By: Pamela O’Bryant
On June 5th, 2024, the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative, in collaboration with Ms. Brown of the J.L. King Center Summer Program and Ms. Fran Brook from the USDA Extension Office, organized a strawberry canning workshop. Upon my arrival at the JL. King Center, I observed the children engaging in outdoor activities such as basketball and walking around the track for exercise. Mrs. Margaret Brown had already selected a group of students to participate in the workshop, a testament to her dedication and support.
I started the workshop by introducing myself (Pamela O’Bryant) and asking the students to be promoted to the next grade. They were very excited about their accomplishments. I encouraged them to keep up the excellent work. As I finished my conversation with the students, Ms. Fran introduced herself and told the students about the workshop. She asked for volunteers, and all the students were eager to help. Each student had a chance to wash, cut, add the ingredients, and cook the strawberries. As Ms. Fran was teaching how to prep and cook the strawberries, I asked two volunteers to butter the pans for the Biscuits. After the biscuits and strawberry jelly were done, the students were eager to taste the finished product. They said it was good and asked for seconds. The children thanked the WCSHC for coming. I want to thank Mrs. Margaret Brown, the administrator at J L. King Center, Ms. Fran Brock from the MSU Extension Office, and Mr. Frank Taylor, our Team Leader of the WCSHC. Educating and empowering the youth secures the legacy of our ancestors. The kids learned how to make strawberry jam, essentially preserving strawberries through the WCSHC Food Preservation Program. The future is in our youth, so empowering and giving them knowledge is only fitting.
Don’t forget to check out the photos from the event.
