Columbus, OH- While a sea of blue and gold jackets flooded Columbus for the Ohio FFA State Convention on May 2-3, 2024, several members of the A.B. Graham Ohio Hi-Point FFA swapped the corduroy for a coat in the Animal Sciences Meat Lab. The FFA Chapter at Graham High School has volunteered annually for their local food pantries, and recently received a grant to process two hogs in partnership with the Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University. Led by Dr. Lyda Garcia, Dr. Lynn Knipe, and Meat Lab Manager Ethan Scheffler, students gained hands-on experience in the on-campus, USDA-inspected meat lab while giving back to their community. In years past, the chapter has worked to donate to the food pantry at their local elementary school and now can expand their reach to the food pantry in town.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to come and see the facilities and meet the professors,” shared Dawn Wallace, Agriculture and Career Technical Instructor at the Ohio High Point Career Center. “They can talk to students about career development while showing the students how to properly process the hogs. It’s a true hands-on experience and great service-learning opportunity for us to then be able to donate that pork product.”