What began as an assignment quickly blossomed into a hands-on solution to help young children connect with healthy, local food. In September 2024, the then-Assistant Director of Member Engagement, Patrick Tracy, and his four Leadership Champlain teammates — Will Jeffries, Breanna Sykes, Caroline Aubrey, and Sharon Lifschutz — were tasked with tackling food insecurity in a way that could make an immediate impact within six months.
During their early research, the team learned about Vermont FEED’s Farm to School initiative, which successfully integrates local food into the public school system. But they also discovered a gap: early child care programs. Unlike the more centralized public school system, early child care consists of smaller, independent providers, making it harder to reach. Recognizing the potential to adapt the proven Farm to School model, the team set out to launch a “Farm to Early Child Care” program at the Greater Burlington YMCA, where Patrick already had strong community ties.
The Farm to Early Child Care approach, like the Farm to School model, focuses on three pathways: Cafeteria (serving local food), Community (bringing local food producers into the classroom), and Classroom (using curriculum to teach about local food). For their Leadership Champlain project, the group narrowed their scope to the classroom piece. By focusing solely on education, they could create something manageable in their timeframe while leaving a blueprint for other early educators to follow.
The team’s work was highly collaborative and methodical. From September to November, they brainstormed and conducted research, identifying the early child care gap. By February, they refined their focus, formalized partnerships, and secured funding. Spring was dedicated to implementation — choosing the garden site, purchasing and assembling materials, and creating a guide so other preschools could replicate the model.
During that spring, the team worked closely with the Y Early Childhood Program in Burlington site staff, Meg Carswell and Erica Gongloff, to develop a “Garden as a Classroom” curriculum. Children would experience the full growing cycle — from planting seedlings inside during the late winter months, to transplanting them outdoors in raised beds, to tending and harvesting them in the summer. The experience would culminate in enjoying a meal made from their own garden’s bounty.
Thanks to a grant from Shaw’s and the expertise of partners like the Vermont FEED team and the Community Garden Network, the project had the resources it needed. Erica provided the design “recipe” for the gardens — three cedar raised beds complete with mulch — and Gardener’s Supply provided the materials. Abbie Isreal from Member Child Care helped Patrick build the beds, and his Leadership Champlain partner, Caroline, contributed the starter plants.
On June 20th, the project officially launched. Children at the Y now have the opportunity to get their hands in the soil, learn about where food comes from, and develop a lasting connection to healthy eating.
For Patrick and his Leadership Champlain teammates, the project is more than just raised garden beds — it’s about planting seeds of knowledge, curiosity, and healthy habits in the next generation. And with their guide in place, the hope is that Farm to Early Child Care will sprout in other Vermont communities, ensuring more children grow up knowing the joy of eating something they nurtured from seed to plate.
Click here to download the Leadership Champlain Farm to Early Childcare Pilot project to learn how to bring a farm-to-early-childcare initiative to your program.