Extension
It Starts With Us
2023 Promotion of Food Preservation and Safe Food Storage
Thriving Individuals, Strong Families
FCS, 4-H, ANR, HORT, and Program Assistants
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Food Preparation and Preservation
LEAP
Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
Since the dawn of mankind, we have been looking for a way to sustain food supply sources and availability. Our ancestors, in many different cultures, used what was available in their environment to preserve and store food and thus were able to settle in a particular area and form communities because of food storage and preservation. Recent economic and health related events have many people desiring a way to process their own food and to safely store it. Home processed food can be customized to meet individual health needs and the consumer knows exactly what is in it. The New York Daily News recently reported a 30% rise in the sale of canning jars due to the demand for home processed foods. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) saw an increase of 620% in website access and 270% in requests for home food preservation validated recipes from March 2020 to 2022. Historically, consumers have shifted food purchases to include supplies for home canning during times of economic hardship and uncertainty. The Calloway County Extension Council recently identified food preservation and safe storage as an emerging county need. The Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Calloway County is uniquely qualified to provide educational training of skills to accomplish this need for our community.
County residents will increase access to healthy foods through food preservation
County residents will gain new sources for more affordable food by utilizing safe food storage and preservation
County residents will improve food availability year round by planting, maintaining, harvesting, and preserving produce.
County residents will increase knowledge of food protection, food storage, and food preservation.
County residents will gain new skills on manipulating equipment for food preservation and storage.
County residents will integrate ways to eliminate food waste in their family.
Initial Outcome: Learn to protect food, food storage and preserve food
Indicator: Participants will adopt safe food handling procedures
Method: Participation in UK researched food preservation trainings
Timeline: 2023-2027
Intermediate Outcome: residents will improve food availability by planting, maintaining, harvesting and preserving produce
Indicator: increase in requests for validated recipes for canning, and acquiring gardening best practices
Method: one on one conversations
Timeline: 2023-2027
Long-term Outcome: County residents will increase access to healthy foods through food preservation
Indicator: Increased number of home canned food products and other forms of food preservation
Method: survey self report
Timeline: 2023-2027
Audience: Calloway county residents
Project or Activity: Hands on lessons
Content or Curriculum: Home Canning Basics
Inputs: paid staff, volunteers, subject applicable publications from UK , NEP
Date: March through October
Audience: Preschool and early elementary students
Project or Activity: Introduction to Basic Gardening
Content or Curriculum: LEAP program book How Groundhog's Garden Grew
Inputs: FCS agent, 4-H agent, Master Gardener Volunteers
Date: Spring through summer
Audience: Calloway county residents
Project or Activity: consultations with residents
Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener Courses
Inputs: paid staff, ANR agent, Master Gardeners
Date: year round
Author: Debra Hixon
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
July canning class The problem: On April 20, 2023, the Calloway County Cooperative Extension Council met to discuss emerging county needs in the Family and Consumer Science area. Since Calloway County has not had a FCS agent for almost 3 years, there were many needs, one being food preservation and safe food storage. A series of food preservation lessons were conducted, first on the "science" of food preservation. A total of 31 people attended this po
Author: Debra Hixon
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The problem In a recent event held in Western Kentucky, community members gathered to enhance their knowledge on food safety, the importance of pollinators, and the utilization of public spaces for horticulture and exercise. This event, aimed at educating citizens, proved to be a remarkable success with impactful outcomes.The educational program responseSpring into Green: Pride of Kentucky was hosted by the Purchase Area Family and Consumer Science agents at the McCracken County Extension
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Each year, wild mushroom consumption leads to illness and in some cases, even death. According to the most recently published National Poison Control Annual Report, Mushrooms ranked 19th on their top 25 substance categories with the greatest risk of exposure increase. 1,119 serious exposures from mushrooms were reported by national poison control in 2022 alone. Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents in the Purchase Region also noticed a substantial increase in mushroom identification
