According to The Food Institute, 87% of Americans want more information on where their food comes from, and 25% don’t trust the American Food Chain. It is easy to take this for granted when going to the grocery store, picking up a pack of chicken breast, and making some chicken nuggets. At what point does the consumer think about this chicken: where it came from, how long it was on the shelf, and what conditions it was raised in? Would this consumer know where to start if they wanted to change the food chain? In rural Menifee County, one might assume that changing the food chain would be straightforward. However, the Menifee County Extension Service and Menifee County High School Agriculture Science have taken a step toward helping future consumers transform their food chains for their families.

Menifee County Agriculture Teacher Julie Lane and her Animal Science and Veterinary Science Class raised 17 Cornish Cross chickens from Day 2 to Day 45. Students fed and watered the chickens and learned about issues that can happen to them as they grow. They also watched how fast a Cornish Cross goes from a chick to a finished bird.  

On May 1, 2025, 18 students with parental permission and four school staff members participated in a poultry harvest workshop. The students were transported by bus to the Menifee County Extension Office. Five stations had adult volunteers at each to monitor and direct the students. Students rotated through four of the five stations: scalding tank, feather plucker, removal of organs, and washing stations. An adult volunteer at the washing station informed the students that they needed to rinse the birds as if purchasing them at a store. She stated, “I was impressed with how the students participated and took the task seriously.” The volunteer at the scalding tank said, “I was shocked how all but two students jumped in and helped. They might have been reluctant to start the process, but kept trying.”  Representative from the school stated, “They were impressed with the organization, the quality of the chickens, and the life skills that the students learned today were very valuable.”  

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