To increase access to and awareness of the research and evidence base around farm to early care and education, the National Farm to School Network’s Farm to Early Care and Education Working Group has compiled the current literature and research articles available on farm to early care and education. This list was initially created January 2017, and most recently updated March 2020.

Peer Reviewed Research Articles - Impact and Outcomes of Farm to ECE
Process Evaluation of a Farm-to-Preschool Program in New York City
Berger, R., Dannefer, R., Power, L., et. al (2018).

Northern Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program: A Process Evaluation
Bouck, M., Onge, R., He, M., Beynon, C., Lemieux, S., Khoshaba, L., & Stewart, S. (2011).

Overcoming Barriers to Vegetable Consumption By Preschool Children: A Childcare Center Buying Club
Carroll, J., Demment, M., Stiles, S., Devine, C., Dollahite, J., Sobal, J., & Olson, C. (2011).

Childcare Outdoor Renovation as a Built Environment Health Promotion Strategy: evaluating the Preventing Obesity by Design Intervention
Cosco, N., Moore, R., & Smith, W. (2014).

Curriculum intervention in preschool children: Nutrition Matters!
Farfan-Ramirez, L., Diemoz, L., Gong, E., & Lagura, M. (2011).

Farm to Childcare: An Analysis of Social and Economic Values in Local Food Systems
Gunter, C.,  Rutz, J. C., Bloom, J. D., Schroeder-Moreno, M., &. (2018).

Farm to Family: Increasing Access to Affordable Fruits and Vegetables Among Urban Head Start families
Hoffman, J., Agrawal, T., Wirth, C., Watts, C., Adeduntan, G., Myles, L., & Castaneda-Sceppa,  C. (2012).

Creating a Farm and Food Learning Box Curriculum for Preschool-Aged Children and Their Families
Hughes, L. (2007).

Preschool Children Learning About the Origin of Food, on Local Farms and in the Preschool Garden<
Kos, M. & Jerman, J. (2012)

A Cooking Intervention to Increase Vegetable Consumption by Parents with Children Enrolled in An Early Head Start Home Visiting Program: A Pilot Study in Portland, Oregon, 2013–2014
Izumi, B., Echkardt, C., Wilson, D., & Cahill, J. (2016).

A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Developing the Harvest for Healthy Kids Curriculum
Izumi, B., Peden, A., Hallman, J., Barberis, D., Stott, B., & Nimz, S. et al. (2013).

Harvest for Healthy Kids Pilot Study: Associations between exposure to a farm-to-preschool intervention and willingness to try and liking of target fruits and vegetables among low-income children in head start
Izumi, B., Eckhardt, C., Hallman, J., Herro, K., & Barberis, D. (2015).

Harvest for Healthy Kids: A Nutrition Education Curriculum Aligned With the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework
Izumi, B., Hoffman, J., Eckhardt, C., Johnson, A., Hallman, J., Barberis, D. (2015).

Harvest for Healthy Kids: Head Start teachers' perceptions of curriculum usability
Izumi, B., Hoffman, J., Eckhardt, C., Johnson, A., Hallman, J., Barberis, D. (2015).

Youth Gardens Increase Healthy Behaviors in Young Children
Meinen, A., Friese, B., Wright, W., & Carrel, A. (2012).

Watch Me Grow: A Garden-Based Pilot Intervention to Increase Vegetable and Fruit Intake in Preschoolers
Namenek Brouwer, R. & Benjamin Neelon, S. (2013).

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Gardening-Based Nutrition Education Program in Preschoolers From Low-income, Minority Populations
Sharma, S., Hedberg, A., Skala, K., Chuang, R., & Lewis, T. (2014).

Nutrition-Education Program Improves Preschoolers' At-Home Diet: A Group Randomized Trial
Williams, P., Cates, S., Blitstein, J., Hersey, J., Gabor, V., & Ball, M. et al. (2014).


Other Relevant Literature
Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Benchmarks for Nutrition in Child Care
Benjamin-Neely, S. (2018)

A Policy Analysis of Current Farm-to-Preschool/ Early Childhood Education Legislation in the United States
Burns-Rath, Margaret., Benjamin-Neelon, S. (2019).

Always a Vegetable at Dinner: A Fruit and Vegetable Qualitative Study with Primary Care Providers of Preschoolers Enrolled in an Inner-City, Head Start Childcare Center
Fleischhacker, S., Cason, K., Achterberg, C. (2007).

Seeds in the Window, Soil in the Sensory Table: Science Education through Gardening and Nature-Based Play
Hachey, A. & Butler, D. (2009).

Farm to Preschool: The State of the Research Literature and a Snapshot of National Practice
Hoffman, J., Schmidt, E., Wirth, C., Johnson, S., Sobell, S., Pelissier, K., Harris, D. & Izumi B. (2016).

"Early Sprouts" Establishing Healthy Food Choice for Young Children.
Kalich, K., Arnold, L., Austin, L., Bauer, D., McPartlin, D., & Ferri, N. (2010). 

Farm to Early Care and Education: Growing Healthy Eaters, Classrooms, and Communities
Lux, Christine; Stephens, Lacy. YC Young Children

Turning our World of Learning Inside Out
Monsalvatge, L., Long, K. & DiBello, L. (2003).

Childhood in the Garden: A Place to Encounter Natural and Social Diversity
Nimmo, J. & Hallet, B. (2008).

Factors Influencing the Food Purchases of Early Care and Education Providers
Otten, J., Hirsch, T., Lim, Catherine. (2016).

Involving Families and Community Through Gardening
Starbuck, S. & Olthof, M. (2008).

Opportunities and Challenges for Farm to Early Care and Education in Settings Serving Low-Income Children
Stephens, L., & Oberholtzer, L. (2018).

Dancing With Trees: Infants and Toddlers in the Garden
Torquati, J. & Barber, J. (2005).

Teaching About Healthy Eating in Early Care and Education: Strategies and Challenges
Wilson, H., Speirs, K. et al. (2018).