According to the USDA, food-at-home prices have increased by 5 percent in 2023 with prices for cereals and bakery products rising by 8.4 percent.  With the average American household spending over $1,000 on groceries monthly, community members are eager to learn how they can save money on food costs.

To address this need, the Whitley County Family and Consumer Science Agent offered hands-on bread workshops once or twice a month since March 2023.  360 adult individuals participated in 15 workshops that were focused on saving money, featured breads from a variety of cultures and countries which provided opportunities to improve cultural awareness, provided social learning experiences, and taught participants methods to customize their bread to accommodate diet and cultural restrictions.

100% of responding participants indicated that by attending the workshop they had improved their knowledge of bread making tools, ingredients, and overall bread making techniques.  83% of respondents reported using bread making knowledge learned in class to make their own bread at home and 75% of respondents reported saving money as a result of making their own bread.  Additionally, 91% of participants reported the workshop fulfilled a desire for continued learning and social connection.