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happy little kids in the farm to early childhood education garden

Farm to Early Care & Education

Creating a Farm to Early Care & Education (ECE) Program

Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) is a nutrition education program that aims to give children, ages 6 months to 5 years, the opportunity to learn about healthy, local foods through:

  • Gardening
  • Cooking activities
  • Taste tests
  • Field trips
  • Farmer visits
  • Meals and snacks
  • Nutrition lessons

Farm to ECE is different from other nutrition education curriculums because it teaches children where food comes from and how it is grown. When children help to grow or prepare fruits and vegetables, they’re more willing to try them!

Farm to ECE Goals

  • To increase access to nutritious food and experiential opportunities to grow healthy children.
  • To positively influence young children’s eating habits while their food preferences are forming.

Farm to ECE Program Expectations

Child care programs will provide the following:

  • A weekly gardening activity
  • A weekly nutrition education activity
  • A monthly communication to parents about program activities
  • A monthly update on activities you’ve completed

Colorado Shine Points

colorado shines logo Colorado Shines Start early Start strong Quality Early LearningMeeting the Farm to ECE program guidelines can count towards Colorado Shines points for levels 3-5. Specifically, points can be allotted related to:

  • Standard 5.6: The program offers nutrition information and education programs annually, led by a nutritionist or registered dietitian (2 points possible)
  • Standard 5.7: The program has a garden and serves fruits/vegetables from the garden for children to taste (2 points possible)

Readiness Self-Assessment

Complete this form to understand if your child care program is ready to implement the program.
Self-Assessment Form

