Teaching Food Preservation Classes to Immigrate Audiences
Ruth Chowning – Teaching Food Preservation Classes to Immigrate Audiences
The Incubator Farm Program is a three-year farm business development program for New Americans in Louisville, KY. As a part of the 2nd year of this program, the co-facilitators: Jefferson Co. Extension Service, and Common Earth Gardens, a division of Catholic Charities, invited the Bullitt County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences along with the UK Food Preservation Extension Specialist to provide workshops on food safety, micro-processing and basic canning to these farmers and other individuals in the west end of Louisville. Four classes are planned on basic canning to allow New Americans to gain basic canning skills. This would assist in their Micro-processing and the ability to market more products at the Farmer’s Markets. The first class was held on April 27th with 6 individuals and 3 interpreters in attendance. Two individuals walked out of the class stating they had learned several things they were doing wrong that they would correct. Three more basic canning classes are scheduled in the month of May with 13 signed up for the first class.
After talking to the interpreters and program directors, three more topics were identified to meet the needs of the participants: the US measuring system; food dehydration; and pickling.
The UK Food Preservation Extension Specialist and Bullitt County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences are working to develop a pictorial canning guide as well as polish silent videos that can be shared throughout the communities of New Americans.
