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Durham Is A Place

By
Guest Columnist
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Richard Shank
Columnist

The pundit who said rural America is lacking in good family restaurants and cafes has not been to Durham, Kansas to dine at the Mainstreet Café and Bakery.
Durham, located in Marion County 30 miles south of  Abilene on Highway 15, is not untypical to many small rural towns and has experienced a loss in population during the past 30 years. The internet reports the town’s 2023 population at 96, but one of the locals jokingly told me that could be a stretch. Still, this tiny berg remains incorporated and continues to have a mayor and governing body of five city council members. From what I observed the café is a common meeting place for those who reside in the area.
Arriving in Durham at 11 a.m. March 6, I found this town’s downtown area filling up with cars and pickups and all were entering the Mainstreet Café and Bakery for a hearty noon meal. Mark and Kris Wiebe, owners of the Mainstreet Café and Bakery, were hard at work in the kitchen cooking and serving a near full house of customers, many of which came to order a Chicken Fried Steak, which was the cafe’s Thursday special.
A quick look around the restaurant by this first-time diner was proof they serve more than the traditional steak and hamburgers. A counter display of freshly baked pies was positioned to the south of the salad bar, strategically placed to tempt all who came for a noon meal, including yours truly. And, as the waitress pointed out, a dip of ice cream goes with the pie, an offer no eater should pass on. For this new customer, the cherry pie nudged out apple and the preferred choice. And, as a customer pointed out, the cafe’s baked bread is known far beyond the boundaries of Marion County.
Mark, in a short break from his chef duties, smiled as he said his greatest reward is meeting so many nice people every day. Observing the size of the crowd, the eaters all like his cooking as many were repeat or daily customers. “Occasionally, we accept a catering job and soon we will prepare a wedding dinner for 250,” Mark said. “At Thanksgiving time, we offer holiday meals to go.”
Kris said that although no specific date exists as to when the café first opened its doors for business, it is assumed it may have been more than 100 years ago, in the same location. The Wiebe’s have been owners for about five years. Mark grew up on a farm near Durham and Kris, growing up in Montezuma in the state’s southwest corner, took up residency after marrying Mark.
During the past several years, the café was expanded to the north where a meat shop and the town’s library were formerly located. Daily specials are written on a chalk board. Wall décor includes metal pictures of antique tractors and an antique display case exhibiting memorabilia from Durham High School, including a letter jacket. And, on this day, Kris pointed out the cafe’s original refrigerator which is still used.
Kris noted they frequently serve new customers, including this day. “Many customers drive from as far as Kansas City, Wichita and Salina to eat here,” Kris said.
And, Kris echoed Mark’s comments that she, too, enjoys the daily interaction with people.
Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday evenings 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on the first Saturday of the month, diners can feast on a breakfast buffet from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Durham was founded in 1887 and was named after Durham cattle.
For Durham, 1963 holds a special memory for the town as the high school basketball team swept to a state championship in what was then called Class “Double B.” Galen Frick, a star on the championship team, went on to play for Dodge City Community Junior College, earning a spot in the school’s Sports Hall of Fame. Next, Kansas State Coach Tex Winter recruited him to play his junior and senior for the Wildcats where he was an above-average player in what was then the Big Eight Conference.
As a freshman on Solomon High School’s team in 1963, I vividly remember two losses we suffered to the opposing team from Marion County. We thought Durham could have competed with much larger schools in the metropolitan areas of Kansas. They were as good as it gets in that distant time.
For many years, signs on each end of town on Highway 15 proclaimed Durham as home of the 1963 State Championship Basketball Team; but, note the signage is now gone, which I found a little surprising.
Durham High School closed its doors many years ago and the community is now served by a Mennonite school located outside the city limits. I noted the high school located on the north edge of town looks abandoned but shiny new farm implements are parked in front of what was once the school.
Also, on a street to the south of the café, G&R Implement Company still markets some Oliver tractor parts, even though the last Oliver tractor rolled off the assembly line in 1976. On a drive by the business, I noted an Oliver sticker on a window, something very uncommon a half century after the company ceased business.
For this traveler who has, for several decades, driven the highway and byways of Kansas, there is nothing better at noon time than to pull up in front of a well-run cafe with good home cooked meals. Durham’s Mainstreet Café and Bakery meets that criterion in every aspect.
And Mark and Kris Wiebe are not only great cooks, but equally good hosts.
It is one of those places where customers say “we need to go back there again when we are in the area.”

