Farm to Fork:
Junior Chef Challenge

FARM FRESH FOOD ・ LIVE MUSIC ・ FARM TOURS ・ KIDS ACTIVITIES

The Farm to Fork Junior Chef Challenge is a lively fundraising event pairing 4 youth competitors with Central Texas chefs to create dishes using Hope Full Farm’s organic produce. This family-friendly event benefits Hope Full Farm’s mission to fight childhood hunger through regenerative agriculture.

Past Chef Mentors

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  • L’Oca D’Oro, Bambino

    Fiore Tedesco is the award winning Chef and Owner of L’Oca d’Oro in Austin, Tx. where he has immersed into thoughtfully crafting a daily menu celebrating the bounty of ingredients of central Texas while paying homage to his Italian American roots. Influenced in his early days by his grandmother followed by stints at Gramercy Tavern in NYC, Roberta's in Brooklyn, and Austin's Franklin BBQ and Bufalina, he co-founded L'Oca d'Oro in 2016. Tedesco's culinary prowess has earned numerous accolades, reflecting his commitment to community service, fresh ingredients, and excellence in both fine dining and casual fare.

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  • Épicerie

    Sarah McIntosh is chef and owner of Épicerie in Austin, Texas. Raised in a food-oriented family, celebrations were often met with great food and wine. It’s where Sarah’s culinary creativity was born. Inspired by her experiences, she decided to take her passion to the next level and attend culinary school. At Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Austin, Texas, she honed her skills and graduated first in her class. During her ten-year tenure in kitchens, Sarah worked at Thomas Keller’s renowned Bouchon and Ad Hoc in Yountville, California, and served as the sous chef at Austin’s beloved Olivia restaurant.

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  • Nixta Taqueria

    Edgar is a James Beard Award winner for Emerging Chef, a TIME 100 recipient, a Food & Wine Best New Chef, winner of Food & Wine Best New Restaurant, a Culinary Corps Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and proud World Central Kitchen member. He aims to transform the landscape of what Mexican-American cuisine can be by providing imaginative creations that are steeped in technique, history, and a maíz revolution. Edgar is the current co-owner and chef of the nationally acclaimed Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas.

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  • Olamaie, Maie Day, Gimme Burger

    Chef Michael Fojtasek has spent a lifetime thinking creatively about food. After several years working at various restaurants, Fojtasek opened the Southern restaurant Olamaie in Austin in 2014, named in honor of his grandmother, “Big Ola,” and was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2015. He was a James Beard Award finalist for “Best Chef Southwest” in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2022, he opened chophouse Maie Day at Austin’s South Congress Hotel. In 2024, Olamaie received a Michelin star, and Maie Day was recognized as a Michelin Guide Recommended restaurant.

Support our mission and be part of the Farm to Fork Junior Chef Challenge!

Sponsorship opportunities are now available—support food access, youth education, and community impact.

Become a Sponsor

Special Thanks to Our 2026 Sponsors

H-E-B

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Planwise Financial Group

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Quartz Financial

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Kathryn Scarborough Real Estate Group | Engel & Völkers

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Austin Monthly

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Giant Noise

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Agouti Investments

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Lisa & Matt Hickey

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Henna Chevrolet

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Oakview Group

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H-E-B - Planwise Financial Group - Quartz Financial - Kathryn Scarborough Real Estate Group | Engel & Völkers - Austin Monthly - Giant Noise - Agouti Investments - Lisa & Matt Hickey - Henna Chevrolet - Oakview Group -

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A person playing guitar and singing into a microphone on an outdoor stage with a tent overhead and greenhouse in the background.
A young woman standing in a farm field holding a carrot in her right hand, wearing a gray t-shirt, black jeans, a beige cap, and black sneakers, smiling and celebrating.
A group of people, including men and women, walking and listening to a guide in a garden or farm with trees and plants, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Children picking peaches from a tree in a garden.
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Person holding fresh purple beans in a farm field during sunset.
People sitting at a long table on a wooden outdoor patio with a view of trees and blue sky, some wearing hats, during daytime.
Group of six people, including children and adults, planting or tending to a garden on a sunny day, with trees and garden tools in the background.
People sitting at tables under a yellow canopy outdoors, with some children and adults, engaging in arts and crafts activities, with a white tent and greenhouses in the background.
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People harvesting carrots in an outdoor farm field.
A garden with various plants, flowers, and shrubs surrounded by a rock border, in front of a modern gray building with white trim and a raised wooden deck. There is a green house in the background and overcast sky.
A lush vegetable farm with rows of green plants under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, surrounded by trees and a building in the distance.
A group of people walking through a sunflower field and a garden with green plants under a partly cloudy sky.

Hope Full Farm is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporation. Donations are deductible to the full extent of the law. EIN 86-3818067.