What's New

Going Green with Food Preservation Presentation
Food Preservation can be risky business! Some Home canners across the nation continue to use unsafe and not recommended methods. Open kettle canning is still practiced for fruits and tomatoes by 44% of canners and for vegetables by 35.4% this can result in food poisoning and can be fatal. One third of all canners had jars that didn't seal properly (Penn State Newsletter June 2009).

Do these comments sound familiar? Recommendations have changed? I just put the hot food in the jar and it seals...No one has gotten sick in years. Why change? I want to learn! Using a pressure canner scares me. Is it going to blow up? Why is my fruit floating? I thought pressure canning @ 10 psi was ok. The lid didn't seal-now what?

If so, Join La Plata County Family & Consumer Science Agent Wendy Rice, for a presentation entitled Going Green with Food Preservation. This class will be held in Pagosa Springs at the Extension Office on Tuesday, November 17th from 10:00AM - Noon. Topics to be discussed will include the key elements of:
" Food Preservation and safety at High Altitude
" What Works and What Doesn't
" What to look for in Equipment
" Proper and Safe techniques for Freezing, Dehydration and Water Bath Canning
" Pressure Canning Techniques
" What does it cost?

Wendy Rice will help you learn how to can it, dry it, and freeze it! Fruits, vegetables, jams, salsas and pickles made from fresh produce are the foundation for this excursion into the world of preserving the harvest. Learn how you can keep the harvest all year long. Learn the how, what and why. She will help you overcome some of your fears as well as answer the "problem" questions. Why did…..? Why didn't……?

When you leave, you will have the skills to understand food preservation, be it pickling foods, drying foods, water bath canning fruits, tomatoes, jams and salsas, and the safety of pressure canning for vegetables and meats. Learn the solutions to the problems encountered.

Please RSVP to the Archuleta County Extension Office at 264-5931 so enough materials can be printed.

Last Chance to Sign Up for AgrAbility Workshop

AgrAbility is a unique government-funded program run by Colorado State University Extension and Easter Seals Colorado. The program assists farmers and ranchers with disabilities so they can stay on their farms and ranches. An AgrAbility workshop will be conducted in Pagosa Springs, Colorado at the Extension Office at the Fairgrounds on November 5th. If you are interested in attending or would like more information contact the office at (970) 264-5931.

Become a Master Gardener

The Colorado Master Gardener program in Pagosa Springs will be taking applications for the Winter/Spring, 2010 class, which will be taught both at the Archuleta & LaPlata County Extension Office starting in January 2010 and running through April 2010

Those accepted to the program receive 10 or so weeks of training in plant care and have the opportunity to work with other gardeners from Pagosa Springs to volunteer in the community. The Colorado Master Gardener program is ideal for gardeners who wish to increase their knowledge of horticulture and help others learn the joy of successful gardening.

In addition to receiving training from Colorado State University professors, specialists and horticulture agents, master gardeners learn on the job as they perform 50 hours of volunteer work during the growing season. Volunteers help the community by answering questions on garden care and provide education through teaching classes, writing news articles, working with special audiences and maintaining demonstration sites. Statewide, the value placed on the time donated by the 1,800 plus master gardeners is more than $1.3 million.

The Colorado Master Gardener program also can be a stepping stone toward a career in horticulture. Recognized by the green industry as a great vocational education course, the Colorado Master Gardener program is open to persons within and outside of the professional growing area. Many people considering a career in the green industry start with master gardener training as an all-around introduction to advanced plant care.

If gaining knowledge and helping others through horticulture is of interest to you, the Colorado Master Gardener program is an ideal volunteer choice. Please contact the Colorado State University Extension office in Pagosa Springs at 264-5931 for more information or an application.

Our classes are held in conjunction with Extension in LaPlata County, with about half of classes being held in Pagosa Springs. Quite a few classes are planned for the Durango location. We are in session from 9:00AM to 4:00PM with an hour for lunch. The cost will be posted soon and includes two Colorado Master Gardener reference notebooks. We look forward to hearing from all who are interested and encourage you to join this fun group of hard working volunteers. The deadline for submitting your application is December 4th, 2009 so call soon!

Download information about the classes.
Download an application for the 2010 course.
Download a flyer.

Register for Code Red
Seconds count in an emergency! Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs have instituted the Code RED Emergency Notification System – a high-speed telephone communication service for emergency notifications. You may register your cell phone, unlisted number, voice of IP phone or business phone by clicking here. Listed numbers, those found in the phone book, are automatically added to the system. If you are unsure, please register. If you have any questions please contact the Archuleta County Office of Emergency Management at (970) 731-4799.