FFA meeting all about meat
The Arlington ISD Future Farmers of America chapter meeting this month was meaty. From the topic of conversation to the barbecue dinner, students came away with a lot to chew.
The evening featured Dr. Jeff Savell, vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, who spoke about meat science, cuts of beef, and Texas’ distinct barbecue traditions.
Tanner Smith, an ag science teacher at Arlington High School and the FFA advisor, couldn’t have been more thrilled to have Savell visit with his students.
“I heard Dr. Savell speak at a livestock appreciation luncheon last January and I thought to myself I need to get him to come talk to our students,” Smith said. “It was surreal to see the dean of the ENTIRE College of Agriculture in our barn talking to our students! The magnitude of that is something I will forever be proud of knowing that he took the time out of his busy schedule to come speak to our high school ag students.”
A member of the Meat Industry Hall Fame, Savell isn’t just an expert in meat science. He’s arguably the expert in meat science. He’s among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers in the world in his fields. And he shares his expertise with BBQ lovers from around the world through his Camp Brisket and Barbecue Summer Camp workshops.
Camp Brisket is so popular that a lottery has to be used for registration. But Savell graciously gave his time to visit from College Station and inspire Arlington’s future BBQ and meat science experts.
“This experience is one that I hope my students realize does not happen to just any students or ag program,” Smith said. “The ag teachers in Arlington work very hard to give them an experience they will not get anywhere else.”
For students, the event was both interesting and practical.
One of the highlights for Arlington High senior Spencer Doughty was “learning about how the different regions of Texas have different woods that are used for cooking and how that impacts the flavor from the barbecue in different areas of Texas.”
Brian Johnson, an Arlington High junior, got some good advice for the next time he smokes a brisket.
“Lots of smoke does not mean that you are cooking the meat; lots of smoke makes you belch more,” he said.
But Johnson didn’t just come away with cooking knowledge.
“Dr. Savell told us that when we apply for schools, we need to include everything we did in FFA instead of just that we were members or in the organization,” Johnson said. “Make sure to be specific with every team, community service, SAE we did. That will help to set us apart through the application process.”
The event wouldn’t have been complete without barbecue to eat. Students enjoyed a catered meal from David’s BBQ, sponsored by Arlington City Council member Raul Gonzalez.
“Good food always equals more participation, and I was happy to provide a meal to help make the meeting a success,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez is a strong advocate for FFA and a perfect example of how community partners make education better.
“The Arlington FFA Chapter has become stronger each year since I became familiar with them,” Gonzalez said. “Becoming even a small part of an FFA program can help a young person who may not have ever considered a career in agriculture find a path in life that would not have presented itself but for these outstanding programs.”
Learn more about Arlington ISD’s FFA.