NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. (WTRF) — If you are a hunter or a rancher and have meat that needs processed there is one local high school that can help.
Magnolia High School has a group of future farmers who are learning a hands-on skill that not many students get to.
The meat lab has been a part of the school for 8 years and allows students to learn various skills and concepts about cutting and processing meats.
As a part of the school’s agricultural program, students are assigned tasks as if the class were a real job.
”Part of the meat program is based on a simulated workplace concept where students basically come into the class and they learn about what it’s like to go to work. So we set up like a workplace system and everybody has jobs and everybody has tasks that they do every day.”
Scott Ash – Agriculture Instructor, Magnolia High School
One student said that learning about the anatomy of different animals is one of the reasons he joined the program.
”It’s interesting to actually know what the different parts of the body are now instead of just cutting it up, knowing that this meat’s for jerky, this meat’s for cooking and eating, actually knowing what the parts are called and such like that really interested me.”
Lukus Lemasters – Senior, Magnolia High School
Anyone is able to bring in their beef, pork, lamb, or deer meat to be processed by the students and one student said being able to help the community is something she prides herself in.
”Community service is very important to me and I know it’s very important to also this program. So we always offer and we love helping out the community instead of them going and spending a bunch of money at a processing facility when they can just bring it right here and we can do it for them.”
Lidia Midcap – Senior, Magnolia High School
Ash said learning these various skills will allow students to understand what cuts of meat they are looking at when they go to purchase them in the future.
”Not all students might go be a farmer for the rest of their life, but we’re all going to be consumers. And so this gives us an opportunity to teach students about when they go to the grocery store, they’re going to be able to see the different retail cuts that we’re all going to see at the grocery store. They get to know where they came from.”
Scott Ash – Agriculture Instructor, Magnolia High School
For anyone who would like to have their meat processed by the students at Magnolia, they can simply call the school and they will provide you with more information.
