Welcome Back to Jr Chef! We have a couple of new updates for this year.
We have taken your comments and suggestions to heart and simplified the Jr Chef Championship process. First, the top 16 teams will be determined by a Recipe Contest instead of head-to-head competition, thus eliminating the need for travel during the busiest time of the school year. Also, once Teams are selected and move on to the Final Competition they will only be required to cook once. The top 3 places will be determined from these scores. This also minimizes travel time and expense.
As last year there will be a mandatory Team Leader/Coach meeting which will cover the new requirements, review the scoring rubric and required documentation as well as allowing time for Team Leaders to discuss ideas, and ask questions. New for this year, we are hosting workshops for Western, Central and Eastern Ky. Dates will be released by Jan 15th.
Please read through the Rules and Regulations listed in the Entry Packet for updates and watch for more info on the Team Meeting!
Hundreds of Kentucky students have participated in the Farm to School Junior Chef competition since its inception in 2013.
The competition opens with district tournaments, followed by regional tournaments, and culminates in the state tournament at the Kentucky State Fair in August.
Here are past Junior Chef teams and some of the winning dishes.
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Thanks to the generosity of these sponsors, the Farm to School Junior Chef Program is able to promote a variety of educational experiences for students across the Commonwealth. Students learn educational life skills including culinary practices, recipe development, food preparation/presentation, and the nutritional value of fresh local foods as well as marketing, teamwork, and community outreach. By investing in the Farm to School Junior Chef Program, not only will the next generation be healthier, but they will also be more informed consumers who value farmers and support local food systems, not as a novelty, but as a way of life.
Below are the Junior Chef finalists who cooked their way to the final drive in the
Farm to School Junior Chef State Championship in Louisville.
All required forms, recipes, and the $150 team entry fee must be mailed to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and postmarked no later than April 15, of program year.
Ready to enter the Farm to School Junior Chef competition? Click below to read the rules, browse the Frequently Asked Questions, learn how the competition is judged, and download the paper application and parental consent forms.
How to get Started: Get a Team together and start developing your recipe. Recipes must be submitted by April 15th in order to compete in Round One of the competition which will determine the top 16 teams who will compete at the state fair.
How do I register my team? For those who move on to the Top 16 the team application (and all required documents and fees) must be mailed to KDA by May 8th.
When and where is this event taking place? The Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef competition will be held at the Kentucky State Fair August 15 – 25, 2024. The event is open to the public (gate and parking fee may apply) and will feature fun activities for the whole family including chef demonstrations, food vendors, and entertainment throughout the day.
Who can participate? Any Kentucky student in grades 8-12 is eligible. Each team must have two to five members. Teams may have an alternate student, but the total number of team members on the day of the competition may not exceed five. NOTE: Alternate team members must also submit their contact information and permission slip.
How can I get involved with Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef? If you are a student in grade 8-12, you can show off your cooking skills by competing in Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef on your high school cooking team. Otherwise, you can join the fun by volunteering or sponsoring Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef.
Can our adult/chaperone help us cook? No. Only students may cook at the competition. However, coaches/ leaders may provide hands-off guidance and advice.
How much time do teams have to cook? Teams have 1 1/2 hours to cook and a half-hour to clean up. You may not bring any prepared foods to the competition. All food preparation must take place at the event.
Round One: A panel consisting of staff members from KDA, KDE and an additional Food and Nutrition professional will determine the top 16 recipes submitted by April 15th based on competition guidelines. See Jr Chef Handbook under How to Enter for complete list of rules and regulations.
Round Two: This takes place during the first few days of the state fair (dates TBD) Judges will consist of Sullivan University Chefs, KDE and other Food and Nutrition Professionals at all the Kentucky State Fair JR Chef events.
For the Top 16 Teams that move on to the State Fair: The following forms must be filled out completely and submitted to KDA no later than May 8th.
The Team Leader/Coach must agree to the conditions provided on the Team Application provided below. Failure to understand and follow these instructions will result in team elimination from competition.
This form must be completed, printed and signed by the parent/guardian of each student who wishes to participate in the Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef Competition during the current school year. A completed form must be submitted by each team member along with their application and registration fee postmarked no later than May 8th.
There is a $150 entry fee per Team for the competition. Entry fees help cover hosting costs of Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef. Teams are encouraged to seek local sponsors to help alleviate expenses associated with participation including entry fee, cost of ingredients, etc. Fee may be paid by your Food Service Director per Kentucky Department of Education School Nutrition Division through SAE funds.
Entry Fees are due no later than May 8th of the competition year.
Initial recipes must be submitted to Chef Rebecca no later than April 15th of the competition year and must include the nutritional analysis. Details will be provided during the Mandatory Team Lead/Coaches Workshops in February. Dates will be released by January 15th.
All recipes must be entered and submitted in the Standardized Recipe Workplan template (RWP). For complete details on how to utilize the RWP please see the Jr Chef Handbook. Pages 6-12
Click here to download (pdf) the Jr Chef RWP template.
Team Leader/Coach WorkshopsThere will be a mandatory Team Leader/Coach workshop during the month of February of each year. Times and locations will be announced after the first of the year. If you are planning on participating or are just interested in participating with Jr Chef please contact Chef Rebecca at rebecca.shepherd-smith@ky.gov to make sure you receive all Jr. Chef announcements.
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!KDA will be hosting Practice Workshops across the state for teams during the summer. The locations and dates will be announced no later than May 15th.
The following is a short list of the competition requirements. For a full list please refer to the Jr Chef Handbook. Link is provided below.
Each team must have an Adult Team Leader who is present for the duration of the competition. Team Leader must be a school employee, parent, Chef or Adult Representative of related Community organization. Each team is also allowed but not required to have a Team Coach. The Team Coach could be a school food service professional, chef, farmer, Family Consumer Science Teacher or Foodie who helps the team create and practice a recipe in preparation for the event.
Each team may consist of 2-5 students. High School teams any combination of 8-12th graders. Note: Seniors may not be able to attend State competition due to event timing. Absence of a Senior team member does not require a team to withdraw from competition as long as there is a minimum of 2 other students on the team.
All transportation needs and finance approvals should be discussed with your school administration by May 1st.
If you are not able to attend the State Competition, please let KDA know no later than June 1st, in order to allow time for a replacement team to be notified and make travel arrangements.
Only students may cook during the competition. The Team Leader and/or Coach may only provide hands-off guidance in cooking techniques and safety. Any other adult involvement in cooking during competition will result in disqualification of the team.
Entry fees are non-refundable.
If you have any questions or comments you may submit them online.
Be sure to mail your $150 team entry fee and application to:
Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
107 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
ATTN: Jr Chef Program
Email: rebecca.shepherd-smith@ky.gov or tina.garland@ky.gov
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.