KJFM — Locally-sourced foods are now more popular than ever.  If you’re a successful deer hunter, the first step has already been taken in obtaining nutritious, naturally-sourced protein.  Once the shot has been fired, or the arrow released, and the deer field dressed, you’re ready for that next step to get the meal to the table.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free, online class to help get you from field to fork by showing you how to create two of the most popular types of meats.  A Venison Burger and Sausage Making class will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7 from 6-7:30 p.m.  It will take deer hunters through the step-by-step process needed to process fresh venison into ready-to-eat delicacies.

This event will provide instruction on how to make burger and sausage out of venison. It will cover how to grind and season your harvested deer meat to make it into tasty burgers and sausage.  Besides traditional hamburgers, hunters will find lean and healthy ground venison a perfect enhancement for other dishes too, such as spaghetti sauce, chili, tacos, sloppy Joes, and casseroles.

Hunters will learn how to make sure burgers and sausages created with their venison are the best quality possible at this special Field to Fork event, hosted by the staff at MDC’s August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in Defiance.

Venison Burger and Sausage Making is a free program, but advanced online registration is required at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZtP for each person attending.