When one-third of the Auburndale High School population takes part in some form of deer hunting, learning how to process venison becomes a highly relevant skill set. Eager to bring this type of education into the classroom, Large Animal Science teacher Mr. Mark Cournoyer jumped on the opportunity to use a portion of a $40,000 grant funded by the Get Active Wood County Farm to School program to bring meat processing into his curriculum. The Get Active obesity prevention program is funded through a larger federal grant called Communities Putting Prevention to Work, awarded to Wood County in 2010

Cournoyer was able to use the funds to take part in a processing course, himself, and then purchase the necessary equipment and tools for his students. “The opportunity to have a grant program that allowed you to say, ‘Alright, what do you have and how do you want to enhance what you have, rather than reinventing some new program really helps everybody out. It’s great.

During November and December Cournoyer’s students brought in their deer and learned how to make everything from sausage and steaks, to brats and jerky. “It was nice to have all the equipment and machines,” said Jake Schar, one of Cournoyer’s students. “Instead of having a knife to slice it up we had a slicer. We had a nice grinder to grind all of the meat up and mixers instead of using your hands. It saved quite a bit of time.

Prior to the arrival of the new equipment, which included a grinder, dehydrator, boning table, smoker, a vacuum sealer, dishwasher and other kitchen utensils, the class made do with some of Cournoyer’s own equipment from home. The new equipment allows for students to process more meat and to learn updated processing methods and tools

Judging from the sensational aroma in the hallways near Cournoyer’s classroom, these students have really learned a lot about venison processing.

01: Dominic Lewis and David Haas

04: David Haas puts the casing on venison sausage sticks.

06: Students (from left),Dominic Lewis, Tad Guldan, David Haas and Kyle Greunke learn how to make venison sausage in their Large Animal Science class.