Lettuce Eat Local: V for Vegan Victory

By
tammiehoeme
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0

Amanda Miller
Columnist
Lettuce Eat Local

 

I often comment that if I hadn’t married a dairy farmer, I could potentially be a vegetarian.

Before you leave my column for good, know that I have nothing against meat necessarily, with a few caveats: for the animals’ sake, I value well-raised; for the eaters’ sake, I value minimally processed; and for the planet’s sake, I value conscious consumption. But I personally get kind of tired of eating it, if it’s by itself, and I don’t love touching it raw, so I could easily just slide into a mostly meatless lifestyle. 

My dad has always worked for non-profits (he still does), so in my childhood our food budget was never excessive. No one went hungry by any means, and my mom did a masterful job keeping my brothers and I satisfied and well-fed with healthy and varied meals, but meat was too expensive to be featured prominently. We would often have ground beef or shredded chicken in things, like stews, curries, casseroles, but not as the thing itself. It didn’t help that neither of my parents enjoy meat that much either, particularly not on the bone nor with any speck of schpeck (is that a Dutch word? I mean gristle or fat). I don’t actually remember an instance of my mom cooking a straight-up piece of meat, except for on a holiday or something maybe, and while I could be wrong, I don’t think I ever had a steak before Brian and I were dating.

That brings us to the present situation, where I’ve married into the farm family, and beef is one of the “cheaper” things around; it’s always in the freezer. The cows would have to literally be living in my house to get any more locally raised, and as I look out my window to see our Holsteins grazing in the adjacent field or listen to my husband talk about cow comfort, I don’t have many qualms about their good lives. (Waste chocolate is part of their daily nutritionist-formulated ration, for goodness sake; could they be happier?)

Even so, I have to admit my personal style still gravitates away from meat, and towards things like vegetables, beans, and cheese. Lots of cheese…hence why I could be a vegetarian by happenstance, but never a vegan. Because dairy. 

I don’t make choices for other people though, of course, and I’m well aware there are realistic moral or health arguments for following a plant-based diet. I had the opportunity to expand my vegan cooking capabilities last weekend when I catered a retreat for a group with multiple dietary needs, and I really enjoyed (some of) the challenges. I hollered when I took my first taste of the tofu-based mayo, grabbing the jar of Duke’s out of the fridge for a side-by-side taste test — it’s not an exact replica but it is so stinking close. I made a couple gallons of my archetypal yogurt, delivering some plain and whisking up a jar of brown-sugar vanilla; but also tried my hand at using homemade coconut milk to make into coconut yogurt, and was pleasantly surprised at my success. 

And honestly I was a little offended at how well the vegan baking went. I take joy in using my hens’ eggs, any number of homemade dairy products, and local honey in my baked goods, and even the science of baking changes when techniques turn plant-based. But with the help of some solid ingredient stand-ins and some respectable recipes, my cakes, scones, and cookies all turned out beautifully. 

I will, however, tactfully decline from comment on the soymilk ricotta and melty cheese. Our dairy cows have good job security there.

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

I borrowed most of this recipe from the Great British Bake Off — like I said, a credible resource. It’s similar to one-bowl “wacky cake” if you’re familiar with that, but with a spot more panache. Rich and moist, these cupcakes were so easy because they didn’t require creaming the butter (since there was none); just a whisk can get the job done. I did finish them with a butter-free “buttercream” frosting, but they were so good, I’m not even sure they needed it. 

Prep tips: I had a little extra batter after filling a dozen cupcakes, so I made a few mini ones as well. Use cute paper liners and you have the perfect little springtime snack. 

