Team Nourish Kids of RSU 22, representing Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport, and Frankfort, was crowned the 2026 Maine DOE Farm-to-School Cook-Off champion.
BANGOR, Maine—Team Nourish Kids of RSU 22, representing Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport, and Frankfort, is the reigning 2026 Farm-to-School Cook-Off champion following a final round of competition on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Bangor High School. This annual Maine Department of Education (DOE) tradition, now in its 11th year, promotes the use of local foods in school meals, as school nutrition teams from across the state use locally sourced ingredients to prepare breakfast and lunch, which a panel of judges then scores.
Teams representing MSAD 1 (Presque Isle, Mapleton, Chapman, Castle Hill, Westfield), MSAD 52 (Turner, Greene, Leeds), RSU 22 (Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport, Frankfort), and the Westbrook School Department were selected to compete in the championship following four rounds of regional competitions in late March at Hampden Academy, Presque Isle High School, Westbrook High School, and Robert V. Connors Elementary School.
“Every spring, the Maine Department of Education looks forward to the Farm-to-School Cook-Off to celebrate the outstanding partnerships among local farmers and producers and school nutrition programs statewide,” Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin said. “We are grateful to child nutrition professionals in Maine who do essential work in providing healthy, delicious meals to students at no cost multiple times per day.”
This year, the “challenge” ingredients teams were encouraged to incorporate were local ground beef donated by Maine Family Farms and local wild blueberries donated by Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Co. Team Nourish Kids concocted a yogurt-and-fruit parfait for its breakfast dish and a beef burrito with a side salad for its lunch dish. The judges said they were very impressed by the use of both local and USDA foods in all the dishes served today.
Competing on the RSU 22 Team Nourish Kids were Chef Manager Hannah Liberty and staff member Brenda White. They took home a winning plaque and a certificate; all participants will also receive a cookbook with the recipes used in the cook-off.
“Child nutrition is so important to me,” RSU 22 Chef Manager Hannah Liberty said. “Growing up in a rural community in Maine, we are trying to do our best with what we are given and making sure that we’re giving our kids the best possible food, with the best possible ingredients, that we possibly can.”
In Maine, local foods play an essential role in school nutrition efforts. To date, Maine school nutrition programs have been reimbursed nearly $385,000 in local foods purchases using the state’s Local Foods Fund. That translates to roughly $770,000 going to local farmers and producers in Maine.
“We aim to highlight the incredible innovation happening in Maine schools through the Farm-to-School Cook-Off,” said Stephanie Stambach, Maine DOE Child Nutrition Supervisor. “What you see here is just a glimpse of the creativity, dedication, and strong local partnerships that are transforming school meals across the state.”
All recipes presented during the 2026 Farm-to-School Cook-Off will be compiled into a cookbook for other school nutrition teams to reference. Past versions are available on the Maine DOE Local Foods in Local Schools webpage.
Maine DOE 2026 Farm-to-School Cook-Off Champions Team Nourish Kids of RSU 22: nutrition staff member Brenda White and Chef Manager Hannah Liberty
Back row: RSU 22 nutrition staff member Brenda White and Chef Manager Hannah Liberty (2026 Cook-Off winners), RSU 52 nutrition staff members Penny Jackman and Denise Cochran, and Westbrook School Department nutrition staff member Kelly Bourgeios and student Riley Davis. (MSAD 1 was unable to attend the event today.)
Front Row: Judges – Bangor High School student Nolan Coon, Brewer School Nutrition Director Casey Thibodeau, and Chef Joe Robbins, a local food consultant
Westbrook School Department student Riley Davis and nutrition staff member Kelly Bourgeios.
RSU 52 nutrition staff member Denise Cochran stands behind the beef pot pie and mashed potatoes freshly prepared for the competition.
RSU 22 nutrition staff member Brenda White and Chef Manager Hannah Liberty, RSU 52 nutrition staff members Penny Jackman and Denise Cochran, and Westbrook School Department nutrition staff member Kelly Bourgeios and student Riley Davis. MSAD 1 was unable to attend the event today.
Maine DOE Newsroom 