LaVonne Meyer surveyed the class of more than 50 people who gathered at Nyberg’s Ace last month to learn about the modern art and science of canning food.

More on the science of canning in a moment.

It was a diverse audience including college-aged women, young parents and older couples. When Meyer asked how many were first-time canners, hands shot into the air. When she asked why they wanted to learn to can, many expressed a desire to know where their food comes from.

“I do see more of that all the time,” Meyer told The Dakota Scout. “Used to be people canned to save money. That’s not the case anymore.”