Supporting our Youth on the Road to Success

Hampton-Dumont High School Culinary Team
Front row: L to R: Lisandro Verdugo, Delilah Cavasos
Back row: L to R: Connar Donaldson, Mason Johnson, Jenna White, Erin Plagge, Mrs. Jane Hoegh

Recently, 14 teams from across Iowa competed in the Iowa ProStart Culinary Competition at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Mariposa Farms sponsored the team from Hampton-Dumont High School. The students have one hour to prepare a three-course meal using only two butane burners. That means no electricity! Four students and one ‘expiditor’ plan, design and prepare the meal.

Hampton-Dumont High School earned third place overall in Culinary while competing against some much larger schools. Way to go team!!

I contacted Mrs. Jane Hoegh about the program. Hampton-Dumont offers a full culinary program at the high school in the Family & Consumer Sciences Department. The students must complete Foods 1 and Foods 2 classes before they can join ProStart. Once the competition recipes are determined, the team practices them six to eight times before the competition to perfect their skills.

Mariposa Farms has provided fresh herbs and edible flowers to the Hampton-Dumont team for the past two years. Mrs. Hoegh stated, “Your quality, your prompt service and your willingness to support our culinary program prompted us to make you a [chef coat] sponsor this year.” Mariposa Farms is honored to have our logo on their team’s chef coats. This year Mariposa Farms supplied fresh tarragon to the team. “Culinary judges noticed the support and commented on your fresh tarragon in our Bearnaise sauce!” added Mrs. Hoegh.

“We came across your business online two years ago when I was searching the world over for a place to order edible flowers,” said Mrs. Hoegh. “On a whim, I emailed through the email ‘contact us’ to see if [Mariposa Farms] would consider helping us with orchids. Both years, you shipped overnight a big box of edible orchids. We appreciated your support of our young culinary students. Our school budget is tight, very tight. So, your support opened a door for us to compete against the larger schools who may have opportunities we don’t have.”

“We love your product. I’ve told everyone that I know how supportive of our program you are!” says Mrs. Hough.

Congratulations again to Hampton-Dumont High School Culinary team and Mrs. Jane Hoegh! We applaud you!

Hampton-Dumont High School’s ProStart presentation table