Savoie promotes home food preservation with WGME
WGME (Channel 13 in Portland) discussed trends in food preservation during the pandemic with University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator Kathy Savoie. Savoie says that economic disruption often leads to an increase in home gardening, with beginners tending to plant too much for their consumption. UMaine Extension anticipated the pandemic-related resurgence in home gardening and the need for food preservation education, introducing a free webinar series in May. The series, which emphasizes food safety, includes lessons on canning, drying, fermenting, and freezing. More than 1,000 people have participated in these online sessions. Savoie notes the videos are not recorded lectures, but are demonstrations. “There is a lot to home food preservation, and we want it to go right for them to help keep it safe,” she said.