STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Students at Stroudsburg High School were exposed to all aspects of agriculture on Thursday, from learning where some of our meat comes from to how honey is collected.
It's all a part of Agricultural Day hosted by the Monroe County Conservation District.
"We were learning about the preservation of eggs. She was telling us how farms can keep eggs for a year and still use them, and then she was showing us how to make cheese. She had a little milk, a little stove, and then she's putting some acid in, and I thought that was cool," said senior Jordan Graves.
"It's really important because you want to know what you're putting in your body, and if you don't know where it's coming from, then you don't know what can be harmful to you, and some background on it is just good to your mind and body," said senior Jewel Little.
This is the second year local farms and organizations throughout Monroe County have come to the high school to teach students about how much agriculture surrounds them.
"I had a cooking class earlier in the year," Graves said. "She had a couple of farms come visit us and bring us fresh fruits, and I never knew how close it was, honestly."
Students learned where our food comes from and the many jobs involved in farming and nature.
"Basically, career development," said Clint Davis, Stroudsburg Area's student services coordinator. "We want students to see what's available to them and what careers are out there."
Jennifer Smith from Jackson View Farms near Reeders explained to students how the sheep she brought are raised for meat. She says that while her goal is to explain what she does at her farm, it's also to expose students to the many jobs in the industry.
"I went to school for large animal science, and I started out at the Department of Agriculture in New Jersey, and you don't realize how many opportunities (there are). You think, 'I just have to be a farmer. I need to be a caretaker of animals.' But you can go and be a nutritionist, or you can go and be a veterinarian," Smith said.
District officials hope to bring the event back to the high school next year.