Home food preservation saves money for some people.  Others reasons to preserve foods include support of local farming community, control of ingredients, provision for the future and benefits of physical and mental therapy.  The USDA’s home canning efforts are directed through the National Center for Home food Preservation, the hub of a wheel.  The spokes of the wheel are the ‘Extension Services’ that ensure that knowledge from the academic world is transferred in an applied, practical way out into communities.   Research on food preservation is an on-going process and the goals are to both increase food safety and improve food quality.  During the past fiscal year, 58 local citizens participated in 10 food preservation workshops presented by the Fayette County Extension FCS agent.  The curriculum included, canning, freezing and drying locally produced commodities.  Based upon post surveys the following impact was documented:  80% had some little previous experience; 90% had never used a pressure canner for low acid foods due to the fear of operation; 75% cited that learning to safety use the pressure canner was the greatest benefit of the workshop; 100% stated that knowledge, skills and understanding increased a great deal; and 100% strongly agreed that had better knowledge of how to safely preserve food.  Research on food preservation is an on-going process.United States Department of Agriculture, and the Cooperative Extension Service continuously apply new research findings to their recommendations for food preservation techniques.  Extension Family and Consumer Sciences are trained to teach food preservation principles.  The goals are to both increase food safety and improve food quality.