In Kentucky, 12.9 million acres are utilized in formal farm operations (nass.usda.gov), with a growing usage of smaller properties being used to grow farm commodities. The Lake Cumberland area is largely rural and has seen an influx in a population wanting to utilize their property to grow their own crops, and then process them for personal consumption. Dehydration, a method of food preservation, is one of the oldest methods of preserving food that pulls out the moisture content of a product, thereby making it safe to store for long periods of time. The Russell County agent instructed clients from the Adair, Green, Taylor, Wayne, Russell, Casey, and Cumberland counties on proper food safety and home preservation methods of dehydrating to better assist the local communities on proper food preservation procedures.

The FCS Agent in Russell County taught a series of one-and-a-half-hour workshops in each of the listed county’s extension offices on herb, fruit, and vegetable dehydration.  The workshop series offered lecture-based learning as well as a sampling of dehydrated products to participants. Participants were able to sample apples, raisins, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, green beans, fruit leathers (roll-ups), banana chips, and strawberries. Additionally, the participants were instructed on how to rehydrate dehydrated products to make cooked items, such as apple pies.

During the one-and-a-half-hour workshop series, a total of 54 clients learned about four different methods of dehydrating garden products, including vine drying, solar drying, oven drying, and electric dehydrator drying methods. Of the 54 clients that participated in these workshops, 100% indicated they felt more comfortable purchasing an electric dehydrator and gained knowledge about proper food safety practices while dehydrating. Clients also indicated that they felt more comfortable dehydrating different varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, with 92.6% stating they gained knowledge of how to properly pre-treat their products. 55% of participants who were surveyed stated they were more likely to dehydrate at home after attending the workshops. Additionally, after completing the three-day workshop series, 7 clients indicated they intended to purchase an electric dehydrator, while 3 indicated they planned to use the one they had already purchased after attending the workshops.