Marion County home canners, hunters, and gardeners can call a free hotline staffed by trained volunteers who will walk them through everything from salsa recipes to pressure canner troubleshooting.
OSU Extension's Food Safety and Preservation Helpline opened for the season on July 6 and runs through October 9. The toll-free number, 800-354-7319, is staffed Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Labor Day. After October 9, voicemails will be checked weekly.
The program added six counties this year, bringing its total to 14, up from eight in 2025, according to an OSU Extension news release published Wednesday, July 8. The new counties are Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Jackson, Jefferson, and Wheeler. Marion County was already among the original eight and continues to participate.
"The OSU helpline has volunteers in all regions of the state who can troubleshoot your preservation project or give you ideas for new methods to store the food you gather, hunt or grow," said Jared Hibbard-Swanson, OSU Extension's food security and safety program manager.
In 2025, helpline volunteers fielded 709 calls statewide. The most common questions involved recipes for canned salsa and fruits, mushy pickles, and where to get a pressure canner dial gauge checked.
The volunteers are certified Master Food Preservers who complete an eight-week training course before staffing the line. The program launched in 1980 in Lane County and now has more than 300 certified volunteers across Oregon. Each volunteer puts in 20 to 40 hours of service annually, which can include answering helpline calls, hosting workshops at farmers markets, working with gleaning groups to reduce food waste, and helping cultural organizations preserve traditional foods.
Local events for Marion County
Marion County's OSU Extension office has two upcoming events for home preservers:
- Free Pressure Gauge Testing — July 27, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday Hospital Market, 375 Oak St., Salem. (Confirm date at extension.oregonstate.edu.)
- Canning How-To: Canning Summer Fruit Demo — Thursday, August 27, 6 to 7:30 p.m., 419 S. Water St., Silverton.
Residents can also submit questions online through OSU Extension's Ask Extension service at extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension, where staff aim to respond within two business days.
The helpline number again: 800-354-7319.
