Fresh, scratch-cooked meals help nourish healthy children, families and communities — and now, families will have a new way to identify participating programs.

At our Scratch Cooking Showcase on May 21, 2026, ECECD and Southwest Child Care in Albuquerque welcomed local growers and elected officials to unveil the new Scratch Cooking badge, which will identify child care programs preparing fresh, nutritious meals from scratch.

The new Scratch Cooking badge will help identify programs that are preparing fresh, nutritious meals and, in the process, strengthening connections with New Mexico growers and producers.

Guests toured Southwest Child Care’s kitchen and newly built greenhouse, heard from school leaders and local producers, and joined children for a scratch-cooked lunch featuring green chile chicken enchiladas and a green salad made with New Mexico-grown and -raised ingredients from Agri-Cultura Network, Sweet Mercy Farms and Backyard Farms.

Thank you to Sweet Mercy Farms, Agri-Cultura Network and Senator Natalie Figueroa for joining us!