In return, they pledge to donate 50 hours of service to Extension. We conducted a study to find out whether consumers felt confident in the food preservation information given by the MFP's. The sample was randomly selected from a list of people who'd received food preservation information from a Washington Master Food Preserver. Only seven percent had less than two years experience. Fifty-six percent had contacted Extension previously.
Extension agents have a history of being a primary source of information about food preservation.
We wanted to find out whether consumers were satisfied when they received information from a trained volunteer rather than a professional. The consumers reported a high degree of confidence that the food preservation information they received from the Master Food Preserver volunteers was accurate. Their questions were usually promptly answered. The small number who indicated they wouldn't contact Extension again said they expected to need no further information on food preservation. No one reported a lack of confidence in Extension or Master Food Preservers as a reason for not contacting Extension for food preservation information in the future.