WSU Food Safety/Preservation instructor, Jennie Goforth, shares her knowledge and expertise in growing and preserving food.
Join the classes, described as “so much fun, informative and inspiring”, to learn what’s needed to grow your own produce, take advantage of the amazing local produce, and reduce waste in your kitchen.
Grow Your Groceries and Food Preservation
A 12-week class series presents all aspects of home gardening for food production as well as seed saving, perennial food forests and fruit production, eco-cooking/waste reduction, and preserving the food after harvest.
Course outline. The first 6 sessions are modeled on the Seed to Supper program, an award-winning curriculum developed by Oregon State University to provide a comprehensive backyard gardening course for households on a budget. This program is followed by two independent classes: Perennials (fruits, food forests, etc) and Seed Saving. The final four weeks are dedicated to preserving the harvest. Class is designed as a cohort in which a student group completes the program together.
Interested in enrolling in classes? Follow us on Facebook here to keep updated on class offerings and garden and preservation resources.
Cost: $140 for the 12-week series. Interested in just one or two classes? Contact Jennie at j.bryan-goforth@wsu.edu for schedule and pricing. Scholarship and sliding scale available upon request.
Scholarships. If you are a SNAP recipient or tuition presents a financial barrier, you may also be eligible for a partial or full scholarship, please contact j.bryan-goforth@wsu.edu for more information.
The descriptions below are in order for the class series.
Food Preservation Classes
Water Bath Canning – Learn which foods can be safely preserved using the water bath canning method. This class will cover the water bath canning process, including the selection of produce and preparation of jams, jellies, canned fruits, and tomatoes.
Pressure Canning – Learn to use the pressure canning method for low-acid foods including vegetables, meat, and fish. We’ll discuss why some foods require pressure canning and look at the supplies required for this type of food preservation. Pressure canning can be intimidating, but this class will help you gain the skills needed for safe preservation.
Fermentation and Pickling – This class will cover fermentation basics for foods like sauerkraut and the quick-pickling process for many different types of vegetable and fruit pickles. We will also cover preservation methods for both fermented and quick pickles.
Freezing, Drying, and Root Cellars and Microclimate Storage – Learn about food storage and preservation methods including freezing, dehydration, and using root cellars or other microclimate storage in your home. We will also look at different designs for root cellars and basic construction methods. The instructor has lived with a root cellar for twenty years and can offer practical advice and information.
Grow Your Groceries Classes
This 12-part series offers complete instruction on home gardening for food production as well as eco-cooking, seed saving, perennial food forests, and fruit production. Four additional classes explore preserving the food after harvest.
Grow Your Groceries Class series topics:
Week 1. Healthy Soil-We will take a look at soil building, container gardening, compost, fertilizing, bed making, and more.
Week 2. Garden Planning-This class will address site, layout, crop rotation, planting chart, choosing crops, and more.
Week 3. Planting-What’s the best way to plant seeds? We’ll explore direct seeding vs indoor planting, discuss best transplanting techniques, additional info on containers, and more.
Week 4. Caring 1-In this class we’ll look at watering techniques with a focus on low-cost low maintenance options, utilizing vertical growth, and how to maintain soil health throughout the season.
Week 5. Caring 2-We will focus on weeding and how to minimize the need for this, learn about integrated pest management to help prevent problems, common pests and diseases, and what do to if you have them.
Week 6. Seed to Supper Harvesting: This class begins with some information on best practices – how to harvest in a manner to extend the life of the plant and get more food. We’ll also look at Eco-Cooking and explore ways to reduce waste in the kitchen.
Week 7. Perennials-plant it once and harvest each year! Perennials are a terrific choice for the backyard gardener as they are planted once and continue to produce each year. We’ll look at fruits best suited for backyard production as well as edible food forests that focus on interplanted perennial fruits, vegetables, and tubers.
Week 8. Seed Saving– Learn the basics of seed saving and discover which types of seed may be saved and how to process, cure, and store seed.
Week 9-12. Food Preservation classes, see class descriptions above.
Contact j.bryan-goforth@wsu.edu for more information, or if you would like to host a workshop.
Check out WSU contributed articles in Grow Northwest Magazine!
July (Berries)
August (Tomatoes)
September (Apples and Pears)
Listed below are links related to the September article
- Make your own Apple Cider
- Preserving Apples
- Asian Pears
- Preserving Pears
- Make your own Cider Vinegar
October (Maximizing Food Storage, Root Cellaring)
November (Squash and Pumpkin)
December (Food Gifts)
Listed below are links related to the December article
- Food Mixes
- Beverage Mixes
- Gifts in the Mailbox
- Holiday Gift Food Safety
- Holiday Food Safety including Labeling Tips
- Food Gifts to make with Children
