National CACFP Association spotlights local food sourcing during Farm to CACFP Week

The National CACFP Association used its second annual Farm to CACFP Week to help child and adult care providers add local foods to meals and build stronger ties with farmers. The Oct. 18-24 event drew hundreds of participants and added new tools, webinars and recipes aimed at making farm-to-table practices easier to use in CACFP settings.

Why it matters: - Farm to CACFP Week gives child and adult care providers a practical path to serve more local food while meeting CACFP nutrition goals. - The effort also connects providers with farmers and food producers in their communities, which can expand local procurement and food education. - The program’s tools are designed to make local sourcing easier for operators at different stages of adoption.

What happened: - The National CACFP Association held its second annual Farm to CACFP Week Oct. 18-24, 2026. - Hundreds of members of the Child and Adult Care Food Program community took part. - This year’s theme was “Root for Local,” with a focus on root vegetables. - NCA used the week to highlight local food procurement, gardening activities and agricultural education.

The details: - NCA hosted a pre-event webinar, “Root for Local Food: Let’s Cheer for Farm to CACFP,” to introduce the initiative and outline ways to get involved. - During the week, NCA held “Rooted in Goodness: Launching Farm to CACFP with Local Vegetables,” which explored how to add root vegetables to menus and included a live menu lab. - More than 500 participants joined the two webinars. - Registered participants received a sample menu with ideas for using root vegetables in CACFP meals. - NCA created promotional materials including “I Root for Local” cards, a themed social media image and a “Farm to Basket” coloring page. - NCA produced five new videos on storing and handling fresh ingredients. - NCA adapted five recipes from the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations to meet CACFP standards and include native and local ingredients. - NCA also released a resource on sourcing local foods and a guide for talking with farmers and asking the right questions when building local partnerships. - A companion resource was created for farmers and producers to explain CACFP and outline ways to connect with child and adult care programs. - The association’s Farm to CACFP Week resources are available online.

Between the lines: - NCA is turning Farm to CACFP into a practical implementation effort, not just an awareness campaign. - The mix of menus, videos, recipes and sourcing guides suggests the association is trying to remove common barriers to local purchasing and food preparation. - The emphasis on root vegetables gives the program a simple, seasonal theme that providers can apply quickly.

What's next: - NCA says it will continue supporting connections between local agriculture and the CACFP community. - The association plans to keep offering resources, education and ideas that help providers bring locally sourced ingredients into meals. - Interest in Farm to CACFP is expected to keep growing as providers look for workable ways to expand local food use.

The bottom line: - NCA is using Farm to CACFP Week to make local food sourcing more accessible for child and adult care programs and the farmers who supply them.