How's your garden growing?

With the rising cost of food these days, more people are looking to cut their grocery bill by trying their hand at gardening. Ah, the taste of a nice, juicy, home-grown tomato -- what could be better? But what do you do with your harvest once the growing season is over? A good question, and one that you can find some answers to at your public library. Now, I'm not just talking about books and audio-visual materials, though we have plenty of those available for your use as well. Just look in the non-fiction section starting at 635 and you'll see what I mean.

If you're more into interactive learning, however, we have some upcoming programs which may be of great value to you. Kathy Revello from MSU-Missoula County Extension (contact her at 258-4206 or Caroline at 721-2665 for more info) will be giving a series of lectures on food preservation at the end of August. All of the programs will take place in the Large Meeting Room here at the Missoula Public Library, and each is a stand-alone lecture, so you need not attend the entire series to get the full benefit. The schedule is as follows, and as always there is no charge:


Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 (7:00pm-8:00pm)

Natural Preserving through Canning: Learn the basics of preserving food by canning. Types of canning, equipment, resources, procedures and safety will be covered to get you started. You will learn when to use a boiling water bath canner and when to use a pressure canner. Display of equipment and products will be present and hand-outs will be given.


Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 (7:00pm-8:00pm)

Natural Preservation through Freezing and Drying: Learn the best method for preserving different fruits, vegetables and herbs. Equipment, procedures, containers and safety will be covered.


Thursday, August 28th, 2008 (7:00pm-8:00pm)

Preserving Your Bounty for Gift-Giving: Learn how to create special food gifts from your garden or pantry. Containers, wrapping, mailing tips, resources and safety will be covered. Make something special and unique this holiday season for your friends and family!