Family and Consumer Science Education in Missoula County

Published: 2022
By Kelly Moore

It is my goal as a Family and Consumer Sciences MSU Extension Agent to address the complex needs of Missoula County, provide a strategic and coordinated response, and continue to develop and strengthen community partnerships. Combining local resources and expertise helps deliver more impactful outcomes in FCS programming. As the population in Missoula County continues to grow and age, so does interest and involvement in growing food, food preparation and preservation, and caregiver education and support. I received approximately 75 calls relating to canning, food prep, food safety, and pressure gauge testing in 2022. Many had canning pressure gauges tested for the first time, even though they had been canning for some time. Several people said they had only recently learned of the importance of annual pressure gauge checks through a friend or family member who had visited MSU Extension. A salsa-making class in partnership with Garden City Harvest brought 25 participants together from Missoula, New York, and Texas to chop, mix, fill jars, and process locally-grown ingredients into a delicious salsa. It was a first-time canning experience for several. Monthly cooking classes at the Missoula Public Library allowed participants to have hands-on experience with new recipes, foods, and cooking techniques such as toasting and grinding spices, creating a charcuterie board and making edible centerpieces. The Missoula Senior Center monthly cooking classes explored ways to choose more nutrient-dense foods, cooking for one or two, healthy soups, and nutritious cereals. MSU Extension continues to help support local caregivers with the vital partnership of Missoula Aging Services. Twice yearly, Powerful Tools for Caregiver’s classes and a monthly Montana Kinship Navigator Program (MTKNP) Support Group for friends and family raising children, continue to meet on Zoom with statewide participants to provide access to caregiver and kinship resources, support, and education.