Quality for keeps
Quality for Keeps: Home Food Preservation Series of Workshops are going to be held at the Community Christian Church in Camdenton. Each workshop will vary, but content will focus on one or more of the following topics: preservation method to use for highest quality and safety in home preserved foods, solutions to common canning problems, hands-on experience with new recipes and sources of the latest research. The first workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 30, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The topic will be boiling water bath canning of jams/jellies and freezer jam. The second workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 13, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. The topic will be boiling water bath canning of salsa. The third workshop will be held on Monday, Aug. 13, from 5:30 to 8 pm. The topic will be pressure canning vegetable and pressure canning green beens. The cost is $15 for each session. The registration deadline is two days before the date of the workshop. For more information, contact Melissa Bess, bessmm@missouri.edu, phone 573-346-2644. To register call the Extension office or complete the registration form below and fax to 573-346-2694 or email to camdenco@missouri.edu.
Quality for Keeps: Home Food Preservation Registration Form (PDF)
Sign up now for Cooking Matters Classes
Cooking Matters is a free cooking class that is being taught by trained cooking and nutrition professionals from the Camden County University of Missouri Extension. By attending this class you will learn basic cooking techniques, learn how to shop healthfully on a budget and receive free groceries at the end of each class. The class will meet on Mondays for six weeks starting on June 4 and finishing on July 16. The class will start at 10 a.m. and end at noon. The class will be held at the Camdenton Middle School. Attendance is required for at least four of the six classes. Class size is limited to 12, so register now to make sure you are able to attend this class. To register contact Amy Bartels at 573-346-2644.
Camdenton Farmers Market
The Camden County University of Missouri Extension will have a booth at the Camdenton Farmers Market on July 14 from 7 a.m. to Noon. There will be a Freezer Jam demonstration at 10:30 a.m. Be sure to stop by for the demonstration and for the opportunity to talk to the Nutrition and Health Education Specialist.
Soil testing
Don't guess. Soil tests save time and money. Soil testing is the best guide to the wise and efficient use of fertilizer and soil amendments, said Manjula Nathan, director of the University of Missouri Extension Soil Testing and Plant Diagnostic Services. Whether you grow acres of row crops or have a vegetable patch in the backyard, a soil test will provide you with an analysis of nutrients and a set of recommendations for any improvements.
"We frequently get questions from customers like, 'I apply fertilizer every year. How come my plants are not doing well?" Nathan said.
"Most of the time the problem is they never have done a soil test, but have been guessing on fertilizer requirements," she said. "They do not realize that by guessing they are wasting money by over- or under application, and the excess fertilizer can end up in streams, ponds and underground water, polluting the environment."
Soil testing provides analysis of pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, organic matter percent, neutralizable acidity, cation exchange capacity and nutrient requirements. For information on test results, see MU publication G9112, Interpreting Missouri Soil Test Reports. Regional specialists also can assist you with additional information and recommendations. Soil testing can be done through the extension office. See Services for details.