Where the buffalo roam . . .

Attending a buffalo roast brought back memories of singing the song, "Home on the Range" as a child, you know, where the buffalo roam and the good 'ol days?


There was only thoughts of lip-smacking buffalo and ham, along with other great fixin's at Medo Lutheran Church, a respite in the countryside south of Pemberton this past Sunday. Close to 200 people have attending this event in each of its 24 years, traveling through the flat, fertile lands of southwestern Minnesota to this tiny oasis. On this September 15th, my husband and I weren't the only ones standing in line awaiting the gates to open to taste a delicacy not often had for meals anymore.

"We were sitting have one of picnics in the park way back, and wondered what could we do different," said Ruby Isebrand, co-chair since the event started - except for the couple years when two other church women thought it good to rotate leaders (that lasted only a couple years). "John Weir and Rev. Gregg Welander said, how about a buffalo roast? Someone had mentioned they heard of it and we thought, no one else does it. So we looked into and here we are."

It's the first and only such dinner this writer has heard of in Minnesota, much less a small church group. Their first buffalo meat was bought from a Pierre, South Dakota business, in the same area as "Dances With Wolves" was filmed in 1990. Today, they secure their meat from Big Woods Bison in Nerstrand, and have it processed through Nerstrand Meats - which is one of the best places in Minnesota to buy all sorts of meat and treats.

While the buffalo comes from the northeast, the ham comes from a grocer to the northwest in Mankato. So a Medo meal visitor gets the choice of buffalo or ham, or in my case, I took both. Along with coleslaw, baked beans, fresh bread or buns for a sandwich (and condiments, but none are needed as it melted in your mouth), mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh tomatoes, huge sliced pickles and a selection of desserts that never ended, seconds were allowed but how you'd be hungry after that plateful is hard to figure out! Add coffee, lemonade filled by two cute munchkins and where could you feel more spoiled at a meal?

Ten-year-old Kiera Knutson and nine-year-old Electra
Knutson worked with a smile during the dinner.

"Melva Schull chaired the first event and we got about 275 people then, but get over 200 now," added Ruby, who glistened about the forehead as she bounded from the kitchen to the hall, making sure the volunteers were doing their jobs plus the hungry throngs were receiving all they needed for a great meal experience. Over 30 church volunteers worked tirelessly and smoothly through the two-hour meal. Pastor Laurie Stoeger was one of the greeters this year, but last year entertained the troops by playing the banjo. "While it was a great idea, we thought that people couldn't listen a whole lot because they were busy eating and visiting," Ruby chuckled. Doesn't matter anyway, as Pastor Laurie said her banjo was in repair right now!

They purchase and then roast about 120 pounds of buffalo, which they also sell to those who want to take some home for tomorrow. Perry Mortensen's family roasts the buffalo. When they first started the meal, it cost $3.85 a pound for buffalo meat, now its up to $9 a pound. About 80 pounds of ham, and more pounds than you'd want to carry of potatoes are processed as well. Chuck and Gert Schubbe mastered potato duty years ago and still smile while they work.

Kitchen Duty
Back row: Chuck Schubbe, Ron Schull, Darryll Schubbe; front row: Melva
Schull, Sonja Swanson, Erikah Kirksey, Vi Gonsolus, Gert Schubbe,
Vera Gonsolus and Ruby Isebrand.

Ruby's been a loyal Medo Lutheran since 1974, when her husband and she bought a farm near Pemberton. Now a hobby farm, they both stay busy enough, but remain just as active in church activities. "We used to have a lutefisk dinner for many years, but it became too much work to make all the food back then." It seems like they found their niche here!

Elnore Lindeland waited by the entrance table for her family before she wrote the check for all to eat. Just about to turn 90 years old the next day, she recalled vividly many dinners she worked - she chaired the lutefisk dinner many years. She had been raised near Owatonna, and a member at Medo since 1946. Her husband's family was one of the charter members of Medo, way back in 1868. As we talked more, we learned of similar people and places we both frequented, as is with every meal I attend. The world is indeed small if you take the time to meet the person next to you!

Elnore went on. "There's only one person older in the congregation, and he's four months older but not in good health." The Lindeland's celebrated their farm's 100 years at the church's 125th anniversary a while back. She is indeed a local treasure.

