The 2012 Oregon Farm Direct Marketing Law (OFDML) allows small farmers to produce and sell certain low-risk products—without a license and in their home kitchen—from the produce that they grow. “Allowable” products include canned fruit, jams, jellies, and preserves, pickled vegetables, chutneys, relishes, salsa, dried fruit, dried herbs, herbal teas, hot sauces, sauerkraut, and kimchi. 

Recognizing that improper food preservation methods can lead to food safety risks to the public, the OSU Extension Service FCH program in Clackamas County created a series of four 10-minute video workshops to explain the OFDML and help small farmers implement research-based food preservation techniques. 

These demonstration videos provide an alternative educational format to a traditional classroom setting and expand our reach to people who live in rural areas or have limited schedules for attending workshops in-person. Viewers can watch the videos on their own time as many times as desired. Slide prompts allow viewers to forward to areas of interest and hit “pause” as they work their way through the food preservation steps and law guidelines. 

Our goal is to help small farmers gain knowledge and confidence in producing safe, farm direct, value-added products that contribute to their economic viability and enhance farm direct produce options in their communities.