Monica Gross, a resident of Los Angeles County, has graduated from the UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) Online Delivery Program in 2025. Gross first learned about the MFP Program in 2013 while becoming a Master Gardener. At that time, her county did not offer an MFP program, so she postponed joining until the online version became available.
Gross lives on a half-acre property with several mature Valencia orange trees and a variety of other fruit trees including avocado, grapefruit, lemon, peach, plum, pear, apple, and cherry. Since retiring in 2012, she has also developed a large vegetable garden where she grows tomatoes, asparagus, blackberries, beans, artichoke, cucumber, and occasionally giant pumpkins. Her family recently participated in an Atlantic Giant pumpkin-growing contest with relatives across California and Oregon.
“Becoming an MFP was a natural extension of being an avid gardener,” said Gross. She noted that before joining the program she had experience canning tomatoes and making jams but had not canned low-acid foods. “I look forward to increasing my skills in this area.”
Gross encourages others interested in food preservation to consider the program: “If you are interested in food preservation, I highly recommend becoming an MFP! You’ll find a kindred community of like-minded individuals who value preserving the bounties of the garden!”
