The problem  Food prices have soared in the last two years, prompting many families concern for food security.

The educational program response 

The participants/target audience

Other partners (if applicable)

Program impact or participant response.

     Food prices in 2022-23 soared, causing families to become more interested in preserving their own produce by canning, freezing, and drying.   During the spring and summer, the FCS agent taught a series of 5 workshops on food preservations. Attendance for the series was as follows Pressure Canning: 47 participants; Boiling Water Canning: 27; Freezing and Drying: 22; Jams and Jellies: 16; Making Salsa: 8.  Two demonstrations will be done by the FCS agent at Farmers Markets in July to complete the canning series for the season.  1/3 of participants related during workshops that this would be their first season to preserve food.  50% of participants reported during the workshops that they were not comfortable using a pressure canner.

      10 Participants in the workshops returned a list of all foods they preserved for the summer.  579 pints and 172 quarts of fruit and vegetable products were canned by boiling water methods.  504pts and 14 quarts of products were canned properly by pressure canning.  176 pts and 38 quarts were frozen, and 35 pts of food were dried.