sustainability. Through gardening, local food, nutrition education, and integrated outdoor exploration woven into our curriculum, we nurture and support the whole child’s development.

This statement reflects not only what we believe, but how we intend to show up each day for our children, families, and one another. Whether we’re planting seeds in the garden, reading stories about farms and food, or preparing fresh meals using local ingredients, we are building lifelong habits that support health, sustainability, and community engagement.

🌍 Why It Matters

Farm to School, especially in early childhood, helps young children connect the dots between their food, their bodies, the environment, and the people around them. It promotes curiosity, sensory learning, and respect for nature. It also empowers children and families to make food choices that nourish both themselves and the world.

With the support of the Northeast Farm to School Institute’s coaches and facilitators, we were able to step away from the daily rush and focus on the big picture. We left Shelburne Farms feeling more united, more inspired, and more committed than ever to bringing our values to life in everything we do.

🌟 What’s Next: Building for the Future

As we return to our center, we are excited to move forward with a clear, shared vision that weaves the Classroom, Cafeteria, and Community together in intentional and sustainable ways.

In the classroom, we’ll continue integrating play-based learning, food literacy, and hands-on gardening into our play-based curriculum. In the cafeteria, we’ll work to increase the use of local ingredients and involve children in understanding what goes into their meals. And within our community, we’ll seek stronger connections with local farms, families, and food programs to support shared learning and wellness.

But this work is not just about what we implement today; it’s about creating systems that last. Our goal is to embed farm-to-early childhood practices into our program’s identity so they can thrive beyond any one person, position, or grant. That’s why our action plan focuses on long-term integration, encompassing staff onboarding and professional development, as well as parent engagement and policy updates. Sustaining this work will require time, effort, and commitment, but we are laying the groundwork now that will nourish our center for years to come.

We’re proud to be part of a growing movement working to cultivate vibrant communities, just food systems, and healthy kids. Thank you to Vermont FEED, Shelburne Farms, and NOFA-VT for this powerful opportunity.

Stay tuned as we share more about our farm-to-school journey in action
The Northeast Farm to School Institute is a program of Vermont FEED, a partnership of Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and NOFA-VT. Funding is provided in part by the USDA.