Essay Contest FAQs

No, each student is only allowed to submit one essay for consideration. If you submit multiple essays, we will only review and score the essay you submitted first.

The full rules for entry can be found on our Official Rules page. Please review these rules carefully to ensure your submission complies with all requirements.

A first, second and third place winner will be selected for the contest using the judging criteria outlined in the Official Rules. All three winners will have the opportunity to participate together in an exclusive “Meet the Commissioner” Experience in Tallahassee with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson.

First, second and third place winners will also receive a $1,500, $1,000 and $500 scholarship, respectively, in the form of a Florida Prepaid 529 Savings Plan. Review additional prizes on our Farm to School Contest page, under Contest Prizes.

While it’s fine to seek feedback and guidance, the essay must be your own work. Direct assistance in writing or significant edits from others will not be permitted, as we aim to assess your individual writing skills.

Yes, we use plagiarism and artificial intelligence (AI) detection tools to ensure all essays are original and were not created using AI software. Essays that are found to be plagiarized or use AI-generated content will be disqualified from the contest.

The Farm to School Essay Contest is only open to Florida high school students, meaning students who are in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 at the time of entry. Unfortunately, we cannot accept submissions from students outside of these grades for this contest.

However, if you have a younger child between the ages of seven and 13 who is passionate about Florida agriculture and cooking, we encourage you to learn more about our Florida Future Chef competition!

While you do not need to follow a specific writing style or format, we will be looking for organization and consistency throughout your essay.

Please make sure to follow basic writing best practices, including use of a title, paragraphs and section headings, as appropriate.

After submitting your essay, you will see a confirmation screen letting you know your essay has been submitted.

We are unable to grant extensions for missed deadlines. Please ensure that your essay is submitted by 11:59 pm EST November 15, 2024.

Once submitted, essays cannot be updated or revised. Please ensure that your essay is final before submission.

All essay submissions will be judged by the following criteria.

• Understanding the Topic: 30%
• Creativity: 25%
• Effectiveness: 25%
• Literary Style, Grammar and Spelling: 20%

Your submission will be carefully and impartially reviewed by our judging panel of writing professionals and nutrition and agriculture experts from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Winners will be notified by December 15, 2024, then announced on our main Farm to School Essay Contest page by December 31, 2024.

Yes. Winners will be notified by December 15, 2024. All other entrants will be notified by December 31, 2024.

We’d love for you to help spread the word! You can share information about the contest with your students through class announcements, newsletters or by distributing our contest flyers. We’ve also created ready-made social media and email content for you to help amplify the contest across your and your school’s channels.

Access Promotional Resources

You’re in the right place to learn more about Florida’s Farm to School initiative! This website is your one-stop shop for all things Farm to School.

Read about our mission, explore resources designed for teachers, School Nutrition Professionals and producers, learn about our Florida Farm Connect portal – and so much more.