The Columbia River Gorge is known for its abundant fruit production — but despite the bounty, the region experiences extreme wealth disparities and high rates of food insecurity.
Newly available data from a 2025 food insecurity assessment indicate that one in two (49%) of Gorge households now struggle with food insecurity.
By reducing barriers to food preservation, this program continues to help individuals, families and small businesses increase their food security — while keeping more of the Gorge’s agricultural abundance in local hands.
In addition, USDA IMPLAN data shows that 98% of food grown in the Gorge is exported, while at least 92% of food consumed is imported. When extreme weather events like wildfires or ice storms close highways, local grocery stores and food pantries often run out of food in just three days.
In response, Oregon State University Extension Service's Lauren Kraemer, an associate professor in the Family and Community Health program in the College of Health, partnered with local food advocacy organization Gorge Grown Food Network in 2013 to create the Added Value Rental Program, later renamed the “Library of Things.” The goal was to help households and small-scale producers keep more of the region’s food local by making it easier to process and preserve harvests at home.
With $5,000 in grant funding, Extension purchased and cataloged about 40 pieces of food preservation equipment — including dehydrators, canning kits, fermenting crocks, steam juicers and other tools — and launched a public rental program from the Extension office in Hood River.
The program offered residents a low-cost way to try out specialty equipment without having to buy or store it themselves. It also gave small food businesses a chance to test new products before committing to expensive investments.
In 2019, Extension partnered with the Hood River Library District to relocate the collection to the library’s growing Library of Things. The move provided more convenient hours, online reservations, and greater visibility. The result: rentals quadrupled in the first seven months, from 30–40 per year to 136.
Between May of 2019 and December of 2025, the Hood River Library of Things items were checked out 1,461 times. Additionally, the program has expanded to many new additional libraries around the state, building on the model developed in Hood River.
The most frequently borrowed item is the Nesco dehydrator, with 261 checkouts between 2019 and 2025. Other popular tools include fermenting crocks (127 rentals), cherry pitters (176), canning kits (119) and large-capacity dehydrators (111). Community members consistently praise the program for reducing costs, saving space, and supporting a more sustainable, community-minded approach to food systems.
“We don’t all need to own everything,” said one user. “This program is such a great way to share equipment and tools.”
Kristin Franger, co-owner of Blue Bus Fermented Foods, added: “We really appreciated this service — it allowed us to use more local produce in our products.”
Building on the Hood River model, the concept has expanded to libraries across Oregon. In 2025, OSU Extension partnered with 26 public libraries and branches statewide — in rural and urban communities — to offer food preservation-focused Library of Things collections.
Counties served included Baker, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Douglas, Harney, Hood River, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Wasco and Wallowa. Across participating libraries, patrons checked out equipment more than 1,700 times.
Free equipment lending supports household food security. In a voluntary survey, more than 15% of Library of Things patrons reported experiencing food insecurity in the past year. The top reason for checking out equipment was fun, but more than half of patrons said they also used it to save money and reduce food waste.
Along with printed publications at partner libraries, OSU Extension developed digital resources for 12 common preservation tools found in library collections. The web pages include recipes, tips and videos, and drew 310 users during the last three months of the year.
By reducing barriers to food preservation, these programs continue to help individuals, families and small businesses increase their food security — while keeping more of the Gorge’s agricultural abundance in local hands.
