Luther's Center for Sustainable Communities and NE Iowa Food and Fitness receive $300,000 grant to expand farm to early education in Northeast Iowa

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has given a $300,000 grant to Luther College's Center for Sustainable Communities and the NE Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative to provide support to early childhood care environments in Northeast Iowa.

The money will be used to create an educational model to expand and enhance Farm to Early Care and Education in preschools and early education environments throughout six counties in northeast Iowa. The program makes it possible for children and families to make and learn how to make healthy choices about good food and physical activity in their daily lives.

Farm to Early Care and Education works to connect early childcare and education settings with access to and information about nutritious food. The program strives to serve locally grown, healthy foods to young children, provide related nutrition education, and improve child nutrition.
 
Through the grant, Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness seeks to build on wellness outreach efforts made over the last eight years. The group has created a model and means for replication in early education settings throughout Iowa and nationwide.
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The project has three primary areas of focus:
•      Food Access: to ensure access to good food in all early education settings;
•      Teacher Education: professional development for early education teachers and caregivers focused on healthy eating and physical activity; and
•      Parent Engagement: educational activities for parents to encourage families to prepare and serve good food at home and to learn how to make better choices when it comes to family nutrition.

"Not only does this grant continue the good work that is happening in Northeast Iowa, but it puts Luther College and the NE Iowa Food and Fitness Coalition at the cutting edge of Farm to Early Education efforts nationwide," said Luther Center for Sustainable Communities director Jon Jensen.