UMaine Extension offers food preserving program for youth

Falmouth, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension is hosting a series of gardening and food preservation workshops in Falmouth for youth ages 9 and up beginning Thursday, July 16, 9-11 a.m. and continuing on consecutive Tuesdays through August 6.

Blueberry jam, pickles, and tomato sauce—all of these foods can be made from scratch with fruits and vegetables grown in the home garden. UMaine Extension staff and volunteers will provide instruction in this hands-on, interactive program that teaches youth how to grow and preserve the garden’s harvest.

Each session will begin in Extension’s Tidewater Gardens located in Falmouth as youth harvest the fruits and vegetables needed to make jam, pickles, tomato sauce and more. Then the class moves inside to the UMaine Regional Learning Center Demo Kitchen to prepare a batch of seasonal preserved foods. Each participant will take home a jar of what they make. Current 4-H enrollment is not required for participation.

The $10 per child fee covers all classes. Register and find more details on the program webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 4-H Cumberland staff at 207.781.6099 or 800.287.1471 (in Maine).

 University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.