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Food Preservation Program

Food Preservation includes drying, freezing, boiling water bath canning, and pressure canning, allowing food to have a longer shelf life while retaining some nutrients. Learning to preserve your own food is a great way to save money and eat locally grown and harvested foods all year round.

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Since 2017 we have been partnering with local organizations to bring PreserveSafe train-the-trainer programs and food preservation workshops to west coast communities. PreserveSafe graduates gain the skills and knowledge to safely preserve food using a variety of methods and the confidence to lead their own community workshops in food preservation.

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A number of west coast residents, including TCFI staff, have graduated from the PreserveSafe Certification Program through train-the-trainer weekends hosted in the communities of Tofino, Ucluelet, Hitacu and Ahousaht. These trainings and community workshops are made possible by the generous donations from the District of Tofino Emergency Preparedness team, Eat West Coast (Clayoquot Biosphere Trust), and the Tofino Saltwater Classic.

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In-person Food Preservation workshops are currently on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Check out our YouTube channel for online workshops on food preservation.

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Past Food Preservation Workshops

  • School Garden Work Bee
    School Garden Work Bee
    Sat, Nov 22
    Tofino
    Nov 22, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Please join us at the school garden for a morning of pruning and caring for the space! We appreciate volunteers that help us keep this program going. All are welcome - kids, elders, experienced gardeners and brand new friends.
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  • Propagation Workshop with Connie Kuramoto
    Propagation Workshop with Connie Kuramoto
    Sat, Nov 22
    CBT office
    Nov 22, 2025, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    CBT office, 316 Main St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Come learn to propagate your own plants by taking hardwood cuttings with the Tofino Community Food Initiative and seasoned expert Connie Kuramoto!
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  • Seedy Sunday 2026
    Seedy Sunday 2026
    Sun, May 03
    Tofino
    May 03, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Join us for our annual celebration of local growing! We will share seeds, gardening tips, Tofino's first seed library, and more. Check back in for more details in 2026.
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  • Coastal Foods Roundtable fall meeting
    Coastal Foods Roundtable fall meeting
    Tue, Oct 28
    Ucluelet
    Oct 28, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Ucluelet, 500 Matterson Dr, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0, Canada
    Join us for the fall meeting of the Coastal Foods Roundtable. Amy Needham, the Sustainability planner of the ACRD and Ione Smith of Upland Consulting will facilitate a presentation and discussion of the West Coast Food Security Emergency Plan recommendations.
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  • Seed Saving workshop
    Seed Saving workshop
    Tue, Oct 07
    Tofino
    Oct 07, 2025, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    Tofino, 351 Arnet Rd, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Learn the basics of seed saving and specifics for success in Tofino. Workshop led by Adrienne Mason and Katie Miles.
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  • Annual Harvest Celebration
    Annual Harvest Celebration
    Sat, Oct 04
    Tofino
    Oct 04, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Join us for a free community event and celebration of the growing season. Our Harvest Celebration has activities for kids, opportunities for gardeners to connect and share tips, tours of the Food Forest, an apple pie competition for all ages, apple pressing, shared food and more!
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  • Weekly volunteer drop in hours at the school garden
    Weekly volunteer drop in hours at the school garden
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Sep 10
    Food Forest in the school parking lot
    Sep 10, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    Food Forest in the school parking lot, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Throughout July and August, every Wednesday and Saturday morning from 9am to 11am a TCFI member will be caring for the school garden and ready to welcome you in! We'll have a variety of tasks to work on together that are appropriate for different ages and abilities. All are welcome.
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  • Ucluelet Edible Garden Tour
    Ucluelet Edible Garden Tour
    Sun, Aug 10
    You'll receive the route ahead of time
    Aug 10, 2025, 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    You'll receive the route ahead of time
    At the Edible Garden Tours, we're invited to visit gardens big and small, new and old, that locals have tended to with love. You'll see creative ways of growing food and the variety of methods that people try here on the coast. Over the course of the afternoon we'll visit 8 different gardens.