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup white sugar

⅓ cup brown sugar

½ cup veg oil

vanilla

1 ½ cup flour

¾ cup cocoa

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

¾ cup pumpkin puree

Mix milk and vinegar; set for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugars, oil, and vanilla. In a mixing bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, salt, and espresso. Whisk in wet ingredients, adding pumpkin. Transfer to paper-lined cupcake pans, and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Let cool half an hour in pan before cooling on racks.

Butchering Day At The Eichers

By
tammiehoeme
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0

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen
Lovina Eitcher,
Old Order Amish
Cook, Wife &
Mother of Eight

 

We are having beautiful spring weather lately. It sure gives a person spring fever, although it’s really not too long before the calendar says “spring begins”. Yesterday I took advantage of the lovely weather and washed a lot of the bedding along with the usual laundry. It dried so nice and the wind made the bath towels so fluffy for being line-dried. The temperature reached sixty-five degrees and the sun was out all day. The time change made all the clocks jump an hour ahead on Sunday so the nice weather at least helped make the change a little easier. 

This morning daughter Loretta and Dustin brought two-year-old Denzel, one-year-old Byron and nine and half week-old baby Kylie here around 6:30 A.M. Loretta had several appointments at doctors an hour away so daughter Verena and I took care of the children while Dustin went with Loretta. As always, they were sweet to have around. Those little boys are sure growing up fast. They are sure mature for their age. They had to grow up fast with another child in the family. They do not lack in getting love though. We all enjoy them. I think it’s so cute how Denzel takes charge of being Byron’s babysitter while they are here. When Byron does something bad, he tells him “to not do that”. He also goes up to Byron while he is taking a nap and smooths out his hair and kisses his forehead. So precious! I am so amazed at the ages those boys have that they do not try to pester Kylie. They are very protective of her. She’s such a doll! She’s cooing and smiling and just overall a good baby to care for. Denzel and Byron are a great past time but it is all easier with daughter Verena here to help. She is a great babysitter and does so well with the children. She handles the three children better than I could. Her handicap doesn’t stand in her way. She finds ways to do things she normally couldn’t. She gets a lot of encouragement from her special friend Daniel Ray. He is such a great friend to her and he also helps us in many ways. May God bless him for his kindness. 

Friday night three hogs were dressed and hung to chill for the following day. On Saturday our family all came to help with the pork butchering. Some came the night before to butcher the hogs and stay for the night.  Around 8 A.M. We started cutting up the meat. Ervin and daughter Susan, Dustin and daughter Loretta, Joe and I all each had a hog that Dustin raised. So began the day of the cutting up of the three pigs. 

First all the bacon, ribs, ham, pork steak, and tenderloins were cut out. Then the bones were trimmed and cooked in the big cast iron kettle over an open fire. The meat was cooked until tender enough to pull from the bones. It was then ground and put back into the kettle.  Flour, salt and pepper were added and it was stirred until it thickened. The mixture was placed in pans and will be sliced and fried.  We call it Pon Hoss but I know many areas call it something different.  The fat was cut into small pieces and rendered in a large kettle to make lard.  Once it was liquid it was strained and poured into jars to seal. We used to not put our lard into jars to seal and just kept it in the cool basement in buckets. I found out fast that lard lasts so much longer in the jars. It can get a bad taste stored in a bucket in your basement. 

The liver, heart, brains, intestines, stomach, or anything that’s good is usually saved. We do not save the intestines anymore but I do remember the stinky smell years ago when those were cleaned. All the hams, tenderloins, and pork steaks were cut, sliced, and bagged. The sausage was also ground and bagged. It was a long but worthwhile day. 

God’s blessings! 

 

 

FARMER’S BREAKFAST

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

Dash of salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 cup diced cooked ham

⅓ cup butter

2 potatoes, peeled and finely chopped 

¼ cup sliced green onion, including green tops 

  Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in the ham and set aside.

