By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Home food preservation is a growing trend, and Lamar County Farm Bureau helped individuals learn more at a recent food preservation class.

“We partnered with the Lamar County and Red River County AgriLife Extension offices, and we wanted this to be a little different than other food preservation courses,” Paul Bayer, Lamar County Farm Bureau board member, said. “Instead of having snacks and candies on the table, we wanted to expose guests to something new and local. We had blueberries and edamame on the tables that everyone could enjoy during the class.”

The two-hour event was led by Dr. Jenna Anding, Texas A&M University AgriLife Food and Nutrition Specialist.

Anding discussed the cost of canning and preserving food, as well as the materials needed.

Participants learned popular methods to preserve foods at home using tested recipes and research-based methods. Preserving foods allows consumers to have control over the ingredients in their food, become more self-sufficient and can help save money, Bayer said.

The free event was open to the community.

“We had 55 participants this year,” Bayer said. “Each person received handout materials they could take home with them from the class. We were glad to have everyone there.”

The hands-on activities in the class helped teach proper techniques and connected participants to local agriculture.

“This is a great way to expose everyone to new things and connect them with agriculture,” Bayer said.

The event took place June 29 at the Lamar Electric Cooperative and was sponsored by Lamar County Farm Bureau.

Click here to find contact information for a county Farm Bureau in your area.

Click here for more information about food preservation from AgriLife.