2025 UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Training

Residents of counties that do not have a local UC Master Food Preserver Program.
Applicants must be available to attend the online and in-person classes listed to the right.
Applicants must be comfortable using a computer and accessing the internet. Quizzes and homework are online; class communication is via email.
Applicants must be comfortable developing educational content desiged for online delivery.

Watch the recorded Training Information Meeting to learn more about the volunteer requirements as well as the selection and training process. Attendance or viewing of the information meeting is a mandatory pre-requisite to apply.
Complete and submit the online application by the end of Monday, November 25, 2024. Interviews will be during the early weeks of December.

What We’ll Do

Review applicants. Main criteria for acceptance: 1) prior community service, 2) experience teaching, either by giving presentations, writing, or in one-on-one situations, 3) experience/interest in home food preservation.
Request a CA DOJ Clearance, including fingerprinting. (If you are already a volunteer with UC ANR through the Master Gardener or 4-H program, you do not need to be fingerprinted.)
Teach you how to preserve food successfully using scientifically researched home processes.
Teach you how to educate our community about safe home food preservation.
Provide you with plenty of fun volunteer and continuing education opportunities.

What You’ll Do If Accepted

Pay the $130 course fee by December 15, 2024.
Attend the 11 classes in the track you select (Thursday evenings or Friday afternoons), as well as the in-person labs. Only one class may be missed and must be completed outside of normal class time with a mentor.
Complete the Live Scan fingerprinting process by February 14, 2025. Forms are sent with the acceptance notification.
Attend at least one public class hosted by a UC Master Food Preserver Program; either in person or online by May 9, 2025 as part of your training program.
Attend monthly online UC Master Food Preserver business meetings, currently on the first Mondays from 3:30-4:30 as often as possible.
Complete 50 volunteer hours your first year, then 25 volunteer and 12 continuing education hours each year thereafter.
Participate in one or more committees: online class delivery, newsletter, helpline, social media.
Pass the annual reappointment quiz.
Have fun!

Class Locations

Lecture classes & labs:

Online classes: Students will choose one track for online classes via Zoom

Hands-on labs:

Three in-person activities are scheduled to build community within the program and to give students a chance to practice the food safety and preservation methods taught online.
Students must be able to attend the three in-person labs and are responsible for their travel expenses.
Lab sites are at UC Davis and UC Los Angeles campuses.

Training Fee:

$130
Note: The majority of the student training costs are covered by a grant; this amount covers the non-lab expenses.

*2024*
10/4	Training Info Meeting
10/25	Training Q&A Session #1
11/14	Training Q&A Session #1
11/25	Applications Due
12/15	Payment Due
2025
1/15	Zoom Usage Class (optional)
1/16 or 1/17	Class 1: Orientation
1/18	Lab 1: Orientation Los Angeles or Davis
1/23 or 1/24	Class 2: Food Safety
1/30 or 1/31	Class 3: Cold Storage
2/13 or 2/14	Class 4: High Acid Canning
2/14	Fingerprint Forms Due
2/27 or 2/28	Class 5: Pickle & Ferment
3/13 or 3/14	Class 6: Fruit Spreads
3/22 or 3/29	Lab 2: High Acid Canning, Pickling & Fermenting Los Angeles or Davis
4/3 or 4/4	Class 7: Low Acid Canning
4/24 or 4/25	Class 8: Dehydration
4/26 or 5/3	Lab 3: Dehydration, Low-Acid Canning, Fruit Spreads Los Angeles or Davis
5/8 or 5/9	Class 9: Kitchen Pest Management
5/22 or 5/23	Class 10: Emergency Prep
6/5 or 6/6	Student Presentations (additional dates added as needed)
5/29 or 5/30	Class 11: Being an MFP
6/26 or 6/27	Certification Celebration