Category: Nutrition

Top teams compete in final Farm to School cook-off

AUGUSTA –School food service staff from RSU 61 and a combined team of Five Town CSD/MSAD 28 and RSU 13 will compete to become the 2016 Maine Farm to School Cook-off Champion. The final cook-off will be held today, Tuesday, May 17 at the Kennebec Valley Community College, Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley at the Averill Building.

The competing teams are the top winners from the regional cook-offs which were held in April at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and the Capital Area Technical Center in Augusta. This is the first annual Maine Farm to School Cook-off to promote locally grown products in school meals.

Each team will prepare two meals within a specific time frame using at least three ingredients that are grown, raised, caught, or manufactured in the State of Maine and meet National School Breakfast and Lunch Program requirements. All recipes will later be shared in a Maine farm to school cook-off recipe book.

A panel of judges consisting of a Kennebec Valley Community College culinary arts student, school nutrition director, and professional chef will score the dishes based on presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility to be used in a school breakfast or lunch program. The winning team will be awarded a plaque and have the opportunity to be spokespeople for the second annual cook off in 2017.

The cook-off is part of the State’s child nutrition projects and follows legislation to support healthy meals in schools. For more information on Maine’s Local Foods to Local Schools program, visit www.maine.gov/doe/nutrition/programs/localfoods/.

Members of the media are welcome to attend the May 17 final cook-off but need to confirm prior to the day of the event.

For more information and to confirm coverage, contact: Anne Gabbianelli at anne.gabbianelli@maine.gov or call 624-6747/592-4439.

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Maine’s first annual Farm to School Cook-off promotes locally grown goods

The Maine Department of Education launched its first Farm to School Cook-off this month with volunteer, food service staff teams representing five school districts and communities. The cook-off is part of the State’s child nutrition projects and follows legislation to support healthy meals in schools.

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Cook-off promotes local foods in schools; a healthy competition

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education is promoting locally grown products in school meals by holding the first annual 2016 Maine Farm to School Cook-off.

The regional cook-offs will be held Wednesday, April 13 at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and Thursday, April 14 at the Capital Area Technical Center in Augusta. The final cook-off on May 17 will be held at the Kennebec Valley Community College, Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley.

Each volunteer team will prepare two meals within a specific time frame using at least three ingredients that are grown, raised, caught, or manufactured in the State of Maine and meet National School Breakfast and Lunch Program requirements. All recipes will later be shared in a Maine farm to school cook-off recipe book.

Food service staff representing RSU 61, Portland, Lewiston, RSU 38, Five-Town CSD and RSU 13 will participate in this year’s event. Westbrook and Augusta CTE centers along with KVCC were chosen as cook-off sites for their culinary arts facilities which include well-equipped kitchens and individual cooking and presentation areas.

A panel of judges for the regional cook-offs consists of a CTE culinary arts student, school nutrition director, and professional chef. They will score the dishes based on presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility to be used in a school breakfast or lunch program.

For final judging, a Kennebec Valley Community College culinary arts student will join a school nutrition director and professional chef. The winning team will be awarded a plaque and have the opportunity to be spokespeople for the second annual cook off in 2017.

The cook-off is part of the State’s child nutrition projects and follows legislation to support healthy meals in schools. For more information on Maine’s Local Foods to Local Schools program, visit www.maine.gov/doe/nutrition/programs/localfoods/.

Members of the media are welcome to attend but need to confirm prior to the event. This event is NOT open to the public.

For more information and to confirm coverage, contact: Anne Gabbianelli at anne.gabbianelli@maine.gov or call 624-6747.

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Grants for school kitchens are available

The 2016 USDA Equipment Assistance Grant process has begun. This year Maine has $89,380 in assistance funds to distribute. This is the fifth year the grants have been made available and as in past years, the funds will be distributed through a competitive grant process. The application form and related documents can be found here.

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Net Off Invoice (NOI) products available to schools

The Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition program announces School Year (SY) 2017 Net Off Invoice (NOI) products available for processing. Schools will log onto NEO to submit their requests beginning March 14 – 25, 2016. This is not a change from previous years, only an announcement this will be available on March 14, 2016.

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A challenge to participate in National School Breakfast Week next month

The benefits of eating school breakfast include improved academic performance, attention span, and overall health. During the current school year 2015-16, 47.7 percent of Maine children qualify for free and reduced price school meals. Of these approximately 86,000 children, only 40 percent participate in school breakfast.

Continue reading “A challenge to participate in National School Breakfast Week next month” →