Establishing the facility in a publicly owned building, such as a school, is a solution in many communities. These canneries are a part of the public school’s physical plant and have traditionally been operated under supervision of the vocational agriculture and home economics teachers, using school funds.
In recent years, some schools have wanted to close canneries for several reasons: Lack of operating capital, limited use, lack of interest or know-how on the part of participants and teachers. With the resurgence of interest in canning, many new cannery ventures are located in schools but are now funded separately from school budgets.
If the cannery is the result of a community endeavor, adjoining small towns could appropriate funds sufficient to set up and man a center. Such a proposal would have to be presented to the town governing bodies. This points up the need for ample planning time. Devising means to allow the cannery to remain open year-round would favor obtaining a site other than in a public building.
Major Costs
Cost of organizing a community cannery is influenced by its size and scope of operation. Expenses can be broken down into these major areas:
- Purchase and installation of equipment
- Building renovation
- Rent
- Labor
- Utilities
- Jars or cans
- Produce
- Miscellaneous costs (office supplies, freight, postage, insurance, cleaning supplies, maintenance)
At least two companies manufacture community canning equipment (Ball Corp. and Dixie Canner Equipment Co.). Prices start at $4,300 for a single-unit operation, and go up to $20,000 for a large center. This does not include the price of a steam boiler, which costs between $3,000 and $5,000. By fabricating some of its own equipment, and by buying used equipment from canning and restaurant equipment suppliers, the cannery can reduce some of its purchase costs substantially.
Installation of the canning equipment and the steam boiler needs to be done by a licensed plumber or steam fitter, or be closely supervised by such a person.
Renovation of a building and installation of the canning equipment can cost between $4,000 and $8,000, including labor costs. Cost can be reduced by soliciting volunteer labor from local craftsmen. The organizers can handle much of the renovation, such as painting, carpentry and cement work. Teams of vocational students may be willing to take on the site renovations as part of their school training.
Salaries for employees can be paid from the cannery’s operating budget. Labor costs can be reduced if the workers are already salaried employees provided by other food-related agencies. The cannery can also be an ideal training site for participants in the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and can be staffed successfully in this way.