The children can collect mushrooms which may be the only way you can collect food for awhile.

If you have Level 2 Engineering, building a dam and a scarecrow will allow you to farm.

If you have Level 2 Collections, making stews to feed your people will help too. You do need at least 10 food though to make a stew.

Level 2 Farming allows you to farm coconuts but I never bother with this, I think it's a bit of a waste.

I would collect mushrooms in the meantime and make building a dam a piority if you haven't already.

If you do have a farm, only let one person farm while the others all collect tech points or make eveyone farm at once and then put everyone back on Research.

Good luck and I hope you see lots of red mushrooms!