Interact with 4‑H youth demonstrating healthy decision making at the 4‑H Culinary Challenge. Contestants create a menu, prepare one food item, and choose an appropriate theme for their occasion, all while expressing their food, nutrition and food safety knowledge during a live interview with a judge at the contest.
This contest is for youth ages 8–18 (by Jan. 1 of the current year) who form teams of two members to represent Lancaster County at the State Fair. Contest will be held on Saturday, August 23, 4-8 p.m. (time slots will be assigned) at the Raising Nebraska building at Fonner Park. A themed table, a menu including a challenge ingredient (in 2025, the ingredient is pork) and a technology presentation are exhibited during a live judge interview.
4‑H members do not need to qualify at a county contest to participate. Only two teams from Lancaster County may participate, and one team has already registered, so please confirm availability with Kristin Geisert at 402-441-7180 or kristin.geisert@unl.edu. Register online at https://www.statefair.org/ag-competitions/livestock-exhibitors/4-h-ffa-exhibitors by Sunday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. For more information, see https://go.unl.edu/4h-culinary. If you have questions, contact Cami Wells at cwells2@unl.edu or 308‑385‑5088.