Contest Rules | Best Local Foods Recipe

Entry deadline: April 30, 2013

Mail submissions to:

NACUFS: Attention Majel Maes

2525 Jolly Road, Suite 280

Okemos, MI 48864

Does your institution use locally raised or produced ingredients in its recipes?  Share your local pride by showcasing local ingredients in your favorite recipe. The more local ingredients you incorporate into your recipe, the more points you will receive. The goal of the Best Local Foods Recipe Contest is to recognize and encourage the use of locally produced foods in the menus of NACUFS member institutions by showcasing the efforts of members who use locally produced ingredients. 

1. Submit a recipe that uses at least three local ingredients and that has wide appeal to your guests.

2. All entries must include a completed and signed Official Entry Cover Sheet and must be placed as page one. An entry which does not include a completed and signed Official Entry Cover Sheet will be disqualified and will not be judged. Download the Cover Sheet

3. Each separate foodservice unit at a member institution may enter a recipe.  A separate entry form must accompany each entry (duplicate official entry forms as needed).

4. First, second, and third place winners will be asked to email PDF of recipe with optional pictures of recipe to Majel Maes post on NACUFS website.

5. Each entry requires a typed, cohesive essay no more than one page and 500 words in length.  The essay must address the following points, and must be placed as page two of the entry:

• Clearly describe where the ingredients are grown or raised in relation to your institution

• Demonstrate that the producers of your ingredients are part of the local food movement and not a conventional corporation 

• Demonstrates a strong relationship between your institution and the  local producers

• Describe how the local ingredients are procured, and how financial and logistical challenges to buying local foods have been overcome by your institution

• Describe how local food efforts have been promoted to your customers

6. The recipe must be scaled to make 25 servings. Production steps should be simple and clear; numbered and in logical sequence,  HACCP guidelines included, and using standard U.S. weights or measures (no metric please). Local ingredients should be clearly denoted in the recipe.

7. In addition, the entry must include:

• Color pictures of the finished recipe (a minimum of two photos);

• Nutritional analysis of recipe;

• How you market the recipe and/or other local foods on your menu;

• Customer feedback.

8. All descriptive materials should be typed neatly and be professionally presented.

9. No loose materials or audio/videocassettes will be accepted. Do not send glassware, shirts, aprons, or other items that are not an attached part of the entry itself or the entry’s cover. Photographs of such items may be included in your entry. Both color and black and white photos are acceptable. Digital photos are acceptable.

10. For an entry which uses copyrighted materials and/or trademarks of others, the entrant institution must first have obtained written permission from each copyright and/or trademark owner, for use for the purposes reflected in the entry and for further publication and use by NACUFS. Certification that these written permissions have been obtained is required on the Official Entry Cover Sheet.

11. The contest is open to all NACUFS institutional members in good standing. However, 1st place winning school from previous year’s vegan contest is asked to not enter so they can be the judging school for these entries.  Entries must be designed and produced by the school entering the contest.

12. All entries must be carefully wrapped and mailed flat between cardboard to ensure delivery in good condition. All entries must be in scrapbook or notebook form and the exterior measurements may not exceed 18” X 28”, nor weigh more than five pounds. Only one entry is permitted per notebook and the entire entry must be contained within a single book.

13. All entries must be received by the deadline. Entries not received by the deadline will have one point deducted per late day up to five days, after which time the entry will be disqualified and will not be judged.

14. Entries may be submitted for judging only once.

15. The judges will review all entries upon receipt for rule adherence.

16. All winners will be notified by e-mail following the completion of the judging. Grand Prize winners will be announced in the issue of Campus Dining Today following the national conference.

17. The decision of the judges is final.

18. All entries will be displayed at the NACUFS National Conference. Entries must remain on display until the close of the national conference or the time specified by the Nutrition Committee.  They must be picked up by the representative of the school at the close of the exhibit.

19. By entering, permission is thereby given to The National Association of College & University Food Services to publish and/or use in any way the material so submitted.

20. The prize for first place will be one free registration for the NACUFS National Conference. The second and third place winners will receive a NACUFS travel bag.

A best practice is to use the judging criteria as a self-checklist for your submission. Download the judging criteria