The NAF is excited to kick off the 2025 festival with the premier screening of the documentary “Did You Guys Eat?” This is a great opportunity to learn more about what it takes to get your food from the farm to your table. We hope to see you there! (fb)

💚Asparagus Queen Candidate Spotlight💚 Kaitlyn Sutton Kaitlyn is an industrious young woman with a passion for foodand community. In 2018, she began her journey in finding her love for healthy foods in schools when she began working for Whitehall District Schools as a salad, fruit, and vegetable prep cook while taking her general education credits at Muskegon Community College. She loved her role in the department and the focus on promoting fruits and vegetables. Kaitlyn later took a position as cook in Montague Area Public Schools, while continuing her education as a dual enrolled student at Muskegon Community College and Michigan State University Institute of Agricultural Technology. Throughout her education and career Kaitlyn also worked second part-time jobs to pay for her education, showcasing her hardworking nature and dedication to pursue her goals. She took a brief leave from working in public schools to complete her internship in food processing at Peterson Farms in Shelby, Michigan and later returned to Montague Public Area Schools as the kitchen manager in 2022. Beginning January 2025, Kaitlyn took on a position as a processing manager for Michigan State University Extension. Her new role is working with community partners including Montague Area Public Schools, Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, and Muskegon Area Career Tech Center under the Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools grant to form a farm-to-school commissary kitchen and food hub in West Michigan. Her work in the food hub would provide a link between small, local farmers and Muskegon and Oceana county schools to serve local produce including fresh asparagus and locally grown and processed frozen asparagus. Kaitlyn also continues to work part-time at Farmhouse Kitchen and Market, a local foods-focused restaurant in Stony Lake, Michigan. She is proud to be able to work for multiple entities promoting local foods. Kaitlyn would be honored to represent the National Asparagus Festival, the asparagus industry, and her home of Oceana County. Kaitlyn describes herself as Dependable, organized, and industrious. Kaitlyn’s hobbies include that she has “a great interest in local foods in schools as it combines my education in agriculture and my experience in school food service. I have pursued this interest, making it my career working as the production manager for a start-up farm-to-cafeteria kitchen and food hub withMichigan State University Extension. My hobbies include spending time with my dogs and volunteering with my church”. Kaitlyn shared that she doesn’t have much direct experience with the asparagus industry, but that “I have prepared and served local asparagus in both restaurants and schools. I am also currently working to incorporate more local fruits and vegetables, including more asparagus, throughout schools and organizations throughout West Michigan”. Kaitlyn explained that she is running for the 2025 National Asparagus Queen because “I have an interest in Michigan agriculture and participating in the pageant would provide me with many networking opportunities with experts in the industry”. When asked what would make her a good representative of the national asparagus festival and the Oceana county, asparagus industry, Kaitlyn replied “I would be a good representative of the NAF and the Oceana County asparagus industry because I've dedicated my career to healthy foods in schools focusing on fruits and vegetables including local asparagus”. When asked what she plans to do with the $1,000 scholarship/charitable organization award, Kaitlyn shared that “I plan to use the scholarship money to further my education. Currently, I have two associate degrees and a two-year trade certificate, but greatly wish to gain a bachelor's degree in food science. I have recently been accepted to the online Food Science and Industry Bachelor Degree program offered by Kansas State University. I plan to use the flexibility of this program to gain my degree while continuing my work in local food production”. Kaitlyn’s favorite way to eat asparagus is through testing and creating new recipes utilizing asparagus for school meals. “At home my favorite way to prepare asparagus is roasted with a little olive oil and homemade steak seasoning for a quick and tasty side dish”. Kaitlyn Sutton who is sponsored by Farmhouse, Kitchen and Market. (fb)