Medo volunteers pitch in

As the church quickly filled, it was a rare sight to see so many young men taking the time to get a meal. And with the youth filling roles as table clearers, coffee pourers, lemonade chasers, it was clear the buffalo roast was - and has been - a hit, drawing in those not usually seen at most church meals. There were about 17 take-out meals, "more when the guys are in the field" added Ruby.

"It's a long day preparing, serving and cleaning it all up, but it's worth it," she said. It must be, because when you have a congregation of 300, with about 50 weekly steady members, pulling it altogether is a work of art. But the September meal was a very special one indeed.

Recipe from the women of 

Medo Lutheran Church:

 

Apple Bars

 

2 and 1/4 cup flour

1 cup butter

1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk + milk to make 1/2 cup

 

1 and 1/2 cup slightly crushed corn flakes

4 cups sliced apples

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

 

Cut butter into flour, sugar and salt.  Add liquid (milk & egg yolk).

Roll out 1/2 the dough to fit in a jellyroll pan.  It works best if you roll the

dough out between two well floured sheets of wax paper.  You may need to

work a little flour into the dough when rolling it out.

 

Spread crushed corn flakes over dough.  Mix apple slices, sugar & cinnamon

together and place on dough.  Roll out top crust and place on top.  Spread

the beaten egg whites on top.  Bake at 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Drizzle a

thin powdered sugar icing on top while still slightly warm.  These freeze well.

Upcoming Meals:

 Sept, 20 - First Presbyterian Church, Bemidji, Roast Beef Dinner, 4:30-7

Sept. 28 - Pine River United Methodist, Pork Chop Dinner, 4:30-7

Oct. 8 - Vang Lutheran, Dennison, 34th Lutefisk Dinner, 4:30-7

Oct. 15 - First Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, Lutefisk Dinner, 4 - 7 serving

Strawberries in Moland

Alas - strawberries mixed with yesteryear

Winding country roads, warm sun with a cool breeze, tasty food - topped off with strawberries smothering angel food cake and ice cream. A Sunday doesn't get any better than this.

When traveling to Moland Lutheran Church for it's annual strawberry festival on Sunday, June 24, the entire experience was marvelous. The small country church is nestled amongst corn and soybean fields and with it's welcoming arbor-like iron sign travelers get a glimpse of rural Americana at its best.

When you have 24 enrolled at the church, putting on such a festival encompasses ALL of the congregation. The food draws in the visitors, but it's the workers that skillfully coordinate the 56-year-old celebration.

"We keep this church going one way or another," chuckled Beverly Hortop, who greeted newcomers and hungry patrons in the front landing of the church. Alongside her manning the tables holding melt-in-your-mouth baked goods were LeMae Erler and Arlene Balzer. All three recall the days when families brought in a couple quarts each of home grown strawberries - stemmed and washed - ready to be sliced up. "It was quite a sight," added Beverly, "seeing all those berries brought in the day before." It's people like these three women, who are 50-plus year members, that keep the quaint church lively.

As much as the congregation would love to bring in fresh, garden-picked strawberries nowadays, that's something that went away with small producing farms. However, the potato salad and chocolate cakes are still made in local kitchens - with rules.

Faye Noble, president of their WELCA, had to take training classes for the church to be able to hold its annual function. New state health rules has forced many such church socials to either abide or close down their food fundraisers. Faye in turn, taught those who worked the importance of properly handling food - including wearing plastic gloves for all.

The women of the kitchen - front:  Tonnie Derscheid,
Beverly Hortop and Faye Noble; back: Kim Dressel, Judy
Bauer, Phyllis Derscheid, Stacey Thofson.

When she's not planning a strawberry festival, you can see Faye playing the organ every Sunday. She's a humble, but hard-working soul that proudly tackles the task at hand - just like fellow members. She credits Julie Dressel as the chairperson of the festival, spending time and trips to Faribault and Owatonna pricing food, buying supplies and delivering items to church. She and her husband, Eric,  make the trip the day before to pick up the strawberries, and extra kudos go to him for picking up and installing the new freezer. After that, if that wasn't a lot, he went to Nerstrand Meals to deliver that produce to the church. "Their hours of work are greatly appreciated," Faye said.

As for produce, it takes 100 pounds of strawberries, 75 pounds of pulled pork and 10- 5 quart pails of ice cream to feed the hungry at the festival.

