During the pandemic, local families had a renewed interest in gardening and food preservation as a means to have food available to the family at all times.  During the month of June 2021, the FCS agent collaborated with Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunity Council (KCEOC) child development center and KEHA to offer food preservation workshops.  6  childcare center parents attended and online zoom workshop on Pressure Canning Basics.  The one hour workshop covered food safety and how to use  presssure canning to safely preserve fresh fruit and vegetables.  None of these parents had done any food preservation in the past. A  90 minute workshop on pressure canning and a 90 minute workshop on drying and freezing were also taught by the FCS agent for the public and KEHA members.  The pressure canning workshop had 12 in attendence and the drying and   freezing had 8 in attendence.  The home canning and freezing publications were provided to all the attendees. 

During post tests at the end of the programs 95 % could identify the correct canning process needed for specific foods; 90% could identify foods that would or would not freeze well.  A 3 month evaluation will follow-up on the amount of food participants preserved using the research-based methods..