Over the past two years, Michigan has worked to develop its farm to early care and education (ECE) infrastructure through a cross-sector statewide network focused on equity, the development of procurement pilots in priority communities, and technical assistance (TA)and training to ECE sites participating in the GO NAPSACC self-assessment tool. The FIG funding presents the opportunity to continue building upon this foundational work in Michigan. This funding and technical assistance opportunity will allow our state the ability to strengthen the connection between the food and ECE systems, improve access to healthy, local food, and advance early childhood outcomes. Additionally, this opportunity will serve to raise awareness of the critical role nutrition and health play during early childhood, while nurturing ECE providers as they work to improve children’s learning environments.The work plan presented below is the result of intentional thinking by a FIG working group about the complexity and needed collaboration of the systems necessary to address positive change at the state and community levels.The plan moves the state toward the goals of eliminating racial disparities in outcomes and envisions a reality in which all of Michigan’s young children grow and learn within settings that implement comprehensive farm to ECE initiatives (FIG’s long-term aim).The strategies presented address four of the five drivers and lay the groundwork for the fifth driver—policy change. The four primary drivers are identified within the scope of Michigan’s planned implementation for the year with associated secondary drivers, including: 1.Build programmatic capacity: Michigan use of Go NAPSACC (ECE self-assessment) for evaluation as well as trainings for ECEs and producers to support diversification of reach across provider types, geography, and greater networking opportunities across the state( secondary driver).2.Increase farm to ECE awareness: Accessible farm to ECE training and connections between producers and ECEs (secondary drivers). 3. Strengthen collaborations: Accessible training for ECEs and producers and connections between producers and ECEs (secondary drivers).

4. Increase equitable access to farm to ECE:Accessible trainings for ECEs and farmers); continuing to nurture diverse farm to ECE state partners, facilitate connections between producers and ECEs (secondary drivers).

Five strategies are proposed to meet our goal of increasing access to healthy, local food and strengthening connections between food producers and ECE providers. 1. Host and facilitate focus groups with stakeholders. To better understand the motivations and challenges being faced by ECE providers and producers with implementing farm to ECE, providers, producers, and families will be invited to small, discrete virtual focus groups to share their perspectives that will, in turn, inform the technical assistance (TA)/training/resources offered.2.Expand availability of Go NAPSACC self-assessment and corresponding training and TA statewide, with prioritization of use of the farm to ECE module. This strategy would include the development of an outreach plan focused in areas of highest need to expand awareness of the tool and corresponding resources and additional supports. This would include the Farm to ECE Network to support ECEs through training and TA tailored to include the following strategies: local food purchasing, gardening and other nutritional supports focused on local food education for children, families and childcare providers, as well as supports for adopting nutrition and physical activity related best practices. 3.Support accessible training for ECEs and food producers. Using the previously mentioned focus groups to help determine knowledge, strengths, and gaps to help develop and promote existing professional training and develop additional relevant trainings using delivery mechanisms that meet the needs of stakeholders (e.g. live and recorded video, lunchtime webinars, etc.).For ECE providers, this includes leveraging Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)funding and knowledge of culturally relevant foods. For producers, this includes training on food safety and food service and/or meal pattern requirements for ECEs. When possible, trainings would be submitted for continuing education credits. 4. Develop outreach plans for ECE providers, food suppliers, support organizations, and families to increase awareness of farm to ECE and further community connections.To also facilitate connections betweenECE providers and food suppliers, the Network will host virtual regional networking events to connect providers and suppliers. The Michigan Farm to ECE Network website resources pages would also house producer and provider resources to further facilitate relationships between and among the two. This site offers an Events page and a list serv, and the active relationship with Michigan Food and Farming Systems and the Great Start Collaboratives enable the ability to further share information with farmers and providers. Additional outreach will also be developed to support and elevate the ‘10 cents a Meal for Michigan Kids & Farms’, recently expanded to include early care and education centers. 5.Host racial equity workshop to inform Network’s farm to ECE priorities.The Network will host a workshop for its members using the National Farm to School Network (NFSN)racial equity assessment tool to sustain an environment for equity and to plan work that reduces disparities and inequities.