Michigan-Michigan State Culinary Throwdown highlights commitment to serving local ingredients
Cooking contest ahead of annual football game features locally grown food, partnership with Good Food for Michigan Project
The Michigan Dining team celebrates its Culinary Showdown victory, proudly displaying the championship trophy following the competition on Nov. 7.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan-Michigan State University football game was just one competition between these rivals this month, with their culinary teams also facing off in their annual Culinary Throwdown.
The cooking contest on Nov. 7 celebrated the commitment of culinary teams at both universities to use locally grown food and support Michigan farmers and food producers. Michigan Dining at the University of Michigan and MSU Culinary Services are among nearly 90 schools, hospitals, organizations and institutions to sign the Good Food for Michigan pledge.
The pledge is part of the Good Food for Michigan Project, a collaboration between the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), the Center for Good Food Purchasing and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems. Pledge signers commit to taking steps toward purchasing more locally grown and produced food and strengthening connections between local producers and the people they serve.
“Our local farmers and food businesses benefit when dining teams at universities like Michigan and Michigan State commit to investing in locally grown and produced food,” said Melanie Tran, Michigan impact manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing, who participated as a judge at the recent Culinary Throwdown. “A fun cooking competition is a great way to showcase creativity with local ingredients and support Michigan growers at the same time.”
The Culinary Throwdown on Nov. 7 featured culinary teams from both universities ahead of the annual rivalry football game. The competition had three timed rounds, each lasting 20 minutes, challenging chefs from MSU Culinary Services and Michigan Dining to create inventive dishes using a variety of ingredients, including locally produced items. Michigan Dining won this year’s Culinary Throwdown.
Culinary teams from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University faced off in their Culinary Throwdown on Nov. 7 before the rivalry football game in Ann Arbor.
Featured ingredients in the Culinary Throwdown included items grown on the University of Michigan Campus Farm as well as Michigan State University’s Student Organic Farm. Both dining teams also prepared entrees to serve families staying at local Ronald McDonald House facilities in Lansing and Ann Arbor.
“Using Michigan-grown ingredients and supporting our local farmers is something we are passionate about at MSU,” said Bryan Latz, associate director of Residential Dining at Michigan State. “Our Student Organic Farm gives us great opportunities to bring that connection close to home so students can see where their food comes from.”
Both universities have campus farms and dining programs committed to sustainable and local sourcing initiatives including Michigan Dining’s “Sustainable Mondays” initiative in their dining halls that focus on serving more plant-based proteins. At Michigan State University, culinary services teams partner with MSU Bakers, MSU Student Organic Farm and MSU Meat Lab. Both universities also document their sustainable food sourcing practices on their websites at the dining.umich.edu/sustainability and eatatstate.msu.edu/sustainability.
“Our culinary program at the University of Michigan values opportunities to support local farmers and find ways to bring more locally grown food to dishes we serve,” said Frank Turchan, culinary assistant director at Michigan Dining. “We always look forward to the Culinary Throwdown to showcase our creativity and celebrate local ingredients.”
Visit the Good Food for Michigan Project website to learn more about the project and its participating institutions.
