Josephine County residents need access to reliable, research-based information on safe food preservation. That need is especially important for households preserving seasonal produce, stretching food budgets or relying on home canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling and fermentation.
By rebuilding the Master Food Preserver volunteer base, OSU Extension is restoring a practical public service that can reach residents throughout Josephine County.
After the county’s funding partnership with OSU Extension resumed, rebuilding the Master Food Preserver Program became part of restoring local services that help residents make safe, informed decisions.
The program also helps residents reconnect with Extension as a trusted source for practical food safety education.
Daniela Garcia, Family and Community Health program coordinator for Josephine and Jackson counties, has helped rebuild and expand Master Food Preserver programming through volunteer engagement, educational classes and community outreach.
Garcia and Master Food Preserver volunteers conducted pressure canner gauge testing events at the Grants Pass Library and Growers Market. These events helped residents safely preserve food while reconnecting community members with OSU Extension services.
In September 2025, a fermentation workshop engaged 17 participants and five volunteers in hands-on food preservation demonstrations and education.
A major step was launching the 2026 Master Food Preserver Certification Program to rebuild the county’s volunteer base. Seven Josephine County residents are completing the certification program in 2026.
Training supports service
Certification participants completed hands-on labs in canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling and fermentation. The training prepares them to provide technical assistance to residents on safe preservation practices.
The new volunteers will join six veteran Josephine County Master Food Preserver volunteers. Together, they will help deliver workshops, staff outreach booths at the Josephine County and Illinois Valley growers’ markets, provide gauge testing and support educational programming at the Josephine County Fair.
Partnerships also expanded with the Redwood Grange, Farm Collective, Josephine County Fairgrounds and Grants Pass Growers Market to support future classes and increase community visibility for OSU Extension.
Public value
Safe food preservation education helps residents avoid foodborne illness, reduce waste and make better use of local produce.
By rebuilding the Master Food Preserver volunteer base, OSU Extension is restoring a practical public service that can reach residents throughout Josephine County.
The work also expands access to affordable, science-based food safety education while strengthening community partnerships.