Contacts:
Kelly Loftus, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3829

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Montpelier, Vt – Building on the success and demand of last year’s canning workshops, the Agency of Agriculture has again teamed up UVM Extension and Grange Organizations across Vermont to hold additional seasonal canning workshops. The workshops are free and open to the public.

The first workshop will focus on rhubarb – our first garden “fruit” of the year. Rhubarb is terrific in sauces, pies and tarts. The rhubarb canning workshop is planned for:

Tuesday, May 5 – 6:00 p.m.
Hawks Mountain Grange
Old Center Street, Perkinsville, Vermont

Additional canning workshops for strawberries will be featured at the Green Mountain Chew Chew Festival in Burlington, Vermont. The festival is at the Waterfront Park and is scheduled for June 26th, 27th and 28th. With strawberries donated again this year by Sam Mazza’s Farmstand, strawberry canning workshops will be held each day of the three day festival (times to be determined).

This year marks the 24th year of The Green Mountain Chew Chew Food and Music festival. It features Vermont’s favorite family-oriented “feeding frenzy” with local community restaurants, Vermont specialty food producers and Vermont bands. Admission is just $2 for adults and $1 for children under twelve.

Home canning is a safe and economical way to preserve fruits and vegetables and by buying locally grown foods, you’ll have the freshest most nutritious for you and your family to enjoy all year. Buying local keeps money in our communities and saves energy costs as well.

“As people explore way show to save on food and fuel costs, many are revisiting some of the ways our parents or grandparents had to stretch their food dollars and provide fruits and vegetables to their families during the winter months. The renewed interest in canning is a perfect example,” said Roger Allbee, Secretary of Agriculture. “There is a desire for people to get back to the basics. What I call a Renaissance of the Past.”

The canning workshops are conducted by canning expert Peggy Thompson and will focus on the basics of canning.