Navigating Farm to School and Early Care Policy Amid Uncertainty

On May 28, 2025, NYHealth hosted a webinar discussing efforts to increase access to farm fresh foods in early care and education (ECE) settings at the national, State, and local levels.

Farm-to-school programs have successfully created new markets for farmers and strengthened access to healthy foods for families. Building on this success, a growing movement is extending these benefits to the nation’s youngest learners—children in early care and education settings like preschools and Head Start programs. Farm-to-ECE efforts present opportunities to expand healthy food access to more children and families; however, with the federal government cutting farm-to-school funding while simultaneously calling for healthier meals in schools, the future of Farm-to-ECE is unclear.

Speakers Included:

• Kevin Davidson, Farm to Early Care and Education Coordinator, Rural Health Network of South Central New York
• Emia Oppenheim, Farm to Early Care and Education Director, Association of State Public Health Nutritionists
• Moderator: Julia McCarthy, Senior Program Officer, NYHealth

Watch the webinar recording here.