Madison County Public Health Dept., Erna Rients Community Garden and Ennis Continuing Education collaborate on free water bath canning workshop

Thirty-two students, two instructors, one Saturday morning and a new and updated version of the “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving” came together on May 2 as part of the Ennis Continuing Education program to produce cans of pickled mixed vegetables and increased self reliance skills. 

This class was free under the MCPH grant for the Erna Rients Community Garden. Students learned correct water bath canning technique and water canning their pickled mixed vegetables. They received the new and updated "Ball complete book of Home Preserving" and canning kit. 

Lyn Baughn, Public Health RN taught the class and Margaret Chaika coordinator of community garden assisted. We are grateful to the EHS and Chelsee Mahsman ECE coordinator for all the registration of our participants. 

“This grant was part of our Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Implementation funding,” said Emilie Sayler, MPH, MPA, Director.  “Through the CHIP process, we identified access to healthy, fresh foods as an environmental concern in our community. To help address this barrier, we partnered with the   Erna Rients Community Garden in  Jeffers to support local community gardening efforts. Using CHIP Implementation funds, we purchased a greenhouse and supplies to expand access to locally grown food.”

The program includes not just the class, but a continued investment in helping members of the community make their own preserved foods. 

“We purchased two very nice pressure canners that the garden relocated to the Madison Valley Public Library, and the community can check them out in a similar manner to how they borrow books,” continued Sayler.