Skills Needed
Cannery supervisors will benefit by employing people to work at the cannery who can provide or learn such skills as:
Bookkeeping/accounting—to keep records of input and outflow of goods and money; to pay bills.
Management—to oversee the flow of food through the center in an efficient manner for smooth operation of the plant.
Maintenance and repair—to maintain equipment and housing in operational condition.
Purchasing/supply—to ensure a supply of materials such as jars and lids.
Sales—to manage sales of surplus retail products if these are processed at the plant.
Public relations—to advertise and promote knowledge of canning centers; to handle complaints and problems of patrons.
Technical—to provide detailed information on processing techniques, food, nutrition, and gardening.
A form of recordkeeping on all foods processed at the plant is essential. This kind of information would include such data as name of person doing the processing, the date, specific food, number of jars, method of processing, time in and time out, and an identification number for foods processed for sale by the cannery.
Canning centers may be incorporated as independent nonprofit cooperatives with a board of directors as the policymaking body. By being organized in conformity with the traditional farmers’ cooperative structure, the centers receive special tax considerations. Incorporation on a nonprofit basis is a requirement of many funding sources. The cooperative structure also lends itself to a tighter knit organization, with members feeling they are part of the organization, responsible for its affairs, and willing to pitch in and help if there is some work that needs a few extra hands.
The community cannery should have general liability insurance to cover injuries sustained by the workers or persons using the canning center. Products liability insurance is unnecessary for the cannery operated solely to provide a service to the community. For the cannery that sells commercially, products liability insurance should be obtained.
Sealer in a community cannery.