Opening Day is almost here. That’s right – the fifth season of Farm to School Junior Chef competition will open soon, and high school cooking teams have until March 15 to sign up.
“Junior Chef teaches food preparation skills while providing lessons on teamwork, time management, marketing, public presentation, and community involvement that will serve students well throughout their lives,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said.
Chef David Dodd of Sullivan University’s Center for Hospitality is a judge.
“Junior Chef also helps participating students learn about the importance of buying local Kentucky Proud foods. I hope every Kentucky high school will have a Junior Chef team, and I look forward to seeing this year’s culinary creations.”
In Junior Chef, high school teams of up to five students in grades 8-12 compete in cook offs to move on to the next round of competition.
The regional champions will vie for college scholarships and other prizes in the state Junior Chef Tournament at the Kentucky State Fair in August.
To enter, each team must submit an application to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) by March 15.
To download the application, parental forms, rules and guidelines, and to find more information about the Junior Chef program, go to kyagr.com/junior-chef/.
Sponsors include the KDA, Sullivan University, the Kentucky Department of Education, Perdue Foods, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.
