Grant County hands once again feed the masses at Home Products Dinner
By Renée Jean, The Garden City Telegram, Kan. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
It is a lesson that children in
Some of those children, now grown, have been scholarship recipients and are now back in leadership roles.
She's been participating in the event since she was 7.
"I helped serve the senior citizens and shucked corn when I was in 4H," she said. "When I moved back home, they asked me to sit on the committee."
That is a five-year commitment. The first year, she ran the decorations committee, then she was in charge of coordinating all the donut daisy events like the corn shucking. The third year is coordinating and gathering volunteers, fourth is coordinating the overall event and the last is cleanup.
It is a lot of work, but something she'd do again in a heartbeat.
"It's in my heart, and in a lot of people's hearts, and that's why you see it thrive today," she said. "It's giving back, and it's paying it forward."
Deyoe received one of the scholarships given out by the proceeds from the event. She studied ag economics at
"My son's actually fourth generation," she said, "because my husband's grandpa sat on the committee, as well."
It takes 700 volunteers with the same dedication and devotion for the community in their hearts to make the dinner happen each year, as well as 5,000 pounds in homegrown commodities. The dinner is now in its 52nd year.
Planning for the event starts in November, but the first big workday is usually in July.
"The whole community is pretty much involved in that," said
Community volunteers cut the corn off the cob, and it is then blanched, put into freezer bags and stored at a local grocery store until the morning of the event, when it is thawed and cooked.
Watermelons are picked by hand, and other hands clean those melons and cut them. Still other hands take out the roasters, cleaning them and cooking the 750 pounds worth of 10-pound rolled roasts.
Some of it is probably produced at the local feedlot, but it is sourced from local grocery stores.
Simultaneously, the famous milo donuts, a blend of wheat and milo, are being produced by the
"We have a notebook four inches thick telling us what to do," Hauser said.
It has everything in it from the layout of the building to the number of tables and number of chairs to put at each table.
"It is a massive undertaking," Hauser said.
So massive, that she was sure not one more thing could be added. When a donation of cheese was offered in 40-pound blocks, she demurred. "Who would cut all that cheese?" she asked.
"We have just tapped out our groups," she said.
The dinner started because of a proud boast by then legislator
With that strong root in politics, the event has become something of a political magnet.
Gov.
There were several other political hopefuls in the crowd, as well. Among them Democrats
Alldritt, and state Democrat chair
"If we were at the first of the line, we could work the entire line," Alldritt suggested.
"No, no the end of the line is better," Wagnon said. "We can talk to everyone."
Wagnon said she generally always attends the event.
"Where else do you get 2,000 people all together in southwest
Wagnon has been closely following the court case involving Democrat
The word, however, on whether she intends to nominate a replacement.
"I'm waiting to see what the court decides," she said.
Brownback recognized World War II veterans in the audience, as well as married couples.
"It's a beauty to behold," he said, "and I just want to honor and recognize it because it's the point of my talk tonight. We have a nation that is struggling, and whenever you're struggling, you go back to your basics."
These, he said, are faith, family and freedom.
"We built the country off of it," he said. "We have a motto in this nation, in God we trust, and we built this nation around strong families."
Another thing the dinner shows, Brownback said, is the farming.
"We're eating
Brownback pointed out the ice cream, which is made on
"We are going to continue to do that," Brownback said. "Farming is at the core of what we do."
Brownback thanked the audience for what they do.
"Communities like yours, continuing to pull together and move the right way, are showing the way," he said.
"Every where I go, people ask me a couple questions," he said. "And three or four people asked me tonight. 'Is that your real name?' they asked. Is
He's never actually liked that name, he told them.
"I'd rather have something cool, fancy and memorable," he said. "I like
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