---
title: Planting Healthy Habits Early
description: Introduce young children to healthy eating with Farm to ECE, connecting them to fresh, local foods and fostering lifelong wellness habits. Learn more with Child Care Aware® of Missouri.
---

[Partner Publication | Child Care Aware of Missouri](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication)

# [Planting Healthy Habits Early](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/chaw-planting-healthy-habits-early)

 Written by [Child Care Aware® of Missouri](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/author/child-care-aware-of-missouri) | Jan 20, 2026, 7:45:01 PM

Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) connects young children to fresh, locally grown foods while helping them build healthy habits that can last a lifetime. When children are exposed to fruits and vegetables early on, they are more likely to try new foods, develop positive attitudes toward healthy eating, and establish lifelong nutrition patterns.

Through hands-on experiences such as gardening, cooking, and tasting local foods, Farm to ECE brings learning to life. Children discover how food grows, where it comes from, and how it fuels their bodies. These playful, sensory-rich activities inspire curiosity, teamwork, and pride, while partnerships with local farmers strengthen children’s connection to their community and cultural food traditions.

The benefits of bringing Farm to ECE into your child care program are far-reaching. Most importantly, it supports early brain development and encourages lifelong healthy choices.  Would you like assistance in starting or expanding Farm to ECE at your child care program? Go NAPSACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care) offers practical resources and strategies to help. Registration for the April 2026

Go NAPSACC project is now open. [Click here to learn more about the Go NAPSACC project.](https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F52LXNS)

If you have questions, please contact Lauri Choate, Director of Training, at [lauri@mochildcareaware.org](mailto:lauri@mochildcareaware.org) or 314-754-1603. 

Explore our other Child Care Aware® of Missouri resources:

[Clock Hour Training](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/free-clock-hour-training)  
[Scholarships for Educators](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/scholarships-for-educators)  
[Child Care Health and Wellness](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/child-care-nutrition-and-physical-activity)  
[Family Child Care Network](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/family-child-care-network)  
[Leadership Development Opportunities](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/leadership-development-opportunities)  
[Missouri Office of Childhood Updates](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/missouri-office-of-childhood-updates)  
[Show Me Child Care Resources](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/show-me-child-care-resources)  
[Support Child Care Aware® of Missouri](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/support-child-care-aware)  
[Community Data](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/community-data)   
[Join Our Team](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/join-our-team)  
[Resources to Build Your Business ](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/tag/resources-to-build-your-business)

 

 

[View full post](https://partnerpublication.mochildcareaware.org/partner-publication/chaw-planting-healthy-habits-early)

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