Experts from the West Virginia University (WVU) Extension Service, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, and Penn State Extension are offering a one-day, hands-on workshop for those interested in how to produce and market dried fruit products.
The workshop will take place Wednesday, May 27 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Marshall County Activities Authority Service Barn, 126 Barn Drive, P.O. Box 309, Moundsville, WV 26041-0309.
“This workshop can help producers learn how to dry fruit as an additional way to market it, which extends the effective season of which they can sell their goods,” said WVU Extension Marshall County Families and Health Agent Cheryl Kaczor . “However, the training can also help any individual who is just curious about how to safely and properly prepare dried fruit for home use.”
Pre-registration is required and is due by Wednesday, May 20, 2015. The cost is $15 (scholarships available) and includes all necessary materials and lunch. For registration information, contact Cheryl Kaczor by phone at 304-843-1170, or by email at Cheryl.Kaczor@mail.wvu.edu.
The workshop is taught by experienced food processing experts, and will address what products are viable for drying, the processes involved, ingredients, product safety, proper storage and handling, shared facility, marketing etc.
Instructors include food preservation, marketing, business, and food safety experts from WVU Extension Service, WV Bureau for Public Health, WV Department of Agriculture, and Penn State Extension. A representative of the WV Bureau of Public Health will explain what inspectors look for when inspecting commercial kitchens, regulations when producing for market, and the need for safe food handling practices in a business.
The program is sponsored by the WVU Extension Service with funding from National Science Foundation, Branch Banking and Trust company, National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE IT Program under Award HRD-1007978, and WVU Public Service Grant Award P-14-006.
For more information on food safety and preservation, visit http://fh.ext.wvu.edu/food, or contact your local county office of the WVU Extension Service.
