Progress 03/15/24 to 03/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The audience for this conference was primarily Extension professionals and food safety specialists working in the western United States. Outreach was conducted within Extension professional networks, including the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety, National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences,and the Western Region Food Preservation Work Group. Geographic representation was diverse, including professionals from Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. We had a total attendance of 62 participants, including: - 45county Extension agents; - 7 food safety technical specialists from industry and University settings; - 3 Extension program leaders or administrators; - 7 representatives from local government or educational non-profits. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Modernizing Home Food Preservation Conference was a vital professional development opportunity for Extension professionals and food scientists working in home food preservation in the western states. The gathering provided opportunities to showcase innovative Extension programming and food safety research. In the post-conference evaluation surveys, respondents emphasized the value of in-person networking amongst the region. 75% of respondents listed the networking opportunities as the primary reason they attended the conference. Extension agents from many states underscored the lack of professional networking within their own states, given the decline in staffing for home food preservation outreach. Senior Extension faculty and researchers were encouraged at the conference to network with younger professionals. The opportunity to gather in person and share best practices, especially between senior and junior professionals, allowed for participants to leave with new contacts with whom they can share ideas and ask for resources. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the MHFP conference were gathered into a Summary of Proceedings, including abstracts of all presentations and notes from all working meetings held at the conference. This Summary of Proceedings was made available to all attendees and was distributed to the Western Region Food Preservation Working Group. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the final 3 months of the grant (provided through an extension) we plan to support continued collaboration on specific projects highlighted in conference working groups. Specifically, the conference committee has taken action on the request for shared curricular resources by convening a virtual group to revise and update WSU's training manual for use with volunteer Master Food Preserver programs in seven western states. Additionally, the conference committee continues to support new outreach work inspired by the conference working groups in two new areas: developing a needs assessment for Spanish-speaking populations in the west and developing new partnership with public libraries to increase equipment access for home food preservation. PIs continue to advertise the results of the conference at other regional professional events.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: The Modernizing Home Food Preservation (MHFP) conference provided space for 62 Extension agents and food safety specialists to share information on emerging trends in home food preservation that will help guide future research and outreach. Presentation proposals were solicited by the conference planning team, and ultimately 5 presentations were selected for inclusion in the MHFP conference on the theme of emerging trends. These five presentationsfocused on surveying and documenting emerging practices in home food preservation, including high-riskand under-researched practices. The use of untested devices (digital pressure canners), packaging methods (retort pouches in pressure canning), and a revival of homesteading methods (waterglassing eggs, fermentation) were highlighted. Presentations emphasized the prevalence of social media as an unreliable but accessible venue for food safety information, as well as the lack of research-based information on culturally significant foods and traditional practices favored in some cultural minority groups in the western region. Presentation abstracts and conference slides were made available to all participants to further inform new research and the development of outreach materials. Goal 2: The MHFP conference also encouraged collaboration on developing a collaborative agenda for the development of new outreach materials on home food safety and preservation. Presentation proposalswere once again solicited and reviewed by a multistate committee, and ultimately 8 presentations were accepted and invited to present at the conference. Topics highlighted by presenters included digital outreach methods (virtual education and social media), under-researched methods and foods (fermentation, sourdough, home canned chile sauces), and food waste prevention. On the final day of the conference, a working session was held in which county Extension agents were invited to contribute to a research agenda and identify areas for collaboration on the development of new outreach materials. The primary research needs identified were safe techniques and recipes for fermentation, freeze drying, and preservation of game meats. The primary points for collaboration on outreach materials identified were a shared needs assessment, shared curriculum, and professional development opportunities like the MHFP conference. Collaboration on these efforts continues in the Western Region Food Preservation Working Group, which meets bimonthly virtually.Presentation abstracts, conference slides and a Summary of Proceedings were made available to all participants to further inform new research and the development of outreach materials. Goal 3:The third goal of the conference was to forward conversations around shared research protocols in home food preservation.Food safety specialists from both industry and university settings were invited to the conference, and the MHFP conference ultimately featured representation from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, the Ball Corporation, and food scientists from Oregon State University, New Mexico State University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Washington State University. The conference featured two presentations on current research methodology, and a collaborative working group was hosted by OSU's food safety specialist to examine the possibility of a shared research methodology. This project has been adopted by the advisory board of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Additional collaboration evolved from this meeting as western states researchers more regularly share information in the Western Region Food Preservation Working Group on their ongoing research projects.

Publications