What is Cultural Foods Day:
An event in which 4-H members of all ages create a menu from a foreign country, prepare one dish from that menu, and present it with an appropriate table setting. Exhibitors must be prepared to answer questions based on their level of expertise of cooking and of the culture they are representing. Exhibitors are encouraged to dress according to the culture they have chosen. Competitors are judged against criteria including appearance, presentation, and knowledge.

Who is in Charge:

• County Family and Consumer Science Chairperson and County Foods Chairperson
• The committee will be comprised of 1/3 youth and 2/3 adult volunteers

When:

• Typically in May or late Spring.
• Lasts approximately 4 hours, beginning in the morning so that after judging is completed, all participants and their families may sample the cultural dishes.

What to do:

• 1 year in advance:
  • Contact youth advisor to select date
  • Reserve rooms that are wheelchair accessible. When reserving facility, obtain a lease agreement (if not already in place) and submit it unsigned to the 4-H YDA for processing.
  • Notify Council Vice President of date to put on calendar.

• 6 months in advance:
  • Begin publicity
  • Recruit youth and begin holding committee meetings to select theme

• 3 months in advance:
  • Continue publicity
  • Begin recruitment of judges
  • Develop budget and check figures with county council treasurer
    Put applications on the web. Applications must first be approved by YDA.
    Send out applications to all eligible youth through the 4-H office
  • Order awards from Awards Chair
• 1 month in advance:
  • Publicize specific rules, time, directions, and location of the event in the Timely Topics. Monthly deadline is the 15^th.
  • Meet with committee
  • Confirm judges and facility

• 1 week in advance:
  • Assign judging times to applicants (approx. 10 minutes each)
    • Re-confirm facility

• Day of:
  • Set up tables and room 1 hour before participants arrive
  • Assign areas for participants to set up place settings
  • Awards presentation
  • CLEAN UP afterwards

• 1 week after:
  • Update the binder for the following year
  • Send thank-you cards to judges

Sample Publicity Ideas:

• Report at County Council Meeting/Executive Board meetings
• Give flyer to 4-H Office to send in county club packets - Flyer must be approved by Youth Development Advisor
• Advertise in the Timely topics
• Hold a Cultural Foods Day workshop explaining and demonstrating what to do
• Volunteer to attend club meetings and report

Sample Judges:

• Jr. Judges (Jr or Teen Leaders in the Foods Project) may help for the experience but their score sheets will not be included in the tallied results.
• Two judges per 15 participants
• Adult judges may be club leaders, parent volunteers, CE Office staff, interested adults. They need not be a part of 4-H.

Tips on Recruiting Youth:

• Organize a phone tree
• Contact all Jr/Teen leaders of Foods Projects in the County