Dixie Canner Company began working with the University of Georgia Agriculture Extension Service in the early 1930s to develop a Community Canning Program. The idea was simple: provide local food processing centers accessible to the general public to preserve fruits, meats, and vegetables. At the height of this program in the mid-1940s, there were over 6,500 community canneries throughout the United States. Countless other community canneries were supplied with Dixie Canner equipment throughout North America and Europe during WWII. As grocery stores, refrigerated transportation, and food technologies developed, the popularity of home gardening and canning waned. There are community canneries still operating today. We have 21 centers throughout the state of Georgia. Many states including North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have active canneries. Many organizations operate community canneries, commercial kitchens, and mobile canneries throughout the United States and Canada.
