We are honored to give the 2022 Food Charter Champion Award for Local & Sustainable Agriculture to Alain Lemmesse.
This year, Alain, a 6th grade student at McMahon Elementary school in Lewiston, won the Maine Farm-to-School Cook-Off! This state-wide competition challenges school teams to creatively utilize Maine-grown ingredients in meals that meet school nutrition standards. The Maine challenge ingredients this year were buckwheat flour and beets. Teams include one student (Alain) and one Nutrition Staff (Chef Alicia Smith from Lewiston High School).
Alain is part of the after-school Cooking Club program at McMahon Elementary. Their lunch menu was: a soft chicken taco, beet salsa, beet-corn-black bean salad, cilantro-lime rice, and a fruit kabob. At the championship, surrounded by judges, USDA representatives, and cameras, Alain and Alicia placed 1st, above two other teams, both with high school students!
Alain knows the value of local agriculture – he likes to help out on his family’s farm in Lisbon, and enjoys watching the whole process from seed to plate. With his dedication and hard work, he was able to showcase Local Agriculture and to raise the profile of Farm-to-School work happening in Lewiston Public Schools. Thanks and congratulations to Alain!
ABOUT: Each year, the Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn hosts the Food Charter Champion Awards by celebrating the contributions of five individuals or groups from the greater Lewiston-Auburn area who strive to create a more vibrant and healthy food system from farm-to-fork. Those honored with awards ‘lead by example’ in one, or more, of the five principles of the LA Community Food Charter. Learn more about the other 2022 Food Charter Champion Award winners here.