As part of Craven County Schools' second annual Farm to School Week highlighting local farms and food, 14 high school teams participated in a culinary competition requiring students to use local ingredients to develop a recipe. Winning recipes for each of the four categories (best dairy-based recipe, best sweet potato-based recipe, best side dish and best entree) will be featured on the menu next school year, along with cash prizes. The Dairy Alliance staff member Jill Gobin helped judge the competition. Additionally, The Dairy Alliance donated funds for the prizes, including a Carolina Panthers cafeteria make-over kit for the winning school and a signed Carolina Panthers item.
The week began with an expo featuring local farmers and samples of their products attended by NC Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding, Craven County Farm Bureau President Jason Jones and the NC State Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler. Students visited a cow milking station and received ice cream as part of the event.
The week included a special menu for the week utilizing local foods and activities like an art competition and special luncheons. Farm to School events help students understand where their food comes and how they can support local producers. By helping sponsor events, The Dairy Alliance ensured students see dairy as a local product that creates tasty products, with provided prizes making sure students will remember dairy's role once the week's events wrap up.