During the pandemic, families in Henry and surrounding counties raised larger gardens to preserve more food, while others decided they needed to learn how to raise a garden to preserve food.  Following the pandemic, this led to the Henry County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences receiving numerous email messages and phone calls weekly about gardening and food preservation, creating the need to host a program on preserving food.  

With such a large interest in food preservation in Henry County and surrounding counties, the program was co-taught in two sessions at different times to include everyone who was interested in participating within our area.  Also, the first session filled up quickly with a waiting list, prompting the need for two sessions.  There were 24 participants in the first session and 18 participants in the second session.  The program was conducted hands on by the Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences from Henry and Spencer Counties and the two methods of food preservation that were demonstrated were water bath canning and pressure canning.  Each session lasted four hours, beginning with a pre-evaluation, the history of food preservation, basic information on the methods of preserving food, followed by the demonstrations.  At the conclusion of the session, a post evaluation was given to the participants to complete.

The pressure canning method was specifically taught by the Henry County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS).  Even though the beginning steps of both food preservation methods are similar, each Extension Agent demonstrated the steps before presenting the specific method.  The Henry County FCS Extension Agent demonstrated how to preserve green beans, beginning with the picking, and preparing of the beans through the steps of the pressure canning process.  The participants asked questions along the way about the process, including how to grow the green beans.  The demonstration of the process was enjoyed and appreciated by all participants.  

From the pre and post evaluations of both sessions, over 90% of participants had zero level of experience in canning and after attending the program, 100% found the program helpful and 95% felt very confident being able to preserve food using the pressure canning method and water bath canning method.  Participants from both sessions enjoyed the hands-on portion of the program the most and stated the Extension Agents knew the subject very well and could answer many questions.  The participants from both sessions listed their least favorite portion of the program being the lengthy power point presentation, but overall, all the participants enjoyed the program, learned a lot from the program, and felt confident in preserving food themselves.