Back to the potato salad, which is one of my favorite foods, so I become interested in every spoonful of summer potato specialties in my personally-appointed connoisseur way. "Every woman brings in their recipe of potato salad, which I've thought about putting out two dishes on the table - one with a little more mustard and another with maybe more white dressing. Everyone makes it different, for myself, I have fresh cutup radishes and pureed onions. It gives people a different taste depending on when they come during the day."

The chocolate cake is simpler but just as scrumptious. "We make just a plain chocolate cake with frosting and German chocolate cake," added Faye. "Can never predict what will happen, but last year we ran out of German chocolate cake, the year before that ran out of angel food cake." Eight pans each of chocolate and angel food cake usually feeds the 275 or so people who attend yearly.

Maggie Peach used to supply the homemade canned pickles but she passed away earlier this year. That may be what decides the future of this wonderful festival - survivors. Since 2005, 25 parishioners have passed away. The pulled pork from Nerstrand Meats is another favorite to pick at the a la carte feast. Strawberries were coming from Northfield this year until the eight-inch rain fouled up those plans, but Hy-Vee came through with the lovely red fruit. And Faye ordered the higher end strawberries to ensure quality and great taste. This year was a little harder since the weather has forced things about three weeks early.

Faye became a church member in 1964 after attending the Methodist church nearby. Moland Church can be found near the Dodge, Steele, Rice and Goodhue county lines - making it a popular worship spot for many farm families over the years.

The younger generation pitching in: Paige Schultenober,
Jenna Engel, Kaylin Hanson.

Years ago, the coffee for the festival was made at the Creamery 1/2 mile down the road. The piping hot java was hauled to the church in creamer cans and handed through the basement window to be served - sometimes so warm it scalded rings into the tile floor when place there. Faye said the first festival was held at a parish member's home until moving to the church, where they built a basement and got running water. In years gone by, Moland had a creamery, gas station, grocery store and a couple smaller businesses. The creamery building still stands - although not so stately anymore -but the rest have since been torn down.

All the commotion on Saturday mornings at the church means it's strawberry festival time - and women and men (and children) pitch in to get the work done. Although most years the money raised goes to kids' camp trips or earmarked church projects, some money was gobbled up before the event started this year when the freezer quit. In the past the Salvation Army locally has also received funds and the festival also donates money in honor of a church WELCA member who passed away during the year to a missionary serving somewhere around the world. "It helps them out for one day, but we think it's worthwhile and honorable to do," said Faye.

'Moland' has Norwegian origins which is fine and proper in where the church sits among Scandanavians. And it is fitting that in 2005 a group of visiting dignitaries from St. Olaf College came down and ate at the festival. "That was during our anniversary year," she said, when the church marked it's 125th year.

Although the date is always the final Sunday in June, the hours change as they work around other goings on in the area. Normally, the festival starts right after the 10 a.m. service until 5 p.m. And in the spring, the men put on a pancake breakfast for all to enjoy. A turkey dinner went by the wayside several years ago.

Pastor Nancy Edwardson came and served coffee at the event, something she's done for 12 years. Moland Lutheran Church shares her services with Kenyon Sunset Home. Everyone makes the Moland Strawberry Festival a success everyone should experience once.

It took me 20-plus years, but I got here - and the adventure was worth every single spoonful!

Added information - Faye  clarified a couple things: the 24 enrollment shown in the picture above is for Sunday School children; Moland church has 150 members total with 42 women's auxiliary members.

Future events:

St. John's United Church of Christ - Strawberry Festival, July 8, 4-7, rural Faribault.
Christ Episcopal Church, Austin - Salad Luncheon, Thursday, July 12, 11:30-1, 301 Third Avenue.
Hope United Methodist Salad Luncheon, Faribault - Saturday, July 14 - 11:30- 1.  3166 197th Street, Faribault
Sacred Heart, Hayfield: Salad, BBQ, Bars, Tuesday,  July 17 - 11-1 p.m.
St. Augustine's Church, Austin: Salad Luncheon, Thursday, July 19, 11:30-1:30.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Basswood Grove (south of Hastings), 8435 South St. Croix Street, Corn and Pig Roast, Saturday, August 20 (located in Denmark Township)- 4-8 p.m.