California Master Food Preserver Program

Four Master Food Preservers from California shared their experiences with us. The information below is a composite of their answers to the interview questions.

What exactly is a Master Food Preserver?
In California, University of California Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver volunteers (MFPs) are unpaid staff members of the University of California and work through the UC Cooperative Extension program (UCCE) to educate the community on the safe practices of food preservation, including pickling, fermenting, dehydrating, canning and more. We are under the umbrella of the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR).

A Master Food Preserver has participated in a training program (includes reading materials, lectures, tests, and hands-on training) taught by the cooperative extension office in their county. The program’s purpose is to promote safe home food preservation by training individuals (MFP’s), who then become volunteer teachers/advisors in the community. The emphasis of the program is volunteerism. There is an annual commitment to volunteer and continuing education hours that must be maintained to be a certified Master Food Preserver.

Some of the activities MFPs are chartered with:
• Answering consumer phone and email questions about food preservation
• Working in the community as local food preservation specialists
• Staffing information booths and demonstrating USDA-approved home food preservation methods at local fairs and events
• Writing articles for local publications and newsletters
• Teaching classes on various food preservation and food safety topics
• Testing pressure canner gauges for accurate use

Who do you recommend to become an MFP?
Anyone who enjoys, or thinks they would enjoy, learning about food preservation and also sharing that knowledge in and around their community. But, it's important to have more than just a passing interest in food preservation because the purpose of the program is to become certified to teach others and the instruction (lectures, quizzes, final exam, etc.) is approached a bit like a college class. Also, there is a charge for materials. Unless a person is prepared to complete the requirements and then “give back to the community” upon completion, I would not recommend it. The MFP program is not recommended for someone who is simply looking for food preservation classes; the MFP program is designed to give back to our community.

What do you love about being a Master Food Preserver?
I love being an MFP – for a long list of reasons! Contributing to the community in the role of “trusted advisor” is very gratifying. I get to talk to a diverse group of people about their different preserving interests and projects. Living where we do in California, we have a wonderful legacy of agriculture and home food production, and I see the richness of it in these conversations. For example, last summer we staffed a booth at a local pumpkin festival and I had a conversation with a gentleman who described his grandfather’s recipe for pickled figs. (Fig trees grow here like weeds.) The pride that the gentleman had in his heirloom recipe was clear and it was awesome to hear about it.

Did it lead to a paying job or a volunteer job for you?
For all, it is a volunteer job. In California, MFPs are technically not permitted to make any income or earnings if we advertise ourselves as members of the MFP group.

Where can someone get more information about the U. of California Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver program?
Currently, the process to become a certified MFP in California varies among the counties that have the program (Humboldt, Central Sierra, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Orange County, and Los Angeles). Effective the first of this year it is now a “state-wide” program and there will be more counties coming on-line in the future. Statewide standards are in process and will be in place next year. Because of the recent surge in interest in food preservation, UC Extension is ramping up to start new MFP volunteer programs throughout the state. Sacramento County was the first in California in 1983.

This link will take you to the U. of California Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver webpage.

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