Do you encourage your customers to preserve? (via flickr [1])
There is a wonderful article in the Toronto Star [2] about canning and preserving in the modern age. The writer argues that canning is not a dying art for "those who want to know the source of their food, control its sugar and salt content, avoid pesticides, and take advantage of farmers' markets."
I am not exactly sure how farmers can take advantage of canning [3] as a marketing tool, but it is good to encourage customers to preserve the summer's bounty. I think there is a fine line here, because those who do not have the time or energy to preserve should not feel discouraged or like they are not doing enough. Canning is something that I like to do personally (I just put up some applesauce [4] a few nights ago), but I know it borders on the absurd to spend seven hours making seven quarts of tomato [5] sauce which can be bought for so cheap. I think it is important for me and a fun activity, but I would not wish it on anyone who does not have the desire to do it.
I like the idea of canning workshops on the farm. It is intimidating to can for the first time and I would have appreciated some in-person accumulated knowledge the first time I tried it. I am not sure how this can work legally due to food preparation laws, but it is something to explore and an important concept to pass on to customers who are interested. Without respect to food preparation laws, your farm could provide the produce, the jars, and the knowledge and send everyone home with labeled jars. Maybe the labels have your logo on them and a recipe for the customer to finish the job at home?
is there anything you do at your farm to promote preservation? I'd love to hear about it via email or in comments.
Some other great quotes from the article:
"...Pratt is a home canner – surprisingly, it's not a dying art – and, like many, she has given a lot of thought to the enterprise. It is more than simply putting up food from the harvest, or the back garden. Preserving is an ideology, a political act, a hands-on vote in support of local farmers and their produce. It is a way of withholding, even in small measures, from the vast corporatization of our food. And in its subtle and serene way, it is a link to the past."
"It brings back "the feeling of belonging to the family group, the sense of history and confidence in the future as we carried out these tasks year after year, the pride we took in our work, and especially the camaraderie."
(via Treehugger [6])
If you enjoyed this article you may also enjoy:
Nine practical solutions for the consumption of home canned food [7]
I'd love to hear from you; leave comments below.
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