2026 Application
Who Can Apply
- Priority given to San Bernardino/Riverside county residents. If space allows, neighboring county residents may be accepted.
- Applicants must be comfortable using a computer and accessing the internet. Class lessons, quizzes and homework are online using Google Classroom; class communication is via email.
How to Apply
Attend an online informational meeting to learn about the volunteer requirements as well as the selection and training process. Attendance or viewing the recording of the information meeting is a mandatory prerequisite to apply. Three live Q&A sessions are available to address any questions you have about the new volunteer training program.
- Thursday, September 18, 2025: 6:30–7:30 pm
Watch the recording here - Friday, October 3, 2025: 12:00–1:00 pm
Q&A session, please watch the recorded training information meeting prior to meeting - Friday, October 17, 2025: 2:00–3:00 pm
Q&A session, please watch the recorded training information meeting prior to meeting - Thursday, November 20, 2025: 6:30–7:30 pm
Q&A session, please watch the recorded training information meeting prior to meeting
These sessions use the same registration link: https://link.ucanr.edu/mfp-infomtg.
Complete and submit the online application by the end of Sunday, November 23, 2025. Interviews will be conducted during the early weeks of December with the local programs.
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 DOJ Clearance, including fingerprinting.
- Offer two online training tracks to choose from either Thursday evenings from 6:30 – 8:30 or Friday afternoons from 2:00 – 4:00. Once accepted, students will choose which track they will attend throughout the training program. (Students who miss a class may join the other track to make up a missed lesson.) Hands-on lab classes will include students from both online tracks.
- 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 $325 course fee by December 15, 2025.
- Attend the 12 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 made up outside of normal class time with a mentor.
- Complete the Live Scan fingerprinting process by February 13, 2026. Forms are sent with the acceptance notification.
- Attend monthly business meetings.
- Attend at least one public class hosted by a UC Master Food Preserver Program, either in person or online, by April 24, 2026, as part of your training program.
- Complete 50 volunteer hours for your first full program year, then 25 volunteer and 12 continuing education hours each year thereafter.
- Pass an annual food safety/preservation reappointment quiz.
- Have fun!
Training Details
Lectures and demos:
Online via Zoom.
In-person hands-on labs:
Highland Library 7863 Central Ave, Highland, CA 92346
Training Fee: $325
Important Dates
mportant Dates
2025
10/3 Training Q&A Session #1
10/17 Training Q&A Session #2
11/21 Training Q&A Session #3
11/23 Applications Due
12/15 Payment Due
2026
1/9 or 1/14 Zoom Usage Class (optional if you are comfortable with zoom tasks)
1/15 or 1/16 Class 1: Orientation
1/22 or 1/23 Class 2: Food Safety
1/24 Lab 1: Site Orientation & Cold Storage & Knife Skills (tenative date)
1/29 or 1/30 Class 3: Cold Storage
2/5 or 2/6 Class 4: High Acid Canning
2/13 Fingerprint Forms Due
TBD Lab 2: High Acid Canning and Jelly
2/26 or 2/27 Class 5: Educating Our Community
3/12 or 3/13 Class 6: Pickle & Ferment
TBD Lab 3: Pickle/Ferment/Spreads
3/26 or 3/27 Class 7: Fruit Spreads
4/9 or 4/10 Class 8: Low Acid Canning
TBD Lab 4: Low Acid Canning
4/23 or 4/24 Class 9: Dehydration
TBD Lab 5: Dehydration and Food Uses
5/7 or 5/8 Class 10: Kitchen Pest Management
5/21 or 5/22 Class 11: Being a UC Master Food Preserver Volunteer
TBD Student Presentations
6/4 or 6/5 Class 12: Putting it all Together
TBD Certification Ceremony