Two Contests to Empower Youth to Change the Cafeteria.

Below is a recent message from Debra Eschmeyer who works with Farm to School Programs.

___________________________________________

Hi Friends,

With the recent launch of the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative for a healthier generation, what a great time to empower youth to make the change we need to see in the cafeteria with programs such as Farm to School. There are brief introductions below to the Cooking Up Change and Real Food Is contests. Note the deadlines for both contests are the last week of March. If anyone is interested in promotional materials, please contact me.

Cooking Up Change – National Healthy Cooking Contest

Healthy Schools Campaign and the National Farm to School Network challenge students to a national competition to design a healthy school lunch. Using only ingredients commonly available for food service, the mission is to create a healthy meal that includes a locally grown item, meets strict nutritional guidelines, and tastes great. Three teams of students from each division (high school and college) will be selected to receive an all-expenses paid trip to Taking Root, the National Farm to Cafeteria conference this May in Detroit, Michigan to compete in the finals. In the final round, each team will prepare their meal and serve to a panel of prestigious judges. The winning team will head home with a trophy and other fabulous prizes. We are thrilled to welcome Karen Duncan, wife of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Christie Vilsack, wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as National Honorary Co-Chairs of Cooking up Change.

Submit recipes online by March 26, 2010.   For contest guidelines and information, visit www.cookingupchange.org.

Real Food Is – National Video Contest

Students are challenged to define what real food means to them by creating a short video that completes the phrase “Real Food is…” Created by the National Farm to School Network and sponsored by the Lunch Box, this contest is open to K-12 and college students and runs until March 29, 2010. The winners will receive $1,000 and an all expenses paid trip to the conference to show their videos at the opening plenary.  More info is available at video.farmtoschool.org.

Taking Root: 5^th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference

The conference website will go fully live shortly; registration is starting Feb. 22^nd here: http://www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org/.

Best,

Deb

Debra Eschmeyer

IATP and Kellogg Food & Society Fellow
Outreach and Media Director, National Farm to School Network
Center for Food & Justice, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, Occidental College
t: 419.905.8612
deschmeyer@oxy.edu or deb@onetray.org
www.farmtoschool.org
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FarmtoSchool

REAL FOOD IS VIDEO CONTEST: Broadcast the change you want to see in your cafeteria! http://video.farmtoschool.org/

COOKING UP CHANGE CONTEST:Students reforming the future of school food. Enter today! www.cookingupchange.org/welcome.php

TAKING ROOT: 5^th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, May 17-19, Detroit, MI: www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org/