Evaluation of a Multi‐component Farm‐to‐Preschool Program on Access to and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables among Preschool‐aged Children

Most preschool‐aged children (3–5 years old) do not consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables. Accessibility and parent involvement are important factors in determining fruit and vegetable consumption in preschool‐aged children. Objective Increase access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables among preschool‐aged children enrolled in the Health Happens! Preschool Program. Methods Quasi‐experimental design with an intervention and control group. Children participated in a 12‐week physical activity and nutrition program at both the intervention and control childcare centers. Parents had access to four online‐learning modules about nutrition and physical activity. Additional farm‐to‐preschool activities were provided at the intervention site including: a small‐scale farmer's market for parents to purchase local fruits and vegetables at the preschool center once a week for eight weeks and biweekly hands‐on gardening education for children. Parents at the preschool centers were asked to complete a home food inventory (HFI) to assess fruit and vegetable availability at home and a food frequency questionnaire to evaluate their preschoolers’ usual consumption of fruits and vegetables. IBM SPSS Statistics 22 was used to analyze data. Participants’ purchases from the small‐scale farmer's market were recorded and the average amount spent per week was calculated. Results Eighteen parents participated in the program at the intervention site and 19 at the control site. Baseline results indicated that the majority of fruits and vegetables available at home were potatoes (100%), corn (93%), carrots (93%), apples (86%), bananas (86%), and grapes (86%). The majority of fruits and vegetables parents reported preschoolers consumed included: apples (88%), potatoes (82%), bananas (82%), corn (77%), green beans (71%), and grapes (71%). During the farm‐to‐preschool program, households spent an average of $6.06 per week on local okra, spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, kale, eggplant, peppers, acorn squash, butternut squash, and apples. Final outcome data will test pre‐ to post‐ differences in home food availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables among preschool children between the intervention and control sites. Conclusion Providing local, fresh produce for parents to purchase at their child's preschool may be a viable way to increase consumption and availability of fruits and vegetables in early childhood. Support or Funding Information University of Tennessee and East Tennessee Children's Hospital