During the 2007-2008 Academic Year Eastern’s Agriculture Operations initiated its Cafeteria Project to begin providing a portion of the meat consumed by students living on the Wilburton Campus.  During the 2008-2009 academic year the project will feed and harvest ten steers and twenty market hogs for the college cafeteria.  The project truly goes “From Conception To Consumption.”

Animals selected for consumption through the cafeteria project are included in our Live Animal Meat Carcass Evaluation class to discuss carcass quality and yield grades.  Following the harvest of the animals by students enrolled in the Meats Processing / Food Safety program the Live Animal Meat Carcass Evaluation class will view the end product to enhance their understanding of carcass quality and yield grades.

After processing, the products will be sent to the cafeteria for preparation and eventual consumption. The project is a "win-win" situation for Eastern by providing the students with real world experiences "from conception to consumption" and by providing the institution with a source of cheaper products to offset the incurring cost of food.

	Agriculture Education students from Crowder, OK toured Eastern’s Meat Processing Facility during the fall of 2007. Gaylon Brannon and Josh Roberts, Meat Science Instructors, discuss the quality of the steers harvested for the cafeteria project and answer questions from the group.
	Katharine Ashby, Panola, OK and Karen Thompson, Garland, TX processing ground beef for Eastern’s Cafeteria.