By Glen and Kathy Goering
MOUNDRIDGE, Kan. — A Celebration will be held August 23-25, 2024, at Eden Mennonite Church, 401 18th Ave., Moundridge, Kan., for the 150th Anniversary of Swiss Volhynian Mennonite Ancestors Coming to U.S. in 1874.
Friday, August 23, 2024, 7:00 p.m. Keynote address by Dr. Wynn Goering. Participatory musical event, “Singing 150 Years of Schweitzer Mennonite Heritage,” led by Dr. Austin McCabe Juhnke and Dr. William Eash.
Saturday, August 24,2024, 8:00 a.m. “Schweitzers Talking” Readers Theater – Dr. John McCabe Juhnke.
9-2:30 Nine seminars throughout the day.
3:00 Turkey Red Hard Winter Wheat Harvesting and Milling Demonstrations
Demonstrations at the field west of the Moundridge Museum and flour sold there. Farmers are encouraged to bring their vintage farm equipment to display all day Saturday.
Turkey Red Wheat August 23-25, 2024, is the celebration of 150 years since the Mennonite mass migration from the steppes of Asia to the plains of North America, bringing with them the seed stock of Turkey Red Hard Winter Wheat. Of the 5 landraces (adapted varieties) of wheat at the time, they found that Turkey Red was best suited to the sometimes-harsh climate conditions of the steppes and was an excellent wheat for milling into bread flour. The climate conditions of the plains in North America were similar to the steppes of Russia and so Turkey Red thrived where other crops often failed. This turned the plains into the Breadbasket of America, as it had for the steppes in Asia, as the Breadbasket for Europe. Virtually, all of the Hard Red Winter Wheat variations grown in the plains of North America have Turkey Red as their genetic origins.
Saturday, August 24, we will be demonstrating our final 150th Anniversary Pioneer Event with the threshing and milling of Turkey Red Hard Winter Wheat we raised using horse-drawn and vintage equipment, just west of the Moundridge Museum complex. We will be using a McCormick-Deering threshing machine powered by an antique tractor to thresh the bundles of Turkey Red we bound and shocked back on June first.
There will also be an 1874 grist mill, milling demonstration providing us a unique opportunity to have Turkey Red wheat flour available for purchase. To complement the threshing and milling events, Vintage Farm Equipment with some of the great machines of the past will be on display all day.
These events will start with the farm equipment display beginning at 9:00 a.m. just west of the Moundridge Museum Complex and continue through the day.
“We will be setting up the threshing and milling demonstration all morning with our official start at 3:00 p.m. Limited bleacher seating and concessions will be available; bringing a water bottle and a hat might be advisable,” Glen Goering said. “We know you will enjoy these unique pioneer events and celebrating the 150th Schweitzers & Friends anniversary.”
5:00-7:30 p.m. Ethnic Supper at Eden Church, by reservation, cafeteria style catered by Bread Basket, Newton, KS. 7:00 p.m. Menno Night Live: Schweitzers and Friends Edition: Six Swiss Sisters; Christopher Shaw, pipe organ; Flannelbacks; September River.
Sunday, August 25, 2024, 9:30 a.m. Community Worship Service at Eden Mennonite – Dr. Nathan Stucky, Mass Choir with Brass Accompaniment.
Check www.swissmennonite.org for more details and to register. “Schweitzers and Friends” is the theme, so all are welcome to participate.