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  • Tofino Edible Garden Tour
    Tofino Edible Garden Tour
    Sun, Jul 27
    You'll receive the route ahead of time
    Jul 27, 2025, 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    You'll receive the route ahead of time
    At the Edible Garden Tours, we're invited to visit gardens big and small, new and old, that locals have tended to with love. You'll see creative ways of growing food and the variety of methods that people try here on the coast. Over the course of the afternoon we'll visit 8 different gardens.
    Share
  • Seedy Sunday!
    Seedy Sunday!
    Sun, Apr 27
    Tofino
    Apr 27, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Come celebrate spring by sharing seeds, questions, and inspiration with your local garden enthusiasts!
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  • Growing West Coast Gardeners Series
    Growing West Coast Gardeners Series
    Sat, Apr 12
    Tofino
    Apr 12, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – Sep 20, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
    Tofino, 351 Arnet Rd, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    This multi-part workshop series begins on April 12th and ends September 20th, 2025. New to gardening in the Pacific Northwest? In 4 modules spaced throughout the growing season, you'll learn from expert gardeners the do's and don'ts of food cultivation for our temperate rainforest climate.
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  • Coastal Foods Roundtable - spring meeting
    Coastal Foods Roundtable - spring meeting
    Tue, Apr 08
    Tourism Tofino
    Apr 08, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Tourism Tofino, 1426 BC-4, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    If you have attended a Coastal Agricultural Roundtable meeting in the past, please join us and RSVP. If you are a primary producer, food security advocate. etc. and would like to participate for the first time: please email "katie@tofinocommunityfoodinitiative.com"
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  • Winter Sowing Workshop + Winter Work Bee
    Winter Sowing Workshop + Winter Work Bee
    Sat, Feb 08
    Tofino
    Feb 08, 2025, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    All are welcome to join for an afternoon of volunteering and learning in the school garden. Come from 1-2:30pm for the work bee and stay for a short workshop on winter sowing.
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  • Annual Jingle in the Food Forest
    Annual Jingle in the Food Forest
    Sun, Dec 15
    Tofino
    Dec 15, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Join us as we come together to "deck the halls" of the Food Forest with festive cheer and community spirit. Please bring your mug, gloves, and any extra ribbons you might have to help with the decorating. We hope to share warm hot chocolate, homemade cookies, and oranges to celebrate the season.
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  • Jam Making Workshop for Youth
    Jam Making Workshop for Youth
    Thu, Dec 05
    Tofino
    Dec 05, 2024, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 351 Arnet Rd, Tofino, BC V0R 0A4, Canada
    Come make a delicious gift for the holidays for your family or friends. This is a free workshop and is specifically meant for youth age 10-19. More details coming soon!
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  • TCFI at the Tofino Winter Market
    TCFI at the Tofino Winter Market
    Sat, Nov 30
    Tofino
    Nov 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 351 Arnet Rd, Tofino, BC V0R 0A4, Canada
    We've been creating treats from the school garden, ocean shores, and more. We've also done a reprint of our very popular "Tofino Local Food" tote bags. Come check out our TCFI table at the Tofino Winter Market on November 30th from 10am to 3pm.
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  • Coastal Foods Roundtable
    Coastal Foods Roundtable
    Fri, Nov 08
    Ucluelet Community Centre
    Nov 08, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Dr, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0, Canada
    Created in 2019 and formerly known as the Coastal Agriculture Roundtable, the CFR is a permanent, multi-stakeholder working group of the ACRD that guides the ongoing implementation of agricultural and food security initiatives in the coastal communities of the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District.
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  • Harvest Celebration
    Harvest Celebration
    Sat, Oct 05
    Tofino
    Oct 05, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    Tofino, 431 Gibson St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada
    Join us for a free community event and celebration of our growing season! There will be kids' activities, live music, a seed garlic sale, opportunities to tour the garden & ask gardening questions, our second annual pie contest, and a delicious vegetarian soup generously donated by Wolf in the Fog.
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© 2024 Tofino Community Food Initiative

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