What might be the connection between Ag and Food Literacy and BBQ? North Dakota State University Animal Science Department and Extension
have found that consumer’s taste for good BBQ creates the “teachable moment”
for consumer education on food literacy, safety, and nutrition.
David Newman, NDSU Extension
swine specialist states that "The program highlights many different
aspects of agriculture from meat cookery to the importance that producers place
on meeting high product quality standards.”
Dr. Newman has assembled a unique partnership of Animal Science faculty
and students, Extension, and meat and commodity industry groups to deliver a
widely popular BBQ Boot Camp to North Dakota consumers. 
The Boot Camp packages
educational messages around Ag and food literacy, food safety and nutrition,
and BBQ foods preparation into 4-20 minute educational programs. Animal Sciences
department and Extension faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate
students are the instructors for the camps. The camps wrap up with a full meal,
including traditional barbecue side dishes and a large variety of barbecued
meat.And are consumers interested? Pre-registration at $50 per person sells out at every stop. Programs are typically limited to 200 people and the Extension team cannot meet the demand for this widely popular program. BBQ Beef Camp was invited this weekend to be one of the backdrops behind ESPN’s Game Day broadcast from Fargo. But that invitation was turned down due to a commitment to a special event to feed 4,000 Air National Guard troops and their families. And the North Dakota meat industry and commodity groups are huge supporters of this unique educational experience.
For additional information, take a look at the YouTube videos found at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/extension-1/bbq-boot-camp
