Staff writer
At Monday’s farm city appreciation banquet sponsored by Marion Chamber of Commerce, many of the participants talked about what the event used to feature.
The chairman of the banquet, Roger Hannaford III, talked about how he once served 500 farmers and ranchers. On Monday, they expected to hand out 250 KC strip steak meals.
Hannaford said the event has been around at least 35 years. He remembered when organizers served dinner-plate sized, bone-in, rib eye steaks. Even with larger steaks, Hannaford said organizers have used the same grilling apparatus built by the Marion High School agriculture department in the 1970s.
Farmers at the event spoke of a time when women did not eat in the dining area, pointing out the sparse female population in attendance. Kevin Fruechting explained wives would shop while their husbands feasted when there was a thriving retail district in Marion.
“It’s just to show appreciation for farmers and ranchers,” Hannaford said of the banquet. “Will they shop or buy more in Marion, I don’t know. It’s all we can do to say thanks to our farmers.”
After this year, the free meal for local farmers may only exist in memories. The Marion Chamber of Commerce’s budget was cut by $3,000. Hannaford said that the farm banquet costs more than $2,000 even with a discount from Carlsons’ Grocery for the food.
“Carlsons’ doesn’t make any money off of it,” chamber director Margo Yates said.
With the cuts, Hannaford would have to solicit donations from chamber businesses, a questionable proposition in a down economy.
“It’s a lot of work and it takes a lot of money,” Hannaford said. “Do we have the money to keep it going?”
However, Hannaford was hopeful. He and Casey Case both said their businesses — Hannaford Abstract and Title and Case and Son Insurance — benefit more from the show of good will to their rural customers, who come to the banquet from all over the county, than from any other chamber event.
“It brings everybody to town,” Hannaford said. “We’re going to try to keep it going.”