Dehydration techniques for herbs and fruits is the subject of the Ripon Garden Club meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 206 Stockton Ave.

Bambi Porter, the owner of Gypsy Cowgirl Kitchen in Oakdale, is the speaker.

Gypsy Cowgirl was born out of the passion she has for simple, delicious, and healthy food.

“I love going out to the garden to pick fresh fruit and vegetables,” Porter said. “I adore the fact that nature writes the daily menu at our house. It makes me feel good to know that I am serving my family and friends food that is grown without all of the yucky pesticides. At times my garden would give me so much that I could hardly consume or give it away fast enough. Thus my love of pickling, canning and preserving was born. Over the past 20 years or so I have canned fruits and vegetables of many kinds.”

She is a certified Master Food Preserver trained and certified by the University of California UC Davis/Stanislaus County Cooperative Extension, in all forms of safe food preservation.

For more information call Anita Floyd at 599-3359 or Michele Bartels at 599-2675.