A supermarket often seems a mystical place where a variety of food magically appears on shelves and produce materializes, polished and sorted. However, Sharon Scharf’s home economic class got the opportunity to witness the true functions of Savemart grocery store on Sept. 23.

In the 10th year of the trip, Scharf looks forward to the event for the vast array of information it provides for students.

“I keep going back because it’s a good educational experience,” Scharf said. “The dietitian gives students so much information on supermarkets, nutrition, recycling, sanitation, reading labels and the grocery industry.”

Food and nutrition supervisor Sharon Blakely led a tour around the store, explaining everything from the selection of apples to how spoiled meat is disposed of. She stressed the point that the grocery industry is an important business.

“One in three jobs are in the food industry,” Blakely said. We make more decisions (in the store) in a half hour than the business side does in a day or a week.”

The behind-the-scenes experience helped home ec students to learn about different kinds of food.

“I liked the fruit and learning about the different apples,” junior Amanda Weber said. “I had no idea there were 250 kinds! I didn’t like the big trash can of spoiled meat, though.”

Tyler Revis, ’10, said the experience provided a fun way to learn about the food industry.

“It was a really fun trip, and a good tour,” Revis said. “It was really surprising that you have to be an apprentice for two or three years before you can be a butcher.”

Scharf values the trip because it opens students’ eyes to little-known facts.

“They find out lots of information they weren’t aware of,” Scharf said. “How much the average household spends on groceries ($5000 per year), and the huge number and diversity of jobs in the grocery industry.”