What: The Maine Department of Education will host its Annual Maine Farm to School Cook-Off, a voluntary, skills-based competition offered to school food service staff from all school districts across the State of Maine. The goal of the program is to recognize school nutrition staff for their skills and creativity while producing high-quality meals that can be replicated in a school kitchen.
During the competition, each volunteer team prepares a breakfast and lunch meal within a specific time frame using at least two ingredients that are grown, raised, caught, or manufactured in the State of Maine and meet National School Breakfast and Lunch Program requirements as well as one USDA food. Locally caught pollock and yogurt will be used as challenge ingredients in the competition this year.
Who: Teams consist of local school food service staff and students, judges for the regional cook-offs include a student, a school nutrition director and a professional chef, and representatives from Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition team will also be present.
When/ where: The regional cook-offs will be held on three dates. Two cook-offs in different locations in the State and then a final cook-off event where the winners of the first two cook-offs will compete.
Thursday, April 5 from 10:00am – 1:30pm
Bath Regional Career and Technical Center, Bath, ME
10:00am start time (cooking begins promptly at 10:30am)
Teams are representing Falmouth, Yarmouth and Lewiston
Monday, April 9 from 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Hampden Academy, Hampden, ME
1:00pm start time (cooking begins promptly at 1:30pm)
Teams are representing RSU 54, RSU 3 and Cherryfield
The Date and location for the final Farm to School Cook-off will be determined after the are to be determined.
Please RSVP: For more information including a detailed agenda, and to RSVP, media should contact the Maine Department of Education Director of Communications, Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov or call 624-6747.
Due to space limitations, these competitions are not open to the public; however, arrangements can be made by contacting Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Consultant Stephanie Stambach at stephanie.stambach@maine.gov.