WEYAUWEGA, Wisconsin ‒ A longtime Father’s Day tradition is alive and well in the Waupaca County community of Weyauwega.
Weyauwega-Fremont High School’s FFA chapter hosted its annual Breakfast on the Farm June 21 at the Waupaca County Fairgrounds.
Besides a breakfast that included pancakes, ham, hashbrowns, cheese, applesauce, milk, coffee and ice cream, the event also included a petting zoo, games and hayrides on a wagon.
Connie Peterson is one of the chapter’s advisers and helps organize the breakfast, which she said has been held for more than 30 years.
“Planning starts in March,” she said. “We divvy out responsibilities to kids and parents, order food and things like that.”
Although school is not in session when the breakfast is held, Peterson said it’s not hard to get students involved.
“We really promote this before the end of the school year and talk about the help that we need,” she said. “They kind of reserve this date and some of the dads give the sacrifice so their kids can come and work for the day. They’re doing everything from mixing pancake batter and heating up some ham to flipping pancakes and serving food in line. They have a petting zoo and kids’ games.
“I think it’s being a part of something greater than themselves,” she added. “They find success with seeing lots of people here with smiling faces enjoying breakfast.”
The breakfast has been held annually for more than 30 years and draws an average crowd of 1,250 people, Peterson said.
“Last year, we hit pretty close to 1,500,” she said. “Weather will keep some of the questionable people at bay, but we have the diehards that are coming rain or shine.”
Waupaca County is one of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that host at least one dairy breakfast each year.
“I just think it’s the unique setting of a sit-down for some of them,” Peterson said. “It’s one of the only meals of the week that they sit down with their family.”
The breakfast has always been held on Father’s Day weekend.
“Sometimes, I think it helps us and sometimes, I think it hurts us,” Peterson said. “We want to hit the month of June. We looked at the surrounding counties and when theirs were. A lot of years back, we decided we were going to do it Father’s Day weekend. This works for us. It’s shortly after school gets out, so we still have kids interested and able to help.”
Breakfast visitors go through 550 pounds of pancake batter, 1,500 pints of milk and 1,000 bottles of water each year.
“We have a very generous community and extended community that helps support the breakfast,” Peterson said. “It really helps cover the cost of the food and supplies we need for the breakfast. It is a fundraiser for us and we try to give back to the kids in scholarships and conference and convention trips.”
This year’s breakfast cost $10 for ages 13 and up or $5 for ages 5-12. That’s the same as last year, although Peterson said costs have increased from last year’s event.
“It’s definitely increased our costs, but we didn’t raise it. We just want to deal with a $10 bill,” she said. “We are fortunate to have so many sponsors help us with some of those costs.”
Peterson said there’s a good reason why Weyauwega-Fremont’s chapter has won several state and national FFA awards over the years.
“I always give credit to the people before them,” she said. “I think it’s the previous winners that have established those reputations and established those standards. Our newer kids see that and want to have the same goals and aspirations.”
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin State Farmer: Breakfast on the Farm brings community together in Weyauwega each year
Reporting by Greg Seubert, Correspondent / Wisconsin State Farmer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Greg Seubert, Correspondent | USA TODAY Network
