Farm to Table

It’s Time to Rise and Brine

By: Morgan Scheffer

Interviews conducted by: Morgan Scheffer and Jenna Huegel

January 1, 2016

The Conservation Club gave the Cranberry High School students a special surprise today at all of the lunches held at the high school cafeteria. This year, the club, overseen by Mr. Wenner and Mr. Anthony, raised pheasants in the school’s very own backyard to try something new and to give a new experience, known as “farm to table” dining to all willing Cranberry students.

“Farm to table” dining is a process that was far more common back in the days where processed food was not very common at all. Before families could drive to the store and pick up a pack of chicken or beef, they had to raise their own food to bring to the table. Kim Daugherty, our Cafeteria Food Manager, believes that “farm to table” is far more healthier than processed food because of the lack of chemicals put into prepackaged goods to keep them fresh for longer amounts of time. Also, she thinks it is a safer way to eat the bird, as there are no BBs left behind from a gun in the meat, which could be dangerous, for they are hard on the teeth when bitten down on. It might be a timely process, but the end result is worth it for Daugherty herself.

The club raised the pheasants in an in incubator for 5 and a half months until finally able old enough to leave the incubator. Wenner took his 7th and 12th grade classes out to watch the process of catching and preparing a pheasant to be cooked. First thing to do, is catch a bird and cut off the head as humanely as possible so the bird does not suffer. Then, the bird has its feathers peeled off so there is nothing but skin remaining. Finally, take out any unwanted parts, including the insides. After those steps are finished, a pheasant is now ready to be prepped for cooking.

Cranberry had a special guest come in, a chef from Franklin High School whose name is Josh Bergman. He was the mastermind behind the pheasant’s preparation. Before anything else can be done, the twenty pheasants that were caught must be soaked in a liquid called “brine” which is a mixture of water and salt, which should remove any of the “wild” taste out of the bird before cooking. It takes about forty to sixty minutes depending on the size of the bird to cook fully, and the bird is stuffed with herbs and apples to give the meat flavor and to keep the moistness. Bergman then cut up the pheasant meat for each student to sample in A, B, or C lunch.

Chef Josh Bergman was very excited to be helping with the event on Wednesday at Cranberry High School. When asked if he supports “farm to table” he gave his opinion. “I do, I think it is very worthwhile.” He thinks this is such a great way to have food prepared, and he even owns chickens himself, and gathers his own eggs instead of buying them at the store. Bergman went to college at IUP, which is a one year program for cooking arts. His instructor, Chef Albert Wutsch, works at a game farm in Montana, and he is also who provided Chef Bergman with the recipe he cooked for the students. Bergman thought the turnout was really great, and he was very pleased with how the pheasant turned out by the end of the day, and he hoped everyone had a pleasant experience themselves!