Meat-In Day is an event near and dear to my heart, as I participated and helped plan the event during the years that I was at Penn State’s main campus in University Park, PA. I’m happy to say that this event is in it’s sixth year and going strong. It truly has become a Penn State Tradition in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Below is the latest press release courtesy of Penn State’s Block & Bridle Public Relations Chair, Sarah Doyle. Thanks to Sarah for allowing me to share this with my readers!

via Penn State Dairy & Animal Science

by Sarah Doyle

The 6th annual Meat-In Day was held at the Penn State University Park campus on Thursday, March 15, 2012. Originally designed as a response to the “Meat-Out Day” held in protest of eating animal agricultural products, Meat-In Day has become much more than that now.

Meat-In Day is not only an excuse to indulge in delicious and nutritious meat and milk products; it is also an opportunity to educate the public on how much animal agriculture impacts their everyday lives, and how nutritionally important animal products are for the human diet.

Participants in Meat-In Day are front row, from left -Melissa Boess, Colleen Stewart (as Patty), and Christi Graver; back row, from left - Kristina Tillou, Luke Graver, Amanda Mosier, Kam Lynch, Katie Landis, Jenessa Deeter, and Kristen Stufft.

This year’s theme was “From Farm to Consumer… Thank the Producer” which was splashed on bright neon-yellow shirts worn by the members of Block and Bridle and Collegiate Cattlewomen who worked the event. They handed out cheese sticks, ham sticks, and beef jerky to passersby along with informational pamphlets about how animals are raised for food.

“The theme for this year was developed in hopes of trying to help people understand that we, representing the farmers, work hard to raise the best quality food possible for the consumers to eat,” Christiana Graver, Lehighton, PA, Block and Bridle Co-Chair of the event, said.  “Many people today are further and further removed from the farm so we are trying to help reconnect them to the farmers that provide the food they eat three times a day. Through that we put a strong emphasis on eating animal agricultural products everyday for not only the wonderful tastes, but also for the numerous health benefits of consuming these products.”

Graver and her Collegiate Cattlewomen Co-Chair Amanda Mosier, Cochranton, PA, share the sentiment that it has been one of the smoothest Meat-In Days in the event’s history in terms of integrating new products and also the handling of the public. Products distributed included over 1,500 packs of Palmyra Co. Lebanon Bologna, 720 Buffalo Bill Honey Ham Smokies Sticks donated by Penn Ag Industries, 25 Lamb Sticks donated by Maple Hollow Farm, 960 Cheese Sticks donated by Mid-Atlantic Dairy, and, 1,500 Beef Sticks.

While many people asked questions about the event, members received no negative backlash. Graver said that while she is excited to be graduating this year, she will be anxious to see how next year’s group of students handle the event since she has been part of the organizing efforts for four years. She believes that since there is such strong support and dedication from both Block and Bridle and Collegiate Cattlewomen, it will continue to be an outstanding success as it has been in years past.