I thought I'd share this new report by JoAnne Berkenkamp and Lynn Mader of IATP.

Report: Farm to Childcare: Opportunities and Challenges for Connecting Youn...

JoAnne Berkenkampa href="http://www.iatp.org/about/staff/joanne-berkenkamp" target="_blank">http://www.iatp.org/about/staff/joanne-berkenkamp>

Lynn Mader a href="http://www.iatp.org/about/staff/lynn-mader">http://www.iatp.org/about/staff/lynn-mader>

You've heard the numbers: 30 percent of American kids between the ages of 2 and 5 are either overweight or obese. Overweight children and adolescents suffer disproportionately from diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, bone and joint problems, and sleep apnea. And overweight youth have an estimated 70-80 percent chance of becoming obese adults.

That said, a new report a href="http://www.iatp.org/documents/farm-to-childcare-opportunities-and-challenges-for-connecting-young-children-with-local-fo" target="_blank">http://www.iatp.org/documents/farm-to-childcare-opportunities-and-c...> IATP highlights an emerging opportunity to bend the curve on early childhood obesity and nutrition. The years before children go to school are a critical time to influence kids' lifelong eating habits. Children's taste preferences are most actively developed between the ages of 3 and 5, and younger children are often more willing than older children to try new foods. That makes the early years, when many children are in childcare, a golden opportunity for setting kids on the path toward healthy eating.

Farm to Childcare a href="http://farmtopreschool.org/">http://farmtopreschool.org/>  programs-which link young children in childcare settings with locally grown, minimally processed foods and the farmers who grow them-have the potential to make a lasting impact on the diets of young children, reducing their risk of obesity and diet-related disease throughout life.

By stressing healthy food choices from nearby farms and integrating experiential learning opportunities-like curriculum innovations, garden-based education, interactions with farmers and other strategies-Farm to Childcare can improve the quality of food being served and help kids develop a healthy and informed relationship with their food.

IATP's new research a href="http://www.iatp.org/documents/farm-to-childcare-opportunities-and-challenges-for-connecting-young-children-with-local-fo" target="_blank">http://www.iatp.org/documents/farm-to-childcare-opportu=nities-and-...> on Farm to Childcare looks at how food is currently provided in childcare settings, Innovative Farm to Childcare models that are being developed around the United States, and insights that can inform this emerging field. We invite you to review our research and tell us about your own experiencesspan class="s1">http://www.iatp.org/contact> with healthy eating for young children. You will also hear more from us in the coming months as IATP ramps up our Farm to Childcare work. With the help of childcare providers, parents and farmers, we look forward to helping build a new Farm to Childcare movement in Minnesota and around the country.

Read IATP's report, Farm to Childcare: Opportunities and Challenges for Connecting Youn....

JoAnne Berkenkamp

Program Director for Local Foods

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Minneapolis, MN

612 / 870-3410