Seniors Hear from Specklebelly Farms, Enjoy Thanksgiving Meal

This sure has been a full week of activities, of meeting with people, and of being mission-oriented. This week we have learned a lot, we have shared a lot, and we have celebrated a season of thankfulness together, too.

This past Monday, Dustin LaBat, owner and manager of Specklebelly Farms, was the Lunch & Learn speaker, and we enjoyed getting to know him, who with his wife, are the owners of Specklebelly Farms. This farm is located between Weimar and Columbus on Hwy. 90. There are many who know of this farm, and there are many that still do not know of its existence, but we are hoping to shed some light on just what exactly they are.

Specklebelly Farms is a “upick” fruit and vegetable farm in Weimar. They focus primarily on a variety of blackberries, figs, garden vegetables and cut flowers. Dustin LaBat was a wonderful speaker and we could feel his passion for the work he does on this farm. How exciting it was to learn that Specklebelly Farms is a partner with many of the surrounding colleges and universities, regarding the best plants to plant and harvest, the latest on organic techniques and organic pest control.

Specklebelly Farms is open seasonally, and Dustin told us of the blackberry season they had this past summer. He spoke of the varieties of tomatoes they plant, and mentioned the pumpkin patch they had earlier in October. He brought a sample of the squash that is being grown now, such as butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash. He also told us about the edible flowers they raise and are now selling to local restaurants and chefs.

With our Thanksgiving lunch date looming, there was so much activity going on all around us. From Senior Connections members signing up to bring a side dish or a dessert, to the Baking Group meeting to bake a few more pies on Tuesday, to a Decorating Team forming and meeting on Tuesday night to decorate, to a full day of Thanksgiving being offered to our members, we were having some very busy days.

Senior Connections served close to 60 plates, between seniors, volunteers, and staff. Schobel’s Restaurant in Columbus sponsored the turkey and gravy for this event and the compliments have not stopped coming in. Amanda Kridel, Director of Marketing & Development, inspired us all, and the meal took form. There was cornbread dressing, corn casseroles, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and rolls. Everyone had a great time with the riddles, raffle, and table games, not to mention the food, but the crowning moment was when the St. Rose Singers student group of 3rd and 4th grade students came in to entertain us all.

The students from St. Rose come entertain us every year and this Thanksgiving was no exception. It was so cool to see the students, but to also see their parents who had made time to come see the performance was just wonderful. They sang some great songs, and one that even paid tribute to our Veterans, and they told some cool “knock-knock” jokes and stories. Everyone loved the entertainment provided by the children and agreed that it sure made for a great intergenerational moment.