On Friday, November 21, 2025, students in the CTE Culinary Arts class at R.A. Long High School learned about meat processing through a special lesson provided by CTE teacher Mike Hooper and his brother. Mr. Hooper and his family have processed both farm-raised and wild animal products for many years, providing their expertise on where meat comes from and how it progresses from farm to grocery store to table. There was also a discussion on wild game and how that differs from farm-raised meats. 

In this lesson, Mr. Hooper brought in a whole venison to demonstrate where specific cuts of meat are located, removed, and cooked. He also showed the students how to properly package and store each cut for maximum safety and flavor preservation. 

We would like to thank the Hoopers for their expertise in this field and willingness to share it with the students in our CTE Culinary classes.