What the South Carolina 4-H Team Cooking Challenge Is
The State 4-H Team Cooking Challenge is the South Carolina 4-H healthy living program's team cooking finals. Teams of senior 4-H members cook a complete dish on the clock, are scored by judges, and the top teams earn a trip to a national food challenge. The 2026 state finals are Saturday, November 14, 2026 in Florence. Online registration for the 2026 finals closed October 30, 2026, so teams that are already entered should confirm their schedule with their county 4-H agent.
Who Can Enter
The challenge is for senior-level 4-H members ages 14 to 18. Teams represent their counties. Teams from Florence (four members) and Spartanburg (three members) have represented South Carolina nationally, and the training summit allows each county one team of three or four youth and one coach. Teams build their skills through the program's training pipeline:
- The Cooking Like a Chef Summit, an annual one-day training in Chapin. At the 2026 summit, eight teams of four youth and two adult volunteers or agents rotated through stations for knife skills, chopping, sauce-making, stovetop cooking, baking and garnishing, then took on a 40-minute mock cooking challenge covering teamwork, communication, food safety, preparation and time management.
- A summer cooking camp that each team hosts in its home county for ages 9 to 13.
- Practice with mystery ingredients and surprise grocery shopping exercises led by county agents.
How the Challenge Works
At the 2025 state event, held at The Farm at Florence One in Florence, the format was:
- Each team had one hour to create a dish with chicken, a starch (rice or pasta), vegetables and a flavor-enhancing sauce.
- Teams could not bring recipes, but could bring two notecards of notes.
- Judges scored each plate on appearance, aroma, taste and texture.
Rules and the ingredient requirements can change from year to year, so ask your county agent for the 2026 rules.
What You Get: Advancement and Results
At the 2025 finals, Florence County placed first with a chicken alfredo garnished with zucchini and carrots, Horry County was second, and Spartanburg County was third with a chicken stir-fry. The top teams can advance to the national 4-H Food Challenge in Texas, where teams receive a category (main dish, side dish, appetizer or dessert) and a key ingredient, shop a limited grocery store, and have 40 minutes to plan, prepare and present a dish to a panel of judges. Spartanburg County sent its first team to the national event in 2025.
Key Dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| October 30, 2026 | State Team Cooking Challenge registration deadline (online) |
| November 14, 2026 | State 4-H Team Cooking Challenge, Florence |
| February 5, 2027 | Cooking Like a Chef Summit registration deadline (online) |
| February 20, 2027 | Cooking Like a Chef Summit, Chapin |
Where
Florence, South Carolina. Recent state events were held at The Farm at Florence One. Confirm the 2026 venue and check-in time with your county agent.
Questions
Do we bring our own recipe?
At the 2025 finals teams could not bring recipes, only two notecards of notes, and had to cook with a set list of ingredients.
How many people are on a team?
Teams that have represented South Carolina have had three or four members. The summit allows each county one team of three or four youth and one coach.
Who coaches?
County 4-H agents lead the practice, and Clemson's healthy lifestyles program specialist supports the teams.
Who do I call?
Clemson 4-H Healthy Living office: 864-650-0991.
Official Links
- Clemson 4-H statewide events calendar 2026-2027: dates and deadlines
- Cooking up confidence: 2025 state rules, results and the national challenge
- Statewide 4-H teams travel to Chapin for cooking summit: summit format
- Healthy Habits Summit: team size and training
- Clemson 4-H Healthy Living: program office and contacts
Clemson Cooperative Extension in South Carolina: The Essentials
Clemson Cooperative Extension has an office in all 46 South Carolina counties and offers research-based help on farms, gardens, families and youth programs.
Find your office
The County Office Directory lists address and phone for each county.
4-H
South Carolina 4-H is open to youth ages 5 to 18 for a $15 annual membership, with sign-up through 4HOnline, per the Get Involved page. Projects include cattle, horse, poultry, rabbit and swine.
Farm and soil help
The Livestock and Forages team runs beef cattle, forage, small ruminant, equine and backyard poultry programs. Soil samples can be dropped at a county office for the Clemson lab, where a standard test is $6.00 per sample, per the lab guidelines.
Next steps
Call your county office before you drive, and bring labeled samples.
Read the full guide: Clemson Cooperative Extension in South Carolina
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- South Carolina Farmer and Agribusiness Convention
Two-day statewide convention of the SC Farmer and Agribusiness Association, the adult education program tied to agricultural education, held at SIMT in Florence on Jan. 22-23, 2027.
- SC Farmer and Agribusiness Convention
Two-day state convention for South Carolina FFA farmer and agribusiness supporters, scheduled for January 22-23, 2027, at the SIMT facility in Florence.
- South Carolina 4-H Pinckney Leadership Roundup Florence
One of three regional Pinckney Leadership Roundups for 4-H teens, held Feb. 6, 2027 in Florence; Charleston follows Feb. 20 and Columbia March 6.
Florence, SC | Organizer: Clemson Extension 4-H Official event details - Pee Dee Plant & Flower Festival
Fall plant and flower sale at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in Florence, October 2-4, 2026. The state market holds a similar festival each spring and autumn.
2513 W. Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29501 | Organizer: South Carolina Department of Agriculture Official event details - FFA Region 3 Farmer and Agribusiness Meeting
Evening meeting for Region 3 FFA farmers and agribusiness supporters at the Golden Corral in Florence. Held each year; the most recent date was November 5, 2026.
Florence, SC | Organizer: SC FFA Official event details
All South Carolina events by date
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.