  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the potatoes and onion, stirring frequently, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour the egg mixture in the skillet. Cook without stirring until the mixture begins to set around the bottom and edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Push back the edges to let liquid run under and cook if you want to make an omelette, then fold it when cooked through, or just scramble the eggs.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, The Cherished Table, The Essential Amish Cookbook, and Amish Family Recipes, are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email [email protected] and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

Just a Little Light: A Farmer from Our Little Town

By
tammiehoeme
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0

On March 2, Calvin Schultz, a farmer from our community, went to his heavenly home at the age of 74 years.  He farmed on the outskirts of our little town of Miltonvale, Kansas, for many years with his brother Richard.

Through his work on the farm, he helped put food on the tables for hundreds of people during his lifetime.  He was an EMT for 26 years and served as director for 5 years.  He was a volunteer fire fighter for many years, and he was a wonderful brother, uncle, and friend to many.

On March 8, the church was packed with family and friends for his funeral service.  The video about Calvin’s life began with Paul Harvey’s voice stating, “So God made a farmer.” Some of the photos in his video were set to the song “The Outskirts of Heaven,” written by Craig Campbell and Justin Dave Turnbull. 

Paul Harvey’s narrative about farmers was written in 1978, and it is still narrated today.  It was printed in The Atlantic and is now on Farms.com.  Harvey’s piece about farmers describes Calvin well.  Here it is in italics:

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.”

So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.”

So God made a farmer.

“I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait for lunch until his wife’s done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon—and mean it.”

So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt. And watch it die. Then dry his eyes and say, ‘Maybe next year.’ I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain’n from ‘tractor back,’ put in another seventy-two hours.”

So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor’s place.

So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark. It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week’s work with a five-mile drive to church.

Somebody who’d bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life “doing what dad does” (written by Paul Harvey).

Calvin was a good farmer like his dad had been before him.  According to the USDA and American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, there are about 1.9 million farms in the U.S. that are operated by families such as Calvin’s and his brother Richard.  And even though the life of a farmer is probably not easy, it must be fulfilling, or farmers would not work such long, hard days, year after year.

Whoever wrote the song about living in the “outskirts of heaven,” may have grown up on a farm like Calvin.  I grew up in Tennessee on a farm, so I still love the country with “the dogwood trees, blue skies, honeybees, and the green grass” as mentioned in the song.

To the readers of this article, perhaps you too grew up in a farming family.  And maybe you, like Calvin, are physically strong, hard-working, and have a kind, generous heart.    

Perhaps you too would like to live in the “outskirts of heaven” someday—I’d like to imagine Calvin being there now.  Calvin, a farmer from our little town, will be greatly missed.

[email protected]

Reno County now offers fraud notify service

By
Guest Columnist
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0

Residents of Reno County now have a new way to combat property fraud, a rising financial crime. Reno County has added Fraud Notify as part of their recently installed new land records management system.Fraud Notify is offered free-of-charge to help address the ongoing dangers of property fraud.  Property owners can subscribe to the service through the self-service portal on the Register of Deeds webpage at https://www.renocountyks.gov/property-fraud-notify. The service alerts the property owner when a document is recorded at the Reno County Register of Deeds office using their name. This program won’t prevent title fraud from happening but it will notify property owners of any suspicious activity regarding their title to real estate so they can take immediate action.

“By subscribing to Property Fraud Notify, you empower yourself to monitor your property records and receive immediate notification if any suspicious activity is detected, allowing you to quickly investigate and address potential fraud,” said Michelle Updegrove, Register of Deeds, Reno County.

Also known as deed fraud or mortgage fraud, this crime occurs when someone illegally   transfers the ownership of property to their name by forging documents, allowing them to sell the house or take out loans against it without the actual owner’s knowledge or consent. These crimes can cause victims significant financial loss and stress due to the complex process of proving their rightful ownership.  With the rise of sophisticated identity theft methods and online access to personal information, concerns about title fraud have grown significantly in recent years.

The Mission of the Reno County Register of Deeds Office is to provide all services required by law concerning the documentation and record preservation of all land records filed in Reno County and to provide a convenient and professional office for the public to utilize our records. We constantly strive to be aware of statutory changes, technology advancements, and development of staff to provide the citizens of Reno County with quality and timely service.You can contact the Reno County Register of Deeds Office at 620-694-2942 or email at[email protected]

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