VALDOSTA —
Gather your fruits and veggies because the Lowndes County Canning Plant is open once again.
Through July 14, you can go to the food processing center behind Lowndes High School — northwest of Martin Stadium by I-75 at the north end of LHS’s student parking lot and the south end of the main LHS building — and can or jar your produce to enjoy all year long.
“It’s a way for the community to come in and take advantage of what the school system has to offer,” said Brittany Bearden, Agricultural Science teacher at Hahira Middle School and one of six canning plant coordinators.
What started years ago as a necessity for many families who depended on canning and jarring to extend the lifespan of their food has now become a hobby for many in South Georgia. There are over 28 processing centers in Georgia alone.
“We have a long history of operating a canning plant,” said Bearden. “They are somewhat of a tradition for school systems in Georgia.”
Madeline Sanders from Echols County arrived early on Friday morning to can her varieties of produce.
“I’ve been coming since ‘94, probably even before ‘94,” said Sanders.
According to Sanders, the Lowndes County Canning Plant services over 300 community members each summer and is a wonderful community asset to take advantage of because they have all the facilities and equipment needed to can your fruits and vegetables and even items such as salsa and brunswick stew.
“They can process them from start to finish,” said Bearden.
Canning provides a great alternative to buying cans and bags of vegetables at a grocery store. Not only does it give farmers a way to extend the life of their crop rather than letting it go to waste, it also gives people an opportunity to control what goes into the food they eat. When you buy a bag of frozen vegetables or a can of fruit off the shelf, they contain preservatives and other chemicals. While surprises can be fun, most people prefer not to have mystery with the food that goes into their bodies.
While there are several benefits of the Canning Plant, Bearden feels that the greatest gain comes from the opportunity that citizens have to take advantage of a wonderful program that is good for them and good for the school system.
“This is a chance for taxpayers to take advantage of what the school system has to offer,” said Bearden. “A way to reach out to community members who don’t have children.”
The Canning Plant, which opened May 30, is supervised by six Agricultural Science teachers from the Lowndes County School System, a few volunteers and two students from LHS, Justin Pierce and Hunter Gray, who were selected through an application process.
“They are a valuable asset to the value of the plant,” said Bearden.
The Lowndes County Canning Plant offers canning at 60 cents per can, shelling at $2 per bushel, blanching at $2 per bushel, shelling and blanching at $3 per bushel and peach peeling at $2 per bushel. Cans are furnished by the Food Processing Center and the cost is included in the processing charge. Patrons wishing to can in glass jars must furnish these and a nominal processing fee of 20 cents per jar is charged.
Patrons are responsible for bringing knives, clean cloths, non-iodized salt and other condiments as needed. Patrons wishing to can peaches must bring one gallon of white vinegar and sugar to make syrup if desired. A medium syrup is recommended and requires two cups of water per one cup of sugar.
The money made through the Canning Plant helps fund the Agricultural Education program in Lowndes County schools.
The Canning Plant opens at 7 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Customer products must be processed by 2 p.m. For more information, call (229) 245-2252.
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