With the increase request and interest in food preservation by clients in Pendleton County, the Family and Consumer Science Educator hosted a multi-day food preservation workshop. A total of 15 individuals attend the workshops. At the close of each topic the following information was shared based on a pre and posttest:

 (50%) in Pendleton County increased their food preservation knowledge about the dehydration method. 

 (47%) in Pendleton County increased their food preservation knowledge about the pressure canning method. 

 (60%) in Pendleton County increased their food preservation knowledge about the boiling water canning method. 

 (60%) in Pendleton County increased their food preservation knowledge about the freezing method. 

Three months following the 2018 Pendleton County Food Preservation Program, twelve participants completed the Three-Month Follow-Up Survey. All (100%) reported using the foods they had prepared during the program, and all reported that they had used the skills they had learned to preserve food at home. Two-thirds (67%) of the participants reported growing a garden this year. In addition to using food from their garden to practice their food preservation skills, some participants also used food from others’ gardens and purchased produce from farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Using their preservation skills, participants preserved 34.5 quarts of fruits, 230 quarts of vegetables, 39 pints of jams and jellies and 23 quarts of pickles this summer. 

All participants (100%) agreed they had better skills in home preservation methods, could identify research-based methods of home food preservation, could identify the necessary equipment for home food preservation methods, could accurately prepare foods and containers for food preservation following the program, and could identify spoilage in home preserved products.