Farm families keep traditions alive

Chamber, merchants show appreciation for agriculture

MOSES LAKE — The area shows its appreciation for agriculture well.

So said some of the people partaking in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce's 25th annual Farm Family Brunch Saturday morning at the Golden Corral Family Steakhouse.

Chamber manager Karen Wagner said that an excess of 340 tickets were out, so she expected that many individuals to be served.

"It's one of our most popular activities," she said of the brunch. "The effort behind it is to let our agricultural community know how much we appreciate their support of our Moses Lake businesses."

Businesses purchase host tickets while the chamber invites farmers, who register how many tickets they require for their family. The tickets are sent with the name of the business host on them. Wagner said the chamber tries to send a mix of host tickets to each family.

Hay farmer Omar "Smokey" Suarez was the first to arrive with his family, save for one of his four sons, who was preparing for a wrestling match later in the day. Suarez said his sons are a big help to him on the farm.

"I'm a farmer, and we all like to help each other together, and we'd like the community to stick together," he explained of the reasons for participating in the brunch. "I like the way everybody gets together."

Rischel Law, with husband Ryan and daughter Ashlyn, said that her parents farm wheat, alfalfa, hay and corn, and have been participating in the brunch ever since she was a baby herself.

"We're here again," she said, noting that her parents were unable to attend this year. "It's tradition. It's always good to keep traditions alive."

"I think it's a nice gesture from the merchants," wheat and bluegrass farmer Jack Hendrix said, dining with his wife, Kay.

Asked if he thinks agriculture is appreciated enough, Hendrix responded in the affirmative.

"We're a diversified community, obviously," he said. "I think they appreciate us. We try to do most of our business here."

Only vegetable seed farmer Ronald Welch, dining with wife Christy and their children — Heidi, 9; Hannah, 6, and Nicholas, 4 —said he didn't think agriculture is appreciated enough by the community.

"No," he said amiably, with a laugh. "But I know it's appreciated more in this community than in other ag communities, especially compared to the west side."

Christy agreed.

"My parents are farmers on the west side, and they're jealous," she said. "The parade last night and breakfast this morning, that is such a nice thing, because they're farmers over north of Seattle and there's no appreciation over there. They are always like, 'Wow, that's so neat, your area's so nice.'"

Of the five tickets provided for his family, Welch said, he does business directly with three of them. "And spent a fair amount of money at one of them, for sure," he said with a laugh.

"It's the nicest, most wonderful, heartwarming event I have experienced in Moses Lake," Christy Welch added.

Even though Wagner plans to retire in February, she hopes the chamber keeps the tradition alive.

"I hope so," she said. "I think that there would be an uproar. This is a social activity for all of us. There are people I see here only once a year, and the farmers come and they yell across the restaurant, 'Well, hi, haven't seen you in a long time.' So it's kind of a social thing, as well as a good breakfast."