Harvest blessings

The best 'pride' I've seen in a town in a long time.

As the crimson, auburn and golden leaves finish their final journey to cooler ground and farmers hasten their field activity, there are many who believe partaking in good food is part of the harvest season. As my trusty Toyota Sienna sailed down the Shooting Start Scenic Byway, known more popularly as Hwy. 56 in southern Minnesota, it was business as usual in the fields, and topic of many discussions in the church basement.

Probably akin to years gone by when it wasn't uncommon for farmers to share elbow grease and meals for the better good of the neighborhood harvest. On a cool November Sunday, St. Patrick's Catholic Church in LeRoy made sure locals took a break by filling the town with aroma of ham and turkey, and then promptly and efficiently fed over 300.

Joyce Arndorfer (left), patron saint of humility
and pleasantness performs on of her duties on the day.

What strikes me the more church meals I attend, the greetings and appreciation expressed by church volunteers has no bounds - or runs out of ideas on how to express those feelings. "Make sure you make a new friend while you are here," was shared with me as I entered a room of total strangers and surroundings. And if you heed their advice, not only is the food extraordinary, so are each of those people sitting by you sharing bread.


For over 30 years, the church has cooked up a great meal its become a staple in this little hamlet near the Iowa border. And yes, there are many Iowans who make the yearly trek to fill their bellies with warmth and food of thanksgiving.

In the past, their Mulligan's Stew fundraiser topped the charts in money profited, in fact for over 50 years. But dwindling numbers (of good Irish followers maybe?) it was cancelled this year. It didn't harden the hearts of the hard-working volunteers, which number over 40 to pull off this splendid event. With 145 families as members, it doesn't take much to mention where help is needed and the request filled.

At 6 a.m. that Sunday, volunteers were ready to get the turkey to cut up, picked up from Main Street Market in town, warmed and ready to serve. The ham is precooked and warmed and waiting as well. It was hard to decide whether to pour the gravy over the turkey or ham, so I just told them to hit everything but the corn.

Lined them up in the kitchen: Loren Rickerl, Isabella
Morse, Penny Rickerl, Deb Olson, Rose McCarthy,
Ann Drees, Judy Jasper, Tony Arndorfer, A.J. Berke.
Thanks Isabella for posing, and for you years of
dedication!

Although most of us wonder where in the heck 2013 went and how can it be November already, it was tempting food that prepares us for the winter rest in God's country. With the Thanksgiving holiday only three weeks away, the wonderful turkey, stuffing and potatoes slid down marvelously down my throat, only to be met up with the moist ham and corn that went ahead of it. 

The pie selection is only part of the homemade touch on the food. The 15 turkeys cleaned, roasted and cutup cover a two-day period of preparation for the meal. Although store bought, the potatoes and stuffing still had to be prepared, and they were down so flawlessly. "We used to peel all the potatoes, but that got to be too much," said Joyce Arndorfer, a jack-of-all trades at the entry of the basement. It is Shirley Miller and Kathy Mason who co-chair the event for the CCW. "Whoever is hosting the month of activities becomes chair of the event," Joyce added, so apparently everyone gets to share in the leadership!

Not used to waiting to eat at such events, visitors were grouped together to give the kitchen a chance to keep up - and hungry patrons a chance to get their food and be seated. My being there two minutes past the 11 a.m. start had me waiting 15 minutes, but once down in the basement, smiles and guides showed me the ropes - and the table, lined not only with warming roasts, but people stationed at every one! It was impressive as it sped up the line, and actually gave me more food than I usually take, but it somehow all disappeared.

Sitting next to me were friendly farmers and their wives as well as retired attendees. To my immediate right was the most friendly, polite man I've met at these events (which is hard because any man who volunteers has a heart of gold). Darrell Yost lives right across from the church but was one of the first waves to be seated. Further talk finds he is the retired superintendent of schools for LeRoy-Ostrander, amongst other schools in southern Minnesota.

A gentle man with a great sense of humor we struck up conversation about football - his nephew played at Gustavus Adolphus the day before. And his three sons were all athletes locally, so that fed into my interest in sports. Before we knew it, our plates and glassware were cleared and it was evident we needed to make way for more hungry people!

The other two gentleman across from me left way before Darrell and I, but shared in harvest update. "Seems like the field I planted before the rain in May came in at 45 bushels (soybeans), but the ones after came in at 55." Sounds like good news, unless you spy the many fields that couldn't be planted because of the wet spring.

Alongside as you make your way to the buffet, are several gift items to raffle off. For me, it's just another donation, as I never win. But there were some unique items that had tickets sprinkled into the bucket throughout the meal. "We started that four years ago, and it seems to add interest to the meal," added Joyce. All items are donated or made by parishioners.

If there is extra food, it can be bought afterwards for a freewill donation. I generally don't stick around to the end, opting to get their early with the thought process I don't want to not get the food I am supposed to sample.

The last delight on the day was my brief but exciting discussion with local newspaper columnist Eileen Evans. As stated many times over the last 1 1/2 years, it is amazing at who you meet up with from your past or genetic pool. Eileen's son, Dan, bought my newspaper, the "Blooming Prairie Times" in 2005, and still owned the local newspaper where his mom still works. When she found out what I was doing there her excitement couldn't be throttled. Now it seems, with good sense, that Eileen could tell me about the best meals from miles around. That fact did not escape me as I now know where Eileen lives and will call upon her when it's time to find a new church culinary delight. And it seems she is an author, writing "Cy Thompson: The Generous Embezzler", the story of a local man who stole money from a business years ago.


My work done, and my stomach satisfied as well as my need for interaction with great people, I head out, meeting more coming in. It is clear if you haven't attended a church fundraiser meal with the intention of enjoying all it is about, you've missed the point.

In that case, you need to keep updated about my wanderings and learning about those who serve their God, church and community.





Upcoming Yummy Events:

Little Cedar Lutheran Church, Adams - Lutefisk and Meatballs, Nov. 6, 11-7:30

Grace Lutheran Church, Waseca, Harvest Mission Lunch, Nov. 7, 11-2

Annual Hunters Ham Dinner, McGregor, Grace Lutheran Church, 4-7

Hunters Lunch and Bake Sale, Moscow Lutheran Church at Town Hall, Nov. 9  - 11-2

St. Peter's Fall Dinner, Rose Creek, Nov. 10, 4:30-7:30

Emmons Lutheran Church Lutefisk Supper, Nov. 12 4:30-7