Church Supper Weekend

The last few months have been the driest on record for much of the Midwest. My guess is that applies to our little corner of North Iowa as well. In the 6 ½ weeks since harvest started, we have had one rain delay. If there is such a thing as a good time to have a drought, this is it. 

For the last four weeks picking corn has been our top priority. Initially, progress was limited by dryer capacity. However, since mid-October, once field moisture reached the low 20's, two harvest crews have been running unimpeded.

A crew can fill four trucks/hour. Reliability of our two-year-old JD 790 combines has been good. Coupled with the cooperative weather, harvest progress has been consistent and predictable. The only problem with this scenario is we intended to harvest with three crews. Our new corn head, ordered last January, was not delivered till last week. 

After rotating both old heads through the shop for mid-season maintenance, our full complement of harvest capacity is finally in the field. We are back on track for corn in the bin by Thanksgiving.

The last weekend in October is traditionally the date for the Sacred Heart Oratory (Meyer Church) Fall Supper. Thanks to our families' history of involvement with this event and its occurrence near the peak of harvest activity, the Church Supper has become a much-anticipated opportunity to reward the Team with some of the best home cooked comfort food and a shortened workday.

Since the Meyer Church was designated to oratory status (no assigned priest or regular masses) in 2005, parishioners have worked together to maintain the grounds and host events. Although the anger has softened over time, resentment towards the dioceses for the perceived demotion added fuel to the fire to keep the parish relevant. Rarely a month goes by that a wedding, funeral, reunion, or in his case, fund raising activity occurs at the 120-year-old gothic styled sanctuary. 

Thanks to covid, the supper offered drive through pick up in 2020. Unexpectedly, this change led to a record number of meals served in 2021. Not wanting to mess with success, that practice continued in '22.

The popularity of the Meyer Church Supper is a bit of a phenomenon. One could offer a list of reasons. A poke in the eye to the diocese, sympathy for the scrappy parish that refuses to die, the best value in carry out food within 50 miles, the only place to get you can get stuffing the way grandma used to make it. It may be all these but for me the lesson is it is possible to preserve what is best from the past by creatively adjusting to the realities of the present.  As long as there are old people, there will be a market for events that allow participants to taste, pun intended, romanticized memories of their youth.

Long live mashed potatoes with beef gravy, green bean casserole, breaded stuffing, and roast pork with a slice of pie. For one Sunday night in late October, we can travel back in time and be reminded how we got here. 

Jim