Boulder County Farm to Early Care & Education Participants

FacilityCityAddressPhone
Acorn School for Early Childhood DevelopmentBoulder2845 Wilderness Pl303-938-8233
Active Louisville KidsLouisville1970 Centennial Dr.303-665-9669
Alaya Preschool Boulder3340 19th St.303-449-5248
Aspen Center for Child DevelopmentLongmont501 5th Ave.303-772-4320
Back to BasicsLongmont647 17th Ave.720-491-3267
Becky’s Dean’s Den for Little DarlingsLongmont125 E 6th Ave303-651-6301
Bixby SchoolBoulder4760 Table Mesa Drive303-494-7508
Blossom Bilingual PreschoolBoulder 4700 Sioux Dr303-819-4084
Boulder BilingualBoulder2700 29th St.303-815-8086
Boulder County Head Start at Lafayette Community SchoolLafayette1135 Cimarron Dr720-564-2203
Boulder County Head Start at The Dagny SchoolLafayette2800 Dagny Way720-564-2203
Boulder County Head Start at WoodlandsBoulder2675 Mapleton Ave.720-564-2201
Boulder Day NurseryBoulder1518 Spruce St.303-442-7605
Boulder Montessori SchoolBoulder3300 Redstone Rd.303-494-5814
Bright Horizons at East LongmontLongmont919 Deerwood Dr303-834-3665
Centaur Village ChildcareLafayette1108 Pandora Ct720-532-8559
Children’s House PreschoolBoulder3370 Iris Walk Ct.303-444-6432
Columbine PreschoolLongmont111 Longs Peak Ave303-776-2840 ext 22248
Commerce Children’s CenterBoulder325 Broadway303-497-5063
Community Montessori Boulder805 Gillaspie Drive720-561-3700
Cottage School LongmontLongmont1941 Terry St.303-651-3780
Cottage School NorthBoulder1301 North St.303-546-6814
Countryside MontessoriBoulder5524 Baseline Rd.303-494-3100
CU Children’s Center Boulder2202 Arapahoe Ave.303-492-6185
Dream Makers PreschoolBoulder1345 28th St.720-274-0101
Early Connections Infant and Toddler Childcare Center (@ Arapahoe Campus)Boulder6600 Arapahoe Rd.720-561-5715
Eisenhower PreschoolBoulder1220 Eisenhower Dr.720-561-6771
Exploring MindsErie4051 NE County Line Rd.303-828-3452
Family Learning CenterBoulder3164 34th St.303-442-8979
Friends SchoolBoulder5465 Pennsylvania Ave.303-499-1999
Front Street ChildcareLouisville224 Front St.303-710-5724
Gateway MontessoriLongmont1500 9th Ave.303-772-3864
Growing Minds Learning AcademyBoulder6525 Gunpark Dr. #340303-530-1820
Heatherwood PreschoolBoulder7750 Concord Dr720-561-6900
Here We GrowLongmont630 15th Ave #105720-600-5927
Homestar Children’s CenterBoulder3280 Dartmouth303-499-8181
Jewish Community Center (Jay and Rose Phillips Early Childhood Center)Boulder6007 Oreg Ave.720-749-2500; ext. 1031
Jumpstart Early Learning CenterLongmont209 S Bowen St.303-776 1692
Junior Jets Child Development CenterLongmont2175 17th Ave.720-652-6626
KinderCare LongmontLongmont851 Crisman Dr.303-651-1008
KinderCare LouisvilleLouisville107 McCaslin Blvd303-666-9999
Longs Peak Learning CenterLongmont1444 E 3rd Ave303-678-5555
Louisville MontessoriLouisville461 Tyler Ave303-665-2002
Mapleton Early Childhood CenterBoulder840 Mapleton Ave720-561-6200
McGregor’s Garden PreschoolBoulder3535 Eastman Ave303-499-9341
Meadowlark PreschoolErie2300 Meadow Sweet Ln720-561-5403
Monarch PK-8Louisville263 Campus Drive720-561-6269
My Second Home Bilingual Nursery and School - Old TownLafayette300 Baseline Rd303-664-1098
My Second Home Bilingual Nursery and School - Waneka LakeLafayette1321 West Baseline Rd303-665-0235
New Explorers Learning AcademyNederland391 W. 1st St.303-258-0390
New Horizons Cooperative Preschool Boulder1825 Upland Ave.303-442-7434
Off Broadway PreschoolBoulder1235 Pine St.303-800-0324
Persimmon Early Learning @ YWCA of BoulderBoulder2222 14th St.303-449-1951
Primrose School of LongmontLongmont1335 Dry Creek Dr.303-774-1919
Promise Christian PreschoolBoulder270 76th St.303-666-9874
Rainbow Child Care Center (@ East Boulder Community Center)Boulder3485 Stanford Ct.303-499-3038
Rocky Mountain Christian AcademyNiwot9447 Niwot Rd.303-652-9162
Sacred Heart of Jesus Preschool Boulder1317 Mapleton Ave.303-443-0684
Sheri’s Tot SpotLongmont1835 Princess Dr.303-709-5857
Smiling Faces AcademyLongmont1430 Nelson Rd303-532-4310
Sonshine Daycare and PreschoolLongmont10345 Ute Hwy303-776-5897
Star Song LifeWaysBoulder3640 Buckeye Ct.303-442-0998
Sunflower Farm Sprouthouse PreschoolLongmont11150 Prospect Road303-774-8001
Sunflower PreschoolBoulder3340 Dartmouth Ave.303-494-2012
Sunset AcademyLongmont711 South Sunset St.303-651-6600
SVVSD Burlington Preschool Longmont1051 S. Pratt Pkwy.303-776-8861
TLC Learning CenterLongmont611 Korte Pkwy.303-776-7417
Twin Peaks PreschoolLongmont340 South Sunset St.303-772-7286, ext. 57026
Wild Plum Center - Heart of Longmont ChurchLongmont350 11th Ave.720-652-4779
Wild Plum Center - Longs PeakLongmont851 Meeker Street303-776-8523
Wildflower PreschoolLafayette1370 Forest Park Cir.303-530-4441
YMCA LongmontLongmont950 Lashley St.720-652-4720
The Goddard School of LongmontLongmont1095 Olympia Ave303-772-3501
The Honey LanternBoulder1330 Alpine Ave303-870-5677
Tiny Minders Daycare and PreschoolBoulder 3695 Martin Dr303-494-5116
Tiny Minders Daycare and Preschool NorthBoulder 3735 Iris Ave.303-449-1901
SVVSD Teen Parenting Program at Olde Columbine High SchoolLongmont1200 S. Sunset St.720-494-3965
Superior Kid CareSuperior3135 E Yarrow Circle720-304-0078

Farm to ECE Support

Boulder County Public Health staff is available to support your program. You will be provided with:

Farm to Early Care & Education Newsletters

2023

  • December: winter squash & broccoli
  • November: carrots & cauliflower
  • October: peppers & apples
  • September: melons & tomatoes
  • August: summer squash, peaches, & melons
    • Agosto: Calabaza de verano, duraznos y melones
  • July: beets, green beans, & lettuce
    • Julio: Remolachas, ejotes y lechuga
  • June: strawberries & kale
    • Junio: Fresas y col rizada
  • May: radishes & spinach
    • Mayo: Rábanos y espinacas
  • April: spring greens
    • Abril: Verduras de hoja verde de primavera
  • March: beans & legumes
    • Marzo: Frijoles y otras legumbres
  • February: cabbage & potatoes
  • January: winter root vegetables
      • Enero: verderas de raíz de invierno

Contact Us


Child Health Promotion (CHP) Program

Main: 303-413-7500
Submit a question


Location

Boulder
3482 Broadway
Map and Directions
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday

Boulder County Public Health website