West Branch High School students gain hands-on experience in wild game processing
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BELOIT - Students in the Family and Consumer Sciences program at West Branch High School are getting a new, hands-on opportunity to explore the skills and techniques involved in processing, cooking, and preserving wild game.
Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Chelsea Herrick recently received a grant from the Columbiana County Federation of Conservation Clubs (CCFCC) to purchase cooking appliances and tools that bring these lessons to life. The new equipment allows students to gain practical experience with a variety of food preparation techniques while exploring the connections between hunting, fishing, conservation, and food science.
Throughout the course, students learn essential skills such as knife work, grinding, dehydrating, and canning. During deer season, students had the opportunity to work with fresh venison, learning how to grind and prepare the meat. Students will continue building their skills throughout the year, with lessons in jerky making, canning meat, and preparing locally caught fish next on the menu.
"We are grateful to the Columbiana County Federation of Conservation Clubs for supporting this unique learning opportunity at West Branch," said Superintendent Matt Manley. "Chelsea has done a wonderful job finding ways to connect classroom instruction with practical, real-world skills. Opportunities like this allow our students to explore new interests and gain knowledge they can carry with them well beyond the classroom."
The program incorporates the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance's Conservation Science curriculum and Ohio Food Science standards, giving students an opportunity to apply classroom concepts in meaningful ways. Throughout Columbiana County and surrounding communities, the CCFCC supports conservation education, youth hunting opportunities, access to land, and scholarships for students interested in conservation-related careers.
"I am incredibly thankful to the Federation for making this equipment and these experiences possible for our students," said Herrick. "It has been exciting to see how engaged they are with the lessons. They are asking questions, sharing their own experiences, and making connections between food science and our local conservation heritage. It is especially rewarding to give students the chance to learn skills they may use for the rest of their lives. Making jerky is definitely a lesson they will not want